Child Care Business

The following essential tools help child care businesses manage daily operations and stay compliant with Pennsylvania requirements:

• PA Provider Self-Service: An essential tool for providers to manage their profiles, submit documentation, and interact with state agencies.
• DHS COMPASS – Child Care Benefits: The primary portal for Pennsylvanians to apply for and manage social service benefits, including child care works subsidies.
• PELICAN (PA Early Learning Keys to Net): Pennsylvania’s integrated data system for early learning. Use this resource to manage licensing information, Keystone STARS participation, and professional development records for your staff.

• PACCA (Pennsylvania Child Care Association): As the primary advocacy body for child care providers in PA, PACCA keeps small businesses informed on legislative changes and provides a collective voice to influence childcare policy.
• T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Pennsylvania Scholarship: This program drastically reduces staff turnover by funding degrees and credentials for provider employees, allowing businesses to upskill staff with minimal out-of-pocket costs.
• PA Department of Health Child Care Forms: Utilizing these standardized templates ensures your business remains compliant with state health mandates and labor laws, reducing the risk of legal or safety oversights.

• Keystone STARS: Moving up the STAR tiers increases a child care business’s professional reputation and, more importantly, unlocks higher subsidy reimbursement rates to boost their bottom line.
• Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRC): ELRCs act as local business partners, managing the “Child Care Works” subsidies that ensure child care providers get paid for serving low-income families. Providing a “Find Your ELRC” tool on their website to assist parents in identifying support systems to could assist in covering their childcare.
• Provider Certification & Inspection Review: Reviewing common compliance citations helps providers “self-audit,” increasing their understanding and ability to pass state inspections and avoid costly fines or license suspensions.
• Curriculum and Child Assessment Resources: Aligning your program with state standards ensures high-quality instruction, which is a requirement for advancing through the Keystone STARS levels. It is also important to review PA Early Learning Standards by age group.

• Financial Pro Forma Templates: A downloadable Excel tool specifically for child care—pre-filled with industry categories like “Food Program Reimbursements” and “Staff-to-Child Ratio Labor Costs.”
• CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program): Understand how providers can get federally reimbursed for serving nutritious meals, which is a major hidden revenue stream for centers.
• Child Care Grant Information: Stay updated on state funding and grants that provide “infusions” of capital that can be used for facility repairs, staff bonuses, and more.

• Google Business Profile Guide: Optimizing your profile ensures your child care center appears at the top of local “Child care near me” searches, driving organic leads without a paid ad budget..
• Parent Handbook: Having a parent handbook is critical for protecting your business and maintaining compliance. Work with an SBDC business consultant to determine what should be included in your parent handbook.
• Digital Marketing Center of Excellence: Work with our Digital Marketing CoE to improve your child care business’s digital presence. Digital Marketing CoE at Pitt and Duquesne SBDC can help with technical SEO reports, social media audits, emerging digital tools, and hands-on learning.
• Waitlist Management Tips: Utilize CRM software (like Brightwheel or Procare) to manage enrollment pipelines.

Providing child care resources is a proven strategy for reducing turnover and increasing workforce productivity. To make these benefits sustainable, small business owners can utilize specific economic frameworks and tax incentives designed to offset costs.

• Early Learning Investment Commission (ELIC): The ELIC serves as a bridge between the public and private sectors. By emphasizing the “business case” for early childhood investment, the commission helps owners identify high-impact partnerships that improve local economic outcomes and stabilize the labor pool.
• Federal and State Child Care Tax Credits: A primary tool for cost recovery, these credits are designed to reduce an organization’s overall tax liability. By leveraging federal incentives (such as the Credit for Employer-Provided Child Care Facilities and Services) alongside state-level programs, businesses can significantly lower the net cost of offering child care support to their staff.