Help Your Early Childhood Association All At Once By Joining The Early Learning Ventures Network
Do you have a group of child care providers looking for administrative support and technology guidance? Let us help you help them all through one-on-one support and training on our Alliance CORE system.
The Value of Shared Services
Early Learning Ventures (ELV) is a nonprofit organization based in Colorado that focuses more on technological and administrative services through shared services networks. ELV, via their child care management system Alliance CORE, partners their technology resources with the one-on-one support necessary to help providers free themselves from administrative responsibilities. These services are helping to keep child care providers in business. While the entire state of Colorado lost 9.4% of all licensed providers since March 2020,[1] Early Learning Ventures’ Colorado network of providers lost only 2.8% percent of its members.
Other shared services networks are interested in this model and ELV has formed partnerships with over 15 shared services networks across the nation to develop similar local models. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, ELV has also provided a webinar series covering such topics as how to apply for PPP/EIDL loans, the psychological effects of the pandemic on children and staff, licensing updates and more. Within their own network, ELV supported providers by covering the costs of all its services for three months. They also gave masks, thermometers and information about time-sensitive local grant opportunities to providers in the network. These supports may help explain why ELV-associated providers were more likely to stay in business through the pandemic.
There is also evidence to suggest that ELV-associated providers in Colorado scored higher on quality measures. On average, the QRIS score for all non-ELV sites in Colorado is 1.77. For ELV network sites it is 2.57, a difference of 45%. Continued partnerships with providers has been the norm, as ELV has retained the vast majority of its providers in the past few years. ELV has maintained year-over-year retention of 94% each of the past two years (2019 and 2020) and has a 77% net promoter score (indicating that users would recommend ELV to a friend or colleague).
Shared service networks can be beneficial to child care providers, especially those who operate family child care businesses. Evidence has shown that providers who are associated with a shared services program are more likely to stay in business and have higher quality ratings. These networks can quickly deploy trainings in the event of crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic[2]. And shared service networks have the potential to provide even more services and benefits. These additional services could include tax preparation, follow-up trainings, home visits to providers and maintaining a pool of substitute providers. Devoting federal funding to these networks could help thousands of child care providers successfully run their businesses while serving children and families[3]. Shared service networks are an innovative way for child care providers to get the support and professional development they need.
Early Educators:
- Learn about available shared service networks, through either your local CCR&R or child care licensing division.
- Balance the pros and cons of joining a locally available shared service network and join if it makes sense.
- If none are available, advocate for a new network with your CCDF lead agency or state lawmakers.
[1] Delap, S. et al. (March, 2021). Measuring the impact of COVID-19 on Colorado’s Early Care and Learning Sector. Early Milestones Colorado. Retrieved from: https://earlymilestones.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/COVID-Wave-1-Report-Web.pdf
[2] Bipartisan Policy Center. (June 26, 2020). Family child care networks. Retrieved from: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/family-child-care-networks/
[3] Ibid.
Source: ChildCare Aware of America
Our Current National Hub Partnerships
Manage All of Your Child Care Providers via One Simple System
● Are your child care programs and providers feeling overburdened? Sign up as a hub and be able to access all data from several programs at once and assist them whenever they need
● Feel secure and reliable with our digital, cloud-based system
● Boost enrollment, schedule reporting and better prepare for licensing. CORE is essential for both home and center-based programs future successes.
● Streamline each program’s admin duties, allowing them to spend more time with children in the classrooms than ever before, rather than on paperwork, deadlines, and backend staffing needs.
The Early Learning Ventures Team Is Here To Support You & Your Providers.
From a one-on-one demo for each provider to individual support and continual training with our team, we meet the program where they are with their tech experience and coach them through the system as much as they need.
Create customizable reporting, invoice your families via multiple billing cycle options, and access the system on any internet accessible device for your staff and families convenience and ease.
Take away the daily burden and stress of the administrative side to child care by switching to Alliance CORE.
Stop Wasting Time Running Your Child Care Program
1. Meet With Our Team
Schedule a time to sit down with us to cover all your needs and preferences.
2. Get Your Plan
We’ll finalize an action plan with the next steps and best practices to set your programs up for success.
3. Serve Providers
Help your providers all at once via the Alliance CORE child care management system.
Here’s What A Current ELV Hub Partner Had To Say About Their Experience
"As a leader in shared services in Michigan, we utilized ELV Core to automate child care data. Our shared services model automated billing and collecting, child records, and staff records. The automation of these core areas decreased cost, increased revenues, and created more working space for ECE leaders in our membership network. ELV's customer service begins with the end in mind; customer support builds the use of the database components systematically and creates customer behaviors to efficiently use the software for the long haul. As a new model of shared services in our region, the training methods of ELV were consistent, predictable, and applicable to the work of data automation, and this was essential to Battle Creek Shared Service Alliances' eventual success of decreased administrative cost among its member centers."
- Kathleen Moore, Battle Creek Shared Services Alliance
