First Children’s Finance (FCF)

““She watched my journey and mentally helped me overcome so many struggles,” Yolanda said. “Joan helped me analyze the area to determine if it was right for my center. She helped me with licensing. She was always there for me.””

““I took a lot of classes from First Children’s Finance on topics that really helped my professional development, “Yolanda said. “The classes really helped me deal with everything going on at the time while also planning for my future.””

““FCF really held us accountable and got us talking together. We began meeting monthly and working with stakeholders. The structure that FCF provided really kept us on track and moving effectively. If I had questions the staff were wonderful and responsive. Kari Stattelman (Director of Consulting) and Amy Arena Couture (Business Development Manager) were key to leading the charge, but Angie De Los Santos spent the most time with us. She was amazing!””

““I’ve been working 34 years and this project – and the journey with First Children’s Finance and the State of Wisconsin – is by far the most memorable, impactful project I have ever done.””

““Without FCF I would not have been able to open the center we have today. And having this is so important for our community.””

““Huda was fantastic. She helped me put everything together to make sure that my business would have a chance to be successful,” Nur says. “But more importantly, she and FCF took the time to understand me. They not only worked with me, but they walked with me every step of the way.””

““I got a loan from FCF, and Joan helped me think about the right location for the center. Joan researched with me – we considered a few different spots – and I ended up in absolutely the best spot. We are wonderfully located.”

““When I was out for three months, my staff – with Joan’s help – kept everything running,” LaDonna says. “ She (First Children’s Finance Loan Fund Senior Business Development Specialist Joan Berntson) never corrected me as I had to learn how to put my thoughts together again. She was so patient with me.””

““All providers should work with FCF and have a plan. It’s so important to know that there are better ways to do the things that we think we’re doing well. I can’t wait to see what comes next.””

““Joan made sure that our business could be a successful business that was here to love on our kids. It didn’t have to be one or the other.””

““I was a little scared when I started working with Joan, that she might make me feel bad about what I didn’t know. But she doesn’t make anyone feel bad about anything! She always brings my spirits up even when things are tough.””

“Working with Patricia and FCF was critical. Having wisdom coming from someone who has worked in and managed a child care center made me know that we were going to be successful.”

“Really connect with someone from FCF. There are many things that new providers don’t know, and FCF has that information and is always willing to share in a professional, efficient manner.”

“(Loan Fund Manager) Amanda Brewington was there with me during the process, helping me secure funding that helped with payroll and with some opening hiccups. I can’t thank them enough. Everything was smooth and benefited my business.”

“Jessica and Angeliek – they were amazing! They cleared everything up for me –from my business plan to budgeting to how much I needed to charge. They were just here last week. I love those ladies!”

““My program is unique, and the training helps me effectively market that.””

““All the data that FCF provides and the processes that they walked me through made me self-reflect as a business owner. I had never done that. It made me feel like a business owner and not a babysitter.””

““On a personal level, I really connected with her, and in our 1-1 meetings she provided excellent feedback and brainstormed with me. We related to each other; I could tell she really cared.””

““The future vitality of our local economy depends on the availability of reliable, quality child care. Without it, businesses will struggle to attract and retain employees and families will move from our communities to areas that are better equipped to meet their needs. We need to treat child care providers as essential service providers for our community who deserve our full support.””

“I thoroughly enjoyed everything about working with Jessica and Alexis. They could have easily just said ‘Add more kids and make more money.’ But they took the time to understand us. I think everyone should go through the process with FCF.”

“They showed me that sometimes small tweaks to a plan can make things doable. For example, we figured out to make the kitchen more efficient, which will save money,” Kim said. “I wanted to have 12 kids each in 12 classrooms. Jessica and Alexis showed me that instead I could have 20 kids each in seven classrooms with the same number of staff but would save on space and furniture costs. “Just that one tweak saved me thousands of dollars every year.”

“I cannot overstate how amazing Jessica and Alexis were. They gave me 5-6 scenarios that showed how the future could look,” Kim said. “They listened to me, crunched numbers and gave me alternative ways of looking at the same goals. “Most importantly, they didn’t try to change who we are; they understood our mission and our vision and how important it was for us to serve our population. They didn’t try to force other methods on us. They wanted our solution to work for us. That was huge.”

“Financing from FCF has helped me to invest in the quality of my child care business.”

““The work we did with First Children’s Finance is informing our organizational growth plan and will help us achieve our goal of equitable access to capital not only for Nebraska’s child care providers, but the child care industry as a whole. I can’t say enough good things about the competence and depth of knowledge specific to the child care industry that FCF has demonstrated throughout our partnership.””

“The guidance and resources from First Children’s Finance helped us go from vision to reality. We are proud of what we’ve built and excited for the future of early childhood care in La Farge.”