Small Business Cohorts

Child Care Business Cohort

IVCanDo’s Child Care Business Cohort formed in response to a severe lack of childcare providers in the Illinois Valley. Working in cross-sector partnership, IVCanDo organized the Cohort and the Child Care Resource Network, which is part of the Southern Oregon Education Service District, brought all the required classes to the Illinois Valley. The Illinois Valley Business Development Center, (IVBEC) which is part of the Small Business Development Center of Rogue Community College, offered business skills enhancement, counseling, and loan-readiness. IVCanDO’s microloan program stood available to provide affordable funding to qualified applicants. If child care providers needed to alter their home to be in compliance with standards, Josephine County Planning agreed to advise and assist with those efforts. This unique partnership provided education to potential providers and prepared others to become successful, legitimate businesses.

Before the Cohort, there were ZERO licensed or certified child care available. As a result of the Cohort, our community gained one DHS listed in-home care provider and Josephine County’s only year round, outdoor preschool, Art and Science Kids.

IVCanDO plans to use this same model to fill other gaps in local services by offering a Senior Support Business Cohort, and a Small Lodging Business Cohort in the future.