(September 19, 2022, Chesapeake, VA) Right Start Early Childhood Center located in Chesapeake, Virginia has been honored by the Virginia Infant & Toddler Network (VA ITSN) as one of nine early quality child care programs in Virginia for 2022.

Chosen by regions, Right Start was selected for taking “great efforts to improve the quality of infant and toddler care. Virginia Infant & Toddler Network recognizes the winners with resources and materials to support their programs. The organization strives to achieve excellence in early child care by increasing the knowledge level and skills of those who care for infants and toddlers, whether in family day homes or in center-based programs like Right Start.

“I appreciate this honor and realize how all of us in the industry have struggled to staff and support for families during and through COVID recovery, continuing to deal with staffing shortages, and many other critical issues,” said Yvette Anderson, owner/director of Right Start Early Childcare Center. “If I had not had the passion for my business and the organizations which have assisted me to create an early child care business model, I would not be in a sustainable situation today.”

Yvette has devoted her entire career to educating children. She received her degree in early childhood education from Hampton Institute (now Hampton University). When she first started teaching in Norfolk Public Schools, there were not many pre-school classes, so she began by teaching first grade, and then kindergarten. In 2007 she bought Right Start, which had been a church operated child care center.

In 2021, Anderson discovered the nonprofit Hampton Roads Shared Services Alliance (HRSSA), an initiative of the Hampton Roads Chamber Foundation and began learning about the organization’s management company, Early Education Business Consultants. During the first cycle of the Early Education Business Program which EEBC conducts, Anderson sent a former director to participate, and then during the October session, Anderson attended herself. The eight-session program prepared her to improve the technology, staff hiring and training, and business systems to financial stability.

“Right Start was one of three child care centers in the pilot of our shared services business systems we offer,” said Lauren Small, owner of EEBC. Yvette was anxious to use the training, consulting, and business systems for everything from payroll, time keeping, and collections to methods for engaging, delegating, and training her staff to increase focus on provide a quality education and care for the children.”

Yvette has moved forward on several goals in 2022 due to her membership in HRSSA, continued engagement with EEBC and advice from the Infant/Toddler Network Services. She wants to increase the number of pre-school and toddlers they serve, and after learning more through the Infant/Toddler Network Services, she is thinking about including infants.

About VA ITSN

The Virginia Infant & Toddler Specialist Network (VA ITSN) strives to achieve excellence in early care by increasing the knowledge level and skills of those who care for infants and toddlers, whether in family day homes or in center-based programs. It also serves to link existing community resources that support healthy, safe, and nurturing care for children, birth-36 months. Twenty highly qualified infant and toddler specialists work in nine regional offices across the state, that subcontract with Child Development Resources. Ten highly qualified infant and toddler behavior consultants work across our nine-state regions. The specialists and consultants provide professional development opportunities designed to strengthen the capacity of early care and education programs to deliver high-quality services.

About EEBC

Lauren Small, CEO, founded Early Education Business Consultants (EEBC) in 2010. The company is a leader in the early child care education industry, assisting SBDCs, cities, counties, early child care providers, and communities at large to create a stable, sustainable business model that can be implemented in child care centers, preschools and family day homes. EEBC services include consulting, collaborative leadership, program development and “train the trainer” programs so communities have a framework for supporting their own early childhood business systems. In 2014, the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center (SBDC) won the Small Business Administration’s “Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Center” Award because of Lauren’s ground-breaking work.