By Abha Thakkar
Northside Planning Council

In November 2019, the Northside Planning Council (NPC) received $30,000 from the Madison Cooperative Development Coalition (MCDC) to explore the creation of a 24-hour childcare cooperative. Georgia Allen of Soaring Independent Cooperative came on as the Childcare Coop Project Manager, in collaboration with Oona Mackesey-Green, NPC’s Operations Manager and Northside News Managing Editor. 

Allen began pursuing a childcare cooperative after it became clear that the worker-owners of Soaring Independent, the home healthcare cooperative that she organized, were unable to take on paid work due to the lack of second and third shift childcare. 

As Allen pointed out, “Today’s job market requires many employees to work shifts that start or end after most childcare programs open or close. There are currently few childcare programs for those families that need care during non- traditional hours.”

In fact, not a single second or third shift formal childcare opportunity exists in the Madison area, and, many industries, particularly healthcare, are seeing workers leave the field for lack of childcare options. 

Allen and her fellow home care workers would also like to see providers who look like the families they serve so that their children can be in racially and culturally responsive environments. 

A worker-owned cooperative — set up as either a for-profit or non-profit — gives parents an opportunity to design a center according to their needs while acquiring subsidized childcare in exchange for the sweat equity they earn by working shifts at that center. A nonprofit  allows the center to use donations for initial build-out, for example.

“A childcare cooperative that takes a two-generation focus in creating opportunities for and addressing needs of both children and adults are game changers for communities of color and of low-income. This innovative approach brings accessible, affordable, quality childcare near the place families live by bringing families together to support the needs of their community,” Allen said, explaining her vision for the cooperative.

The MCDC grant will support NPC and Allen in developing a business plan, conducting a feasibility study, and doing a site analysis (and possible site selection), as well as identifying and training potential worker-owners by the end of 2020. The goal is to develop a viable model that can be replicated in neighborhoods throughout the region.