Existing human, financial, social, and physical capital present opportunities to leverage for increasing access to child care. This section of the Playbook focuses on topics related to harnessing existing regional resources, including facility space, financing, and partnerships, to amplify and accelerate initiatives to build child care supply.
In response to many requests for business supports from Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) site leaders and Ready Regions, VECF convened the Early Educator Finance and Compensation Task Force, a group of veteran ECCE site leaders, to help develop this training in collaboration with financial planning and resiliency experts, 20 Degrees. This means that the tool was designed and tested by ECCE providers for ECCE providers.
In the fall of 2024, the massive 87,000 square-foot EO Regional Workforce and Child Development Hub opened in Abingdon, Virginia. The complex operates as a Hub-and-Spoke Model where a centralized, high-capacity facility works with a network of community-based providers to expand access, strengthen quality, and improve sustainability across the region.