Business Plan

Part 2: Industry Analysis / Need

A. Needs Assessment

Solis Preschool Program has assessed the Child Care needs for the Gouverneur
Community in a number of different ways. We have viewed the towns census and found
that as of July 1, 2016, the towns overall population was 6,966. Of that total population,
approximately 475 persons are children under the age of five. We also looked at the
average time working parents need childcare through the census Transportation to
Work section. We have assessed the towns available child care and preschool
programs and found that out of the six registered child care programs, zero of them
offered a half day preschool program and child care in one location. All programs are
either half day programs, or full day child care programs. We assessed the working
population via a brief survey sent to the larger business establishments, Kinney Drugs
Corporate, Cives Steel Offices and Steel Yard, ZCA Zinc Mines, and various banking
establishments. We also interviewed and surveyed kindergarten and Head Start
teachers and parents from both West Side and East Side Elementary, and Gouverneur
Head Start to assess whether they showed interest in or a need for our program. The
overwhelming consensus from the teachers was that their students could benefit from
having a preschool foundation within their child care environment. The vast majority of
parents stated that they wished their children had had a school experience prior to
starting full time education, a service that is offered by or part time summer program.
Gouverneur Census 2015
OCFS Child Care Finder
Large Establishment Survey
Educator Interviews

B. Child Care Trends

The data gathered from our needs assessment show a great need for a full day
preschool program. The parents that would utilize our program would benefit from
having a preschool program and after hours care option in that they would not have
to worry about finding both a spot in a preschool program and after school child
care. Coordinating the two can often be a very difficult and stressful process for
working parents. In the book Mind in the Making, Ellen Galinsky talks about the
effects of stress on parents and how a parents stress can negatively affect a child.

Solis Preschool Program is dedicated to providing a healthy learning

environment that instills a quality foundation for young learners. The foundation
provided at Solis will not only help children excel in the higher grade levels, but will
help build a strong relationship between the children and their community. We focus
on nurturing curiosity and creativity to help support an independent and ingenuitive
community of learners. Our monthly workshops are aimed at helping parents better
understand the resources and solutions out there for the problems they face.

Galinsky, Ellen. Mind in the Making. New York: Harper Collins, 2010. Print.