Welcoming a New Class of Growing Preschools

It's official: Ready to Grow's fourth cohort is here. This month, 21 preschool leaders representing 20 organizations kicked off SVP's Ready to Grow accelerator, and this group is dreaming big. Some are home-based providers preparing to open their first center. Others already run established programs and are planning new campuses or major expansions. All are ready to take the next step to grow their preschools to serve more families in our community.

SVP and Ready to Grow participants kick off the program at the August Orientation

About the Program

Ready to Grow is a four-month business accelerator built for preschool leaders who are ready to expand. Over the course of the program, participants get hands-on learning, practical tools, and expert guidance from the SVP network through a series of facilitated sessions and workshops. As one participant put it, "There’s a battery of different professionals available here. It is a 100% connection to relevant resources."

They also learn from and support each other. Seasoned directors and first-time founders sit in the same room, and that peer network is part of the magic.

Meet the Cohort

This cohort spans a wide range of experience. Brand-new startups joined alongside operations that have been running for more than 40 years. Together they represent 165 teachers across 39 classrooms, serving over 500 children.

What are these 20 organizations setting out to do? The breakdown:

• 9 are moving from a certified family child care home to a certified child center

• 6 are expanding existing centers or opening new campuses

• 3 are growing their family child care home into additional locations

• 2 are launching their first physical location as startups

More than half the cohort is looking for commercial space in some form, whether that means transitioning out of a residential home, adding a second campus, or buying property outright. In addition to a preschool-specific real estate session, the R2G program also covers other core needs, including workforce development, HR infrastructure, financial planning, and compliance.

By graduation, participants will walk away with a tailored business plan, continuing education credits, sharper skills, and a set of resources to build on. And, a valuable new network they can lean on well after the program ends.

We can't wait to watch this cohort grow over the next four months. Big things are ahead for these 20 organizations and the families they'll reach.

Interested in teaching or mentoring a future cohort leader? Reach out to jenn@svpportland.org to join the waiting list for next year.