General Background
Microenterprise development services traditionally include business technical assistance or short-term training, credit in the form of micro-loans, and, if applicable, a revolving loan fund. The programs are designed to be culturally and linguistically appropriate for the refugee population. Initiated in 2011, the Microenterprise Development — Refugee Family Child Care Program is designed to support home-based child care mentoring programs primarily for refugee women interested in providing child care services in their homes.
Program Description
This project will teach refugee women about state and federal child care laws, regulations and licensing requirements and about American cultural norms concerning child care and child development. By encouraging refugee women to apply their new child care knowledge and skills in the job market, the project will assist refugee women in acquiring English language skills, advancing their education, learning basic financial skill, and improving their economic opportunities.
A secondary objective of the program is to expand home-based child care business options for other refugees, to enable them to enter the workforce with confidence that their children are being cared for by individuals possessing appropriate cultural competency.