We are thrilled to announce MaineAEYC’s Child Care Business Summit 2025 — the must-attend event of 2025 for child care providers, educators, and business owners!
This day is designed to help you take your child care business to the next level. Whether you’re looking for strategies to grow your business, improve your operations, or stay ahead of industry trends, the conference will provide valuable insights, actionable tips, and incredible networking opportunities.
Schedule of the Day
8:30-9:15 Registration, breakfast and networking
9:30-10:30 Keynote
10:45am-12:00pm Breakout Session 1
12-1pm Lunch
1-2:30pm Breakout Session 2
2:45-4pm Breakout Session 3
What to Expect:
- Expert-led sessions on enrollment, financial management and human resources
- Networking opportunities with industry leaders and fellow providers
- Tools and resources to help you build a thriving child care business
- Inspirational keynote speakers and interactive workshops
Child Care Business Summit Sessions
KEYNOTE: Child Care is Big Business
Child care is more than just a service—it’s our opportunity to drive economic growth, build stronger communities, and shape the future of our workforce. In this keynote, you’ll explore how our work as early childhood educators positions us as critical leaders in a multi-billion-dollar industry.
You’ll be empowered to see yourself as a business leader, transforming challenges into opportunities and amplifying your impact on early childhood development. This session will celebrate your contributions, inspire confidence in your value, and help you embrace your role in redefining the child care profession.
Child care isn’t just important—it’s big business, and you are at the heart of it.
Never Lose an Employee Again
In the childcare industry, where turnover can be a constant challenge, retaining your best employees is more critical than ever. Join Coach Chantel as she shares proven strategies to keep your top talent engaged, motivated, and deeply committed to your center. This session focuses on the critical moments that shape the employee experience and how you can cultivate a workplace culture that inspires loyalty and long-term dedication. Learn how to reduce turnover costs, build a culture of retention, and ensure that your team remains your greatest asset. Coach Chantel will draw from both practical experience and research to provide actionable insights that will help you create an environment where employees not only stay but thrive. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover the keys to retaining your best employees and driving lasting success in your organization.
Business Basics for Family Child Care Providers
Whether you are new to the field or a seasoned provider, come join me to learn new tips and tricks to hone your business skills. We’ll review ways to track your income and expenses and tips on how to stay organized. Expense categories as well as time space percentage will be discussed. Learn about the benefits of having a business checking account and how to build a business savings. Not sure you’ll be able to ever save? We’ll talk about ways to increase your net income. Most importantly bring your questions! We’ll dedicate a portion of our time for open Q & A.
Leading Through Change
For the better part of the last five years, childcare owners have been operating in a space of reactive business management. Constantly playing fire-fighter instead of program administrator; jumping from one challenging situation to the next. Never feeling as if progress is being made to get ahead of the cyclone that was fueled by global pandemic and "unprecedented times".
Well, it's time to set the precedent, take charge of
ECE as a successful business, and lead with confidence. This session will inspire you to look at your vision and mission through a new lens of proactive and positive strategies, to switch the narrative and bring joy back into the business of children and families. Participants will not only leave with tangible plans for positive change, but a connection made with OCFS program and workforce navigators dedicated to continuing to support childcare programs statewide, long after the
session is over.
Most Likely to Enroll: Finding Your Families with Ally Forrester
In this session you define or redefine the values of your child care. With a clear vision of what makes your child care unique, you’ll learn to define your “ideal customer”. Find the right families for your business: attract and impress your ideal customer. Once you define your audience, we’ll cover a variety of ways to help you connect with the families who need your services. By the end of this workshop, you’ll have identified your target market and have an action plan to streamline your enrollment process.
Worth Every Penny: Setting the Right Fees & Getting Paid with Cynthia Murphy
Do your fees reflect the value you deliver? In this thought-provoking workshop, you'll explore practical pricing models and find one or blend several together to create a fee structure that best suits your child care business and philosophy. You will learn how to:
• Price your child care services with confidence
• Communicate your worth to parents
• Ensure you're compensated fairly and increase your profitability
Bring your questions and get real-world advice from experts on how they respond when a parent cannot pay, introduce price increases and overcome objections.
Creating a Social Media & Marketing Strategy to Boost Enrollment and Community Engagement for Your Child Care Business with Jerletha McDonald
In today’s digital world, having a strong social media and marketing strategy is essential for growing your child care or family home child care center. This interactive session will equip you with the tools and techniques to effectively promote your business, attract new families, and build a loyal community. Learn how to create engaging content, leverage social media platforms, and implement marketing strategies that showcase your program’s unique value. Walk away with a customized plan to enhance your online presence, increase enrollment, and strengthen connections with your community.
Building your Dream Team: Mastering the Art of Hiring with Emma Richardson
Who you hire matters! It’s your business, your brand and your child care philosophy. How do you hire teachers & assistant teachers who will deliver an experience that matches your vision? Unlock the secrets to hiring top talent in this fast-paced, interactive workshop. You will leave with tools & templates that give you a competitive advantage:
• Compelling job descriptions & postings that draw in candidates
• Practical interview techniques that help you evaluate candidates like a pro
• Clear offer letters
In addition, hear from a panel of experts on how to tap into nontraditional recruitment channels. Join us and take the first step towards building a stronger, more effective team!
Labor Laws and You with Heidi Hoist
Do you have questions about which labor laws cover your business? Want to know the rules about breaks, trainings, and more? Come find out how Maine Labor Laws apply to your small business and how the Bureau of Labor Standards can support you!Register and download the Whova App to start signing up for your sessions, today!
Spreadsheets Made Simple: Tracking Income and Expenses with Sasha Shunk
Bring your laptops! In this interactive session we will go over the basics of tracking income and expenses using a Google Spreadsheet. Each participant will leave the session with their own digital spreadsheet. You will learn you how to enter simple formulas so the spreadsheet does all the calculations for you! The same technique can be applied to an Excel Spreadsheet.We’ll discuss ways to sort and store your receipts. I’ll also discuss the importance of the time space ratio and show you how to calculate.To get the most out of this session please bring a laptop. It is highly suggest having a gmail account set up beforehand, but Sasha can assist with that if needed.
Boosting Your Financial Health: 5 Practical Strategies with Cynthia Murphy
Child care business owners are facing many similar challenges – rising insurance prices, skyrocketing monthly expenses, and stress preparing for tax season to name just a few. Come learn actionable strategies to tackle the some of the toughest parts of small business ownership. You’ll immediately practice what you learn in breakout groups and work on real-world scenarios. Navigate tough conversations and learn creative problem solving skills. This session will equip you with confidence for addressing the top issues you face and connect you with valuable resources and a network of peers to continue learning and growing after the summit.
Pouring from a Full Cup: Nurturing Yourself to Lead and Inspire Others with Chantel Pettingil
Discover the power of self-care and personal growth in leadership during this inspiring session. As a childcare leader, your ability to support, guide, and uplift your team starts with prioritizing your own well-being. Learn practical strategies to "fill your cup," manage stress, and cultivate resilience so you can show up as your best self for the children, families, and staff you lead. Walk away with actionable insights to create a positive and energized leadership style that inspires others and builds a thriving community.
Acing Enrollment: Attract New Families & Keep Current Ones Happy with Ally Forrester
Who you hire matters! It’s your business, your brand and your child care philosophy.
How do you hire teachers & assistant teachers who will deliver an experience that matches your vision? Unlock the secrets to hiring top talent in this fast-paced, interactive workshop. You will leave with tools & templates that give you a competitive advantage:
• Compelling job descriptions & postings that draw in candidates
• Practical interview techniques that help you evaluate candidates like a pro
• Clear offer letters
In addition, hear from a panel of experts on how to tap into nontraditional recruitment channels. Join us and take the first step towards building a stronger, more effective team!