CANTON — Those interested in becoming child care providers can soon be supported through the Family Child Care Training Program, the details of which were presented at SUNY Canton’s Cook Hall on Tuesday.
The program is a collaboration between the St. Lawrence County Child Care Council, the SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center and other local partners in order to help meet the demand for child care in the county.
It will be funded by the county legislature using $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Through the SLCCC, those interested in starting a child care business will receive medical training, day care orientation, a stipend for supplies and technical assistance and support in the licensing process.
The Small Business Development Center will help them with the business side of things, including an introduction to entrepreneurship, business planning, bookkeeping, marketing and building wealth.
SUNY Canton will offer program participants an introduction to early childhood course for three credit hours in person or virtually.
Maureen P. Maiocco, director of the Early Childhood Program at SUNY Canton, said the Family Child Care Training Program is mostly for people interested in exploring child care as a new career or business opportunity.
The program takes about five months to complete, with SLCCC orientation beginning in September, SBDC training from October to November and the SUNY Canton early childhood course from December to January.
The goal of the program is to license between 10 and 15 child care providers in the first year, which would create 60 to 120 licensed child care slots. The program has three years of funding. After that expires, SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran said all the parties will work together to keep finding a solution to the lack of child care in the county.
Other partners include the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency, the county Workforce Development Board, the New York Power Authority, and the county legislature.
Registration for the 2022-23 program is due Aug. 30. Those interested in registering can contact Katy Pinkerton at [email protected], or call 315-393-6474, ext. 17.
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