First Children’s Finance (FCF)

““This report shined a bright light on the need to inform the financial industry of the challenges providers face in accessing traditional capital to start their business. Children, families, and communities in Nebraska will benefit greatly when we’re able to expand the options available from traditional financial institutions and inform child care providers on how they can access those resources,””

““The work we did with First Children’s Finance is informing our organizational growth plan and will help us achieve our goal of equitable access to capital not only for Nebraska’s child care providers, but the child care industry as a whole. I can’t say enough good things about the competence and depth of knowledge specific to the child care industry that FCF has demonstrated throughout our partnership.””

“I thoroughly enjoyed everything about working with Jessica and Alexis. They could have easily just said ‘Add more kids and make more money.’ But they took the time to understand us. I think everyone should go through the process with FCF.”

“They showed me that sometimes small tweaks to a plan can make things doable. For example, we figured out to make the kitchen more efficient, which will save money,” Kim said. “I wanted to have 12 kids each in 12 classrooms. Jessica and Alexis showed me that instead I could have 20 kids each in seven classrooms with the same number of staff but would save on space and furniture costs. “Just that one tweak saved me thousands of dollars every year.”

“I cannot overstate how amazing Jessica and Alexis were. They gave me 5-6 scenarios that showed how the future could look,” Kim said. “They listened to me, crunched numbers and gave me alternative ways of looking at the same goals. “Most importantly, they didn’t try to change who we are; they understood our mission and our vision and how important it was for us to serve our population. They didn’t try to force other methods on us. They wanted our solution to work for us. That was huge.”

““The future vitality of our local economy depends on the availability of reliable, quality child care. Without it, businesses will struggle to attract and retain employees and families will move from our communities to areas that are better equipped to meet their needs. We need to treat child care providers as essential service providers for our community who deserve our full support.””

“I came away with a clear understanding of where our gaps are, and where our opportunities lie.”

“This was the first time we’ve had the right people in the room to talk about these issues from a systems perspective.”

“The guidance and resources from First Children’s Finance helped us go from vision to reality. We are proud of what we’ve built and excited for the future of early childhood care in La Farge.”

““Financing from FCF has helped me to invest in the quality of my child care business.””

“FCF really held us accountable and got us talking together. We began meeting monthly and working with stakeholders. The structure that FCF provided really kept us on track and moving effectively. If I had questions the staff were wonderful and responsive. Kari Stattelman (Director of Consulting) and Amy Arena Couture (Business Development Manager) were key to leading the charge, but Angie De Los Santos spent the most time with us. She was amazing!”

“I’ve been working 34 years and this project – and the journey with First Children’s Finance and the State of Wisconsin – is by far the most memorable, impactful project I have ever done.”

“Really connect with someone from FCF. There are many things that new providers don’t know, and FCF has that information and is always willing to share in a professional, efficient manner.”

“(Loan Fund Manager) Amanda Brewington was there with me during the process, helping me secure funding that helped with payroll and with some opening hiccups. I can’t thank them enough. Everything was smooth and benefited my business.”

“Jessica and Angeliek – they were amazing! They cleared everything up for me –from my business plan to budgeting to how much I needed to charge. They were just here last week. I love those ladies!”

“All providers should work with FCF and have a plan. It’s so important to know that there are better ways to do the things that we think we’re doing well. I can’t wait to see what comes next.”

“Joan made sure that our business could be a successful business that was here to love on our kids. It didn’t have to be one or the other.”

“I was a little scared when I started working with Joan, that she might make me feel bad about what I didn’t know. But she doesn’t make anyone feel bad about anything! She always brings my spirits up even when things are tough.”

“I got a loan from FCF, and Joan helped me think about the right location for the center. Joan researched with me – we considered a few different spots – and I ended up in absolutely the best spot. We are wonderfully located.”

““The first year of my current program I received a stipend from FCF that helped me buy materials for my child care program. It was so helpful when I really needed it.”

““(Business Development Specialists) Ingrid (Perez) and Jeniffer (White) are also so experienced and helpful. They speak my language: both Spanish and child care!””

““(Business Development Manager) Juan (Muros) has been very helpful to be. He was actually the person who first helped me register my business with the state. He has always been there for me.”

““My level of computer skills sometimes makes me nervous because technology isn’t always that easy; it can be very intimidating. But the instructors always made sure that everyone understood the material. And the fact that the courses could be in Spanish was very helpful to me.””

““I’ve even taken some classes twice because I thought they were so interesting, and I learned more each time!””

““I also started to receive information about training offered by First Children’s Finance. The topics covered the areas where I needed to know more; I was also pleased to receive state credit through ORO (Oregon Registry Online),””