I am surprised how many directors neglect to use the resources available to them.  They may use some occasionally but with the limited funds, available resources are one way to stretch your budget and accomplish more of your goals.

Resources for supplies and materials include the “gold“ of the child care business “paper”. Paper is so expensive and everything is increasing in cost. So, what you can do to reduce your paper cost. One of the things I did was to send out what I call “cold call letters”. I would type up a letter explaining that we were a childcare center etc. and ask for donations from printer and paper companies. They have these (large) end rolls of paper that they throw out but are willing to give to child care centers. What other things can you think of that companies might consider waste, throw out, and to you and your staff are “loose parts” or “open ended materials” to be used in play or creative art experiences?

A resource right under your nose is your parents. Yes, build those relationships with your parents and you will find a wealth of donations. We had a family that owned two Mc Donald’s and donated food, and toys and even supplied all the ice for one of our fund raisers each year. Another family owned an electronics store and donated the big prizes for the yearly raffle. Another parent donated computer paper. Some of my best employees were first parents of children in the center who donated their time. Then they became employees. We also had several parents who remodeled the staff lounge with a beautiful recliner, curtains etc.

Benefits for staff are another place that you can become creative in using resources in the community. Now you have to look for some of these and be proactive in locating benefits for your staff. A major part of the director’s job is to be out in the community as the ‘face’ of the center.  We have a credit union for teachers in our community and I discovered that I could offer a membership for no cost to my employees. I also learned that SAM’s Club has a business membership and with that comes 5 or 6 additional memberships at a reduced cost which you can cover or offer to them. One year my parents took turns covering staff member’s hours in the classroom for a day. I only used one parent at a time and maintained state staff-to-child- ratios.

I have to tell you this story; I had a parent who was a chef at a local restaurant. He offered to cook for the center and to give my cook the day off. I was so excited because I love to try different cuisine and I thought is would be such fun. You guessed it, my cook would not let him come in and cover for her. I am not sure what that was about but we still benefited from his culinary delights. He cooked (huge) amounts of food for our next staff meeting and it was wonderful?

So, what resources can you think of that are right there in your center, neighborhood, parish, community? I just touched on what I utilized and I could go on and on… You can never have or use enough resources in our field as they all help and not only can you use them, you can share them with other centers. I had sticky notes and envelopes donated (cases) and I traded them with a colleague for her cardboard blocks. It was a win win situation she got other materials they could use and we did too.

So, while we are on the subject of “resources”, there is a new addition to this website. Resources contains a list of books, videos, and websites for ECE professionals. Also, if you have a resource you would like to contribute, please fill out the "Recommend a resource" form.