The ripple effect of COVID-19 is still being felt in the Sierra and beyond. As the following guest blog (written by SBDC Business Advisor, Danielle Marshall) highlights, one area in particular where we’re still reeling from the pandemic is its disproportionate impact on women (especially women of color). We’re excited to announce an upcoming course taught by Danielle later this year that will hopefully help lessen the obstacles women face in reentering the workforce by teaching entrepreneurs how to start in-home childcare businesses. 

We’re still working on setting the exact date and getting a registration link up SierraSBDC.com. If you’re interested in this course, check back here periodically to sign up or email info@sierrasbdc.com. In the meantime, you can read on to learn why Danielle is passionate about this issue and what the course will entail. 

As a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, women have had to shift focus, finances, and family life. According to the Center for American Progress, over the course of the first 10 months of the pandemic, women—particularly women of color—have lost more jobs than men as industries dominated by women have been hit the hardest. Overall, women have lost a net of 5.4 million jobs during the recession—nearly 1 million more job losses than men. The job losses in December are a stark illustration of these trends: Black, Hispanic, and Asian women accounted for all of women’s job losses that month and 154,000 Black women dropped out of the labor force entirely. This push of job losses, combined with the pull of increased caregiving at home, has created a recession in which more women have been affected.

The coronavirus shutdowns have closed schools and daycare centers around the country, keeping kids at home and making it even harder for parents (especially mothers who tend to provide the majority of childcare) to keep working. Childcare poses an additional challenge to working mothers during the pandemic. 

The Sierra Small Business Development Center’s in-home childcare entrepreneurship and training program aims to assist entrepreneurs, individuals, and families displaced from the workforce due to the Coronavirus-induced obstacles as well as the community at large. Our program will aid in identifying career opportunities for individuals who have had to become in-home caregivers of their own families, have lost jobs due to business closures, and are looking for an opportunity to provide employment and help others get back into the post-pandemic economy. Additionally, it will help families seeking quality of care for their own children and family members. 

In this program, participants will receive an overview of owning a licensed in-home childcare business. Takeaways will include: the knowledge and components of a business plan, practical exercises in identifying opportunities for business expansion, continued education, licensing and safety support, and transportation resources. 

In addition, we will provide real-time information on state and local opportunities as well as potential public/private funding mechanisms. We will showcase the opportunities for public and private sector collaborations and connect participants to tangible resources to increase their chance of success.  

To maintain health and safety guidelines and provide flexible meeting opportunities, the entirety of the program will be delivered via online class options and E-Learning Platforms. 

The Sierra SBDC childcare program is an introduction to owning and operating an in-home early childhood learning center. It will consist of a 6-class course facilitated by the Sierra SBDC with participation from local licensing agencies, collegiate level resource partners, and a panel of current licensed childcare facility owners/operators. 

Throughout classes, participants will have milestones to meet and as well as access to self-paced online learning modules. Ongoing feedback, attendee progress, and overall program evaluation will be a top priority of the Sierra SBDC.