Worcester Opens $1.1M Center To Help Launch Child Care Businesses

A new Family Childcare Success Project incubator has opened in Worcester, using two unused classrooms at an existing child care center to serve up to 20 children at a time.

According to a Patch of Worcester report, the program is being led by three Worcester-based nonprofits, the Seven Hills Foundation, the Guild of St. Agnes, and The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts. Adapted from the Boston Nurtury model, this incubator, located at the Guild of St. Agnes at 129 Granite St., marks Massachusetts' second such program and the first in Central Massachusetts.

Its operating structure enables on-site child care during development and supports participants in establishing permanent facilities as their businesses grow.

The project is funded with a $1.1 million grant from The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts via its Synergy Initiative and is aimed at addressing regional health issues.

According to a Worcester Business Journal report, the Guild of St. Agnes produces $33 million in annual revenue and has $17 million in assets, as recorded by nonprofit financial tracker Guidestar.

Seven Hills Foundation and Affiliates is the largest human services nonprofit in Central Massachusetts. It maintains $466 million in revenue and has 1,923 local employees, according to details shared with the WBJ. 

The Health Foundation is the seventh largest grant-making nonprofit in the region, with $88.25 million in assets.