A local non-profit organisation and social enterprise Grow Educare Centres is empowering Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in low-income areas by partnering with them and setting them up for success as sustainable businesses.
According to Grow Educare Centre, managing an ECD centre is a complex business, that’s why they partner with local entrepreneurs and franchisees who already run crèches and provide them with the necessary tools, processes and ongoing support needed to deliver five-star early learning for preschool children aged between two and five years.
“We care deeply about ensuring that children from underprivileged communities receive the best education in their most crucial years. We also understand that the only way quality can be maintained is if centres are financially sustainable, accessible, supportive of job creation and teachers are paid what they’re worth,” said Tracey Chambers, CEO for Grow Educare Centres.
“Our proven franchise model significantly improves the educational outcomes for children and ensures that each business owner can run a professional and financially viable business,” she added.
Since the beginning of the year, 15 new Grow Educare Centres franchises across Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and Pietermaritzburg opened their doors after months of preparation and support including infrastructure upgrades and teacher training.
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Grow Educare Centres organisation is currently helping more than 1 720 children in 89 classrooms grow and learn every day, while supporting more than 220 jobs in education. “Most owners of educare centres in low-income areas find it challenging to access training, resources, a proper curriculum, and meet registration requirements, all with very limited business experience. Social-franchising solves all of these problems and can be replicated at scale,” said Chambers.
To achieve socially beneficial ends such as poverty relief and job creation, social-franchising adapts the proven principles of the traditional business network model of franchising to suit the needs of small businesses in low-income communities.
- Applications for new ECD franchises now open
In building a recognised and aspirational brand of professionally run and impactful ECD centres, Grow Educare Centres are expanding nationally and calling on creche, Educare and ECD centre owners in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg to come onboard.
“We look forward to hearing from motivated applicants who’d like to make a difference in early childhood development and want to be leaders and role models in their communities,” said Chambers.
“We want to help ECD centre owners achieve success in education and business…. early learning as well as job creation are key to eradicating poverty and inequality in our country. By working together as partners we’ve been able to help centres across South Africa enhance their offering drastically, while also making education accessible in developing neighbourhoods.”
Applications close on 14 March. For more information and to apply online, visit www.growecd.org.za
