Rayitos de Sol
CEI’s Support of a Bilingual Child Care Provider in Milbridge, Maine
A new video from Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), produced in partnership with the National Children’s Facilities Network, features Rayitos de Sol, a child care business in Milbridge, Maine, that recently participated in CEI’s Child Care Business Lab program.
The Bipartisan Policy Center estimates that Washington County, Maine, where Rayitos de Sol is located, has one of the most severe gaps in child care supply in the state. More than 1 in 4 families with young children have a need for licensed child care but are unable to access it. CEI’s Child Care Business Lab seeks to respond to these challenges by bolstering existing supply and supporting new providers.
CEI’s Child Care Business Lab seeks to bolster existing child care supply and support new providers. Business lab participants work with CEI advisors to develop business plans, complete the child care licensing process, learn best practices in business sustainability and operations, and secure financing for start-up and facilities projects.
As a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), CEI has the capacity to support small child care businesses – many of which are operated by women and people of color – through a unique combination of business and financing mechanisms. Such support is critical for strengthening the sector and creating needed child care spaces for children and families throughout Maine.
CEI helped Juana Rodriguez-Vazquez originally launch Rayitos de Sol in one classroom serving 12 children in vacant community space in Milbridge. After several years of success, Juana now has plans to expand to a larger facility that will have several more classrooms and new opportunities for outdoor learning.
