EO Annual Report

Support That Strengthens Childcare Providers

“My shared services coordinator, Meri, has been a great help to me. She comes to my site. I can call her anytime, and if she misses my call, she will call me back. If I have any issues or am searching for any information, she has been a great help in that aspect, too.” -Esther Babatunde

The current membership of the Shared Services Alliance is 52 providers.

Owning and operating a childcare site is a major undertaking, with much more involved than many people realize. Yet a passion for children keeps educators moving forward. That’s true for Esther Babatunde, a family day home operator in Wise, Virginia, who quickly discovered that caring for children is only part of the job. Behind the scenes lies a world of licensing and compliance, which is where EO’s Shared Services Alliance can step in to help. “When I came to America on my Visa, I couldn’t work, so I was taking care of my own little ones,” Babatunde said. “So, I thought, what could I do that would allow me to take care of my kids and at the same time support my own family financially.” She decided to enroll at Mountain Empire Community College and received a Career Studies Certificate in Early Childhood Development. From there, she was able to gain information about starting her own center, but that was not without challenges. “Also, a lot of families can’t afford childcare and not a lot of people know about family day homes as an option,” she said. During this time, Babatunde was introduced to EO and connected with the Shared Services Alliance. Alliance members receive a variety of support from EO staff, including help with licensing, human resources, and record keeping. One of the most immediate services Babatunde used was assistance with the certification and verification required to hire staff. “It was hard for me to make time to get the background check, fingerprints for my staff, but since I joined the alliance, I don’t have to do that anymore” she said. “I send EO the name of my staff, and they do the background check and coordination for me.” She said that one of the greatest benefits has been the

constant support of EO staff, especially her assigned coordinator, Meri Cook, as they have gotten to know each other over time. “She has been a great help to me. Meri comes to my site. I can call her anytime, and if she misses my call, she will call me back,” she said. “If I have any issues or searching for any information, she has been a great help in that aspect.” Babatunde is not alone, according to EO’s “Expanding Impact: Shared Services Alliance – 1 year Progress”, 76% of providers currently in the alliance reported an increase in feelings of support, and 47% saw a decrease in the amount of time spent on administrative tasks. Babatunde has now been operating her site for three years, and just this year was notified that EO’s Shared Services Alliance had been able to connect her with scholarship funding made possible by the Anne and Gene Worrell Foundation. This funding will go towards the cost of childcare for families at Babatunde’s site. The Shared Services Alliance works to support providers with subject matter experitise and direct coordination. This allows site directors, like Babatunde, to focus on what matters most: providing high-quality care for children in their communities.

After one year, 47% of providers saw a decrease in the amount of time spent on administrative tasks, allowing them to devote greater attention to their classrooms and enhance the overall quality of their programs.

ANNUAL REPORT

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