Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/building-strong-bonds-with-program-sponsors/5015362/
Some directors in the child care field are autonomous. We own and operate our own programs. Such stand-alone program directors are beholden to family clients, licensing, and perhaps accreditation agencies, but not to a higher layer of bureaucracy.However, the majority of child care programs collaborate with other groups to provide services. We depend upon an assortment of program sponsors and/or funding agencies. For instance, some of us are housed in religious institutions, parks and recreation programs, universities, corporations, community social service agencies, high schools, malls, or even grocery stores.
When a child care center is housed within a larger organization, our programs function as a small cog in a much larger wheel. Such centers are subject to decisions umbrella organizations make in terms of facilities, utility payments, custodial services, and a host of other issues that crop up unexpectedly. If implications for child care are not considered throughout the decision making process, the quality of child care operation can be jeopardized.
Programs that are dependent on the support of larger sponsors have unique challenges. Surviving and thriving depends on the depth of good will directors can muster from sponsors and funders. For stability and continuity of services, a wise child care ...