MyVillage Offers Coronavirus Relief to Child Care Providers, Parents

DENVER, March 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A startup founded by two moms on a mission to reimagine child care in America announced today that it has raised emergency grant funding from impact investors to ensure that child care providers in its network can continue to educate young children into April. The goal of the funding is to minimize disruptions to educator income and help parents manage the cost incurred during a COVID-19-related exposure or absence. 

"Early childhood educators are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic," said co-founder Elizabeth Szymanski, noting that all MyVillage educators follow strict CDC guidelines around whether or not to stay open. "Because they are small business owners and not employees, MyVillage educators can't access some of the public resources available to other workers. We're determined to keep everyone healthy, while also continuing to help them earn money and meet the very real needs of working families."

MyVillage helps people become licensed, home-based early childhood educators. The company's small programs (between 6-12 children) adhere to clear quality standards that parents can count on. The mom-founded company has contracted with more than 120 home-based educators—all of them women and most of them mothers—and more than 60 MyVillage programs are open in Montana and Colorado. 

Rebecca Bergstrom owns and operates Ms. Becca's Village from her home in Aurora, just outside of Denver. She is taking on additional children in light of child care centers closing, and school being canceled. 

"I believe early childhood educators truly are the first responders," Bergstrom said. "It's an honor to have the confidence and support of MyVillage behind me as I take care of the children of essential health care workers and others who are impacted by coronavirus. It's going to take a village to get through this pandemic, and I'm inspired to see MyVillage leading the way and to be able to play a role in that." 

"Innovative solutions like that of MyVillage are a testament to the real-life community they have built that includes parents, educators, and kids," said Catherine Casey Nanda, Director of Acumen America, one of MyVillage's investors. "Companies like this are essential in the absence of universal child care, and we hope this model will inspire the public sector to take action to help home-based programs scale quickly." 

ABOUT MYVILLAGE

MyVillage was founded by two moms on a mission to harness the power of community to create exceptional care for every child. Learn more at www.myvillage.com.  

SOURCE MyVillage

Related Links

http://www.myvillage.com