Top Workplaces: Child Care Resources is third for small company

Earning third place in the small companies category for 2024’s Top Workplaces is Child Care Resources, a Richmond-based non-profit organization built on nourishing the future.

Child Care Resources is a hub of helpful resources for the early childhood education community. The organization connects daycares to the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), a little known federal nutrition program that helps to provide federal funds for childcare programs to provide healthy meals.

“It helps them to receive additional funding to help pay for healthier foods and pay staff members; as well as to hire and retain staff members to help run the program,” said Susan Doyle, office manager. “What we do is really rewarding because we work with lower income day care centers. Helping them be successful in the program that we sponsor is rewarding.”

The organization acts as a conduit for day care centers: providing training on the proprietary software that’s used in the CACFP, helping centers navigate stringent guidelines and preparing for audits. Child Care Resources is dedicated to being a trusted source for support in a community that is often overlooked.

“It’s supposed to help lower income day care centers survive and thrive,” Doyle said. “At our main office here in Richmond, we work with 400 plus centers as a group. Any emails or phone calls that come in, (they know) they can speak to anyone here and be able to get the help they need.”

The company’s nurturing nature starts from within.

Angela Johnson, director of field operations, said that the non-profit’s chief executive officer Donald Goff provides the relaxed and trusting atmosphere needed to make a difference.

“You feel that you’re needed here and that you make an impact. You feel like your coworkers are in this with you and working together for the greater good,” Johnson said.

“They have full belief in our employees and we have a lot of fun together,” Doyle said.

Child Care Resources works closely with the Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia Department of Social Services, and the Virginia Department of Education administering the CACFP and training for child care professionals. They have sponsored over 500 programs in six different states including Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington D.C. and Texas. Programs range from child care centers, to after school programs, to community centers and Head Start programs.

Doyle has been with the company for 10 years and Johnson for 11.

“Child Care Resources is one of the best places I’ve worked,” Johnson said.