Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Childcare Boost Application topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Upwards pitches Boost childcare program during public comment, seeks CDBG funding for provider support
Summary
Representatives from Upwards addressed the Clark County Urban County Policy Board during public comment to introduce the Boost microenterprise child care model and said they plan to submit a CDBG application to support in-home microenterprise providers in Clark County and the City of Vancouver.
Representatives from Upwards spoke to the Clark County Urban County Policy Board during the meeting’s public-comment period to describe the Boost microenterprise child care model and to say Upwards will submit a CDBG application to administer the program in Clark County and the City of Vancouver.
Catherine Fuentes, director of strategic partnerships for Upwards, said the model combines personalized coaching, digital management tools and marketing support to help in‑home child care providers grow capacity and quality. Fuentes described Boost as a program that “assists agencies who are struggling to spend down funding” and highlighted its experience operating at scale in other jurisdictions, including a recent $1,000,000 CDBG award in San Jose that, she said, enrolled providers rapidly and spent a large portion of funds within months.
Melanie For, community impact manager at Upwards, provided local context and cited county figures for child-care supply and demand as part of the public comment: she said there are “nearly 29,000 children under the age of 5 in Clark County” and, as stated during the comment, “just over 4,510 licensed child care slots” (figures provided by the Upwards representatives in public comment). For said Upwards’ Boost model would directly support in-home microenterprise providers — the county currently has licensed microenterprise providers — and described program outcomes it expects if funded: bolstering providers’ business operations, creating local jobs, and expanding access to affordable care. For said Upwards’ model would equip participating providers with business and technical support, a childcare management software product, marketing help, safety monitoring and bilingual coaching.
Upwards said its Ask will be presented to the board in more detail during the Feb. 10 applicant presentation period; the board did not take action on the request during the Jan. 13 meeting.
The Upwards presentation was part of the public‑comment section of the agenda; the board confirmed the February meeting will include applicant presentations and last its next scheduled meeting on Feb. 10.
