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Executive Summary
Little Steps Learning Center is a nonprofit, licensed child care center in the west side of our city that gives children a safe, nurturing day and gives parents the care they need to work or study. We provide full-day licensed care for children age 1 to 5, early learning through play and tuition on a sliding scale, with tuition on a sliding scale so families at every income level can enroll.
Working parents need child care they can trust. But good care costs more than many families can pay, spots are limited, and many centers do not offer hours that match work schedules. Our center offers licensed, quality care with caring educators, at a price families can manage, so parents can work and children can thrive.
In Year 1 we plan to serve about 24 children in two classrooms. Our Year 1 budget is about $237,000, growing to about $542,000 by Year 5 as we grow from three early childhood educators to eleven. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small amount set aside in savings.
We are asking the Meridian Community Fund for $60,000, as part of the $128,000 in grants and contracts we need for Year 1. The other $109,000 in Year 1 comes from tuition income, which we plan to grow to about $451,000 a year by Year 5. Grant and subsidy income pays for the gap between what families can pay and the true cost of quality care.
We will measure how many children we enroll, how steadily they attend, how they are growing using a simple developmental checklist, and how many parents say they could work or study because of our care. We will report results to our funders every six months.
Company Description
Little Steps Learning Center is a nonprofit organization in Kansas. A 501(c)(3) public charity
Our mission. To give young children a strong start through safe, nurturing care and early learning, and to support working families.
How we started and what we have done. We began in 2022 when a church opened one licensed classroom for 12 toddlers whose parents worked evenings. Since then we have served about 30 children and 20 families.
What we do:
- Provide licensed full-day care and early learning for children from infancy to age five.
- Offer tuition on a sliding scale, and accept government child care subsidies.
- Use play-based activities that build language, early math, movement and social skills.
- Serve healthy meals and snacks, as part of a federal child care food program where eligible.
- Keep families informed and involved, and connect them to other help.
Where we work. Two licensed classrooms at a church, Monday to Friday 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Our partners. The church that provides our space, the county health department, a pediatrician who screens children and a food program that provides meals.
Our approach. Young children learn through warm relationships, play and routine. We hire caring, well-trained educators, keep groups small and treat parents as partners.
How we are run. A volunteer Board of Directors (a small group of community members who oversee the organization) meets regularly, approves the budget, reviews the finances and oversees the Executive Director.
Problem & Opportunity
Why this program is needed.
In the west side of our city, there are more young children with working parents than there are licensed child care spots, and good care often costs as much as rent. Parents who work early, late or on weekends have few options. Some parents leave jobs or use unsafe, unlicensed care.
Facts about our community. According to our state licensing office, there are far fewer licensed child care spots than children under 5 in our county.
Gaps in the help that exists now:
1. Cost. Quality care is out of reach for many working families, and subsidies do not cover everyone.
2. Space. There are not enough licensed spots, especially for infants and toddlers.
3. Hours. Many parents need care outside the usual 9-to-5 hours.
4. Quality. Centers struggle to hire and keep trained educators because pay is low.
5. Early support. Many children with developmental delays are not found until they start school.
What we have seen ourselves. Several parents told us they had to turn down a job or change shifts because they could not find child care.
Who we serve first. Children from infancy to age five whose parents work or study, with priority for families with low incomes and those using subsidies, in children of working parents earning under 200% of the poverty line, and children of parents who work evenings and weekends.
Products & Services
How the program works.
1. Licensed, safe care. We follow all state rules on ratios (the number of children per adult), safety, health, background checks and staff qualifications.
2. Early learning through play. Daily activities build language, early math and social skills, following the state's early learning guidelines.
3. Sliding scale tuition. Families pay based on income, and families who qualify use state child care subsidies. We never turn a family away only because of cost.
4. Healthy meals. We serve nutritious meals and snacks.
5. Parent partnership. We talk with parents daily, hold regular conferences and screen children for developmental needs, with referrals when needed.
How we will measure results. We track enrollment, attendance, staff-child ratios and safety checks. We use a standard developmental checklist at set times and share it with parents. Twice a year we ask parents how our care helps them work or study. Our goals for Year 1: enroll 24 children; have 85% attend regularly; screen every child for developmental needs; and have 85% of parents say they were able to work or study because of our care.
Market Analysis
Where we work and who we serve.
We serve children and families in the west side of our city, especially children of working parents earning under 200% of the poverty line, and children of parents who work evenings and weekends.
How we know people need this. We opened with 12 spots and have a waiting list of 40 children.
How many we will reach. In Year 1, about 24 children in two classrooms. The number of licensed child care spots compared with the number of young children, the share of families who qualify for subsidies and waiting lists at existing centers are common ways to size the need, and the guide for this plan shows where to find them. As we grow from three early childhood educators to eleven, we expect to serve more children each year.
How families reach us. Employers, the WIC office, two elementary schools, a pediatric clinic and local churches.
Competitive Landscape
Other help, and how we work with it.
- Other licensed child care centers and family child care homes provide care. We focus on families and ages with the fewest options, and share information. We are licensed by the state and work with our regional child care resource and referral agency.
- Head Start and Early Head Start provide free programs for eligible children. We refer families to them and help them apply.
- Public pre-kindergarten serves four-year-olds in many places. We provide care for the rest of the day.
- Family, friend and neighbor care is common. We offer resources and training to those caregivers.
- Child care resource and referral agencies help families find care. We work with them.
What makes us different: hours that fit shift work, tuition on a sliding scale and educators who stay with the same group of children
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we reach people and build support.
Reaching people:
- Referrals from employers, schools, WIC offices, churches, shelters and pediatricians.
- Flyers and information in places families go, such as clinics, libraries and laundromats.
- Word of mouth from parents.
- A simple application with help in the languages families speak.
Licensing and subsidies. Every state requires a child care license and sets rules on staff qualifications, ratios and safety. To accept state child care subsidies, a center must also enroll with the state subsidy program. We do not enroll children until we are licensed.
Volunteers. Retired teachers, church groups and college education students.
Raising money beyond grants. Tuition is planned at about $109,000 in Year 1, growing to about $451,000 by Year 5 as we add children. Tuition is charged on a sliding scale based on family income, and families who qualify use government child care subsidies to help pay. Donations, from employers, churches and individuals, help fill the rest.
Operations Plan
How the program runs.
How a family moves through the center:
1. An inquiry and a visit to see the classroom.
2. An application, a conversation about the child's needs and schedule and a tuition or subsidy review.
3. A gradual start, with the child and parent visiting together first.
4. Daily routines, regular communication and screening at set times.
5. A plan for the move to school.
A first visit. The director shows the family the classroom, introduces the educator and explains routines, safety and tuition. The parent and child stay together for a short first visit.
Safety and licensing. All staff pass background checks, complete required training (such as first aid, CPR and safe sleep for infants) and follow state ratio rules. We never leave children without the required number of adults. Staff are required by law to report suspected child abuse. The building passes health, fire and safety inspections.
Privacy. Information about children and families is kept private. We share it only with parent permission or when the law requires it, and funders get totals, never names.
Equipment. In Year 1 we buy about $75,000 in equipment (classroom build-out, furniture, safe sleep equipment, a small kitchen, a playground area and a computer), then about $6,000 to $8,000 a year to replace worn items.
Staff. Three early childhood educators in Year 1, then five in Year 2, seven in Year 3, nine in Year 4 and eleven in Year 5. Educators are paid fairly and receive ongoing training, because steady educators make a big difference to young children.
Office work. Bookkeeping, insurance and reporting cost about $30,000 in Year 1.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Robert Walker, Executive Director and Center Director.
The Executive Director leads the organization, raises money and manages grants and contracts, builds partnerships, oversees the finances and reports to the Board. As Center Director, this person meets the qualifications our state requires and is responsible for licensing, safety and daily operation. Planned salary: $56,000 a year.
Early childhood educators. Care for and teach children, plan daily activities, communicate with families and keep records. Three positions in Year 1, growing to eleven by Year 5, at a planned salary of $36,000 each. Qualifications we look for: a child development credential or a degree in early childhood, at least a year of experience with young children and CPR and first aid training.
Volunteers. Volunteers read to children and help with events, after background checks and training. They never replace required staff.
Board of Directors. A five-member board including Patricia Diaz, who brings nonprofit finance experience.
Money management. Grant and contract money is tracked separately so we can show each funder exactly how their money was spent. An outside accountant reviews our books every year.
Milestones Narrative
Our goals and how we will measure them.
Year 1:
- Get our child care license and pass our building inspections.
- Hire and train our first educators and enroll our first children.
- Serve about 24 children in two classrooms.
- Reach our Year 1 goals for enrollment, attendance, screening and family satisfaction.
- Stay within a balanced budget of about $237,000.
Year 2: five early childhood educators; budget of about $313,000.
Year 3: seven early childhood educators; budget of about $389,000.
Year 4: nine early childhood educators; budget of about $466,000.
Year 5: eleven early childhood educators; budget of about $542,000.
Over the five years: grow to 11 early childhood educators, add classrooms and an infant room, and pursue state quality ratings. Facility, administration and food costs grow with the number of children.
How we will check our results. We track enrollment, attendance, ratios and safety checks daily. We use a standard developmental checklist at set times and share results with families. Staff and the Board review results and share them with funders.
Funding Request
What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $60,000 from the Meridian Community Fund for the salaries of our first three educators, tuition assistance for families and the costs of reporting results, for January through December 2027. Year 1 budget: about $237,000, planned to balance. Year 1 money coming in: - Grants and government contracts: $128,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for). - Tuition income: $109,000. Year 1 costs: - Executive Director and Center Director: $56,000. - Early childhood educators: $108,000. - Facility lease and licensing: $38,000. - Administration, insurance, food and supplies: $30,000. - That is about $232,000 in costs. The remaining $5,000 or so goes into savings. Equipment we buy once at the start (about $75,000) is paid from startup money, not from the yearly budget. The next five years. Our budget grows from about $237,000 in Year 1 to about $542,000 in Year 5 as we grow to eleven early childhood educators. Grants and contracts are planned at $128,000 in Year 1, $125,000 in Year 2, $118,000 in Year 3, $107,000 in Year 4 and $91,000 in Year 5. Tuition income grows from $109,000 to $450,912, so grants become a smaller part of our budget over time. Savings. We start with about $30,000 of our own plus $120,000 in startup support, and we add to savings each year. Important for subsidies and grants. Child care subsidies are paid by the state, often after the month of service, and can be delayed. Grants may pay in installments. We plan for the wait, keep careful records and keep enough cash on hand. Opening a center takes time and money before the first child enrolls. Help we receive that is not cash. Donated space or reduced rent, volunteer hours, donated toys, books and supplies, and meals from a food program are a real part of what we do and are not counted in the budget above. Reduced rent from a church (about $9,000 a year in value), about 600 volunteer hours a year and donated books and toys If we are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status. One way is a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that agrees to receive grants for you and pass them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Many funders accept this. Another way is to start smaller: partner with a church or community center that already has suitable space, open one classroom first, and track results carefully. Quality and safety come before growth. Strong results from a small start make larger grants and contracts easier to win.
Appendix Notes
Documents to attach with this proposal:
- Your IRS 501(c)(3) letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current budget.
- A list of your Board members and what they do.
- Your child care license, or the steps and timeline to get it.
- Letters of support from employers, schools, pediatricians or other partners.
- Your safety, supervision, health and emergency policies, and your staff qualification and training plan.
- Your enrollment, tuition scale and attendance numbers, if you have them.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and key staff. If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.
The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Staff pay: Executive Director and Center Director $56,000; each early childhood educator $36,000, growing from 3 to 11.
- Facility lease and licensing about $38,000 in Year 1, rising about 3% a year; administration, insurance, food and supplies about $30,000, rising about 4% a year
- Office costs about $30,000 in Year 1, rising about 4% a year.
- Grants and contracts set so each year's budget balances with a small amount saved.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your organization's real budget.