The Business of Child Care is a free application-based entrepreneurial training program for start-up child care providers located within Allegheny & surrounding counties region, facilitated by the Center for Women's Entrepreneurship at Chatham University (CWE) in collaboration with Invest PGH.
Through an application process, up to 20 start-up child care providers will receive admission to The Business of Child Care, an intensive eight-week training program designed to prepare entrepreneurs to launch child care businesses.
The Business of Child Care participants receive:
· Tailored Child Care Business Curriculum
· One-on-One Coaching
· Entrepreneurial Education & Training through CWE
· One-year membership to CWE for immersive networking opportunities.
The Business of Child Care Program Eligibility Criteria:
· Located within the Greater Pittsburgh region;
· Aspires to become a full-time child care provider;
· For-Profit and Nonprofit organizations;
· An entrepreneur who owns a majority stake in a child care business and is actively involved in the business's day-to-day operations;
· Willing to complete the eight-week training program with a mix of in person and online classes;
· Willing to complete interim and final program surveys.
For entrepreneurs that launch their child care business within the City of Pittsburgh, additional resources are available including forgivable loans and below market rate term loans by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Invest PGH, who offers an industry specific forgivable loan program called Child Care Reinvestment Business Fund (CRiB). Participants will have access to URA and Invest PGH staff to discuss next steps. Learn more about CRiB here.
The Business of Child Care Program Timeline:
August 3, 2026: Application Open
August 11, 2026: Information Session. More sessions will be listed soon.
September 4, 2026: Application Close
September 11, 2026: The Business of Child Care Start-Up Cohort Finalized & Notified
September 22, 2026: First Session for The Business of Child Care Start-up Fall Program.
The Business of Child Care Start-Up Fall Program will run on Tuesday evenings from 6:00-8:00 PM from September 22 to November 10, 2026. The program will consist of three in-person sessions and five online sessions via Zoom. In-person sessions will be on September 22, October 13 and November 10 will be held at Chatham University Eastside Building. Applicants are expected to attend all the sessions. Required: Zoom capable device and internet access to participate.
To view the syllabus for the Business of Child Care Start-up Program: Click Here.