Congregations Caring for Children

Assessing Your Congregation's Resources and Capabilities

Assessing Your Congregation's Resources and Capabilities

Assessing Your Congregation's Resources and Capabilities

Assessing Your Congregation's Resources and Capabilities

Assessing Your Congregation's Resources and Capabilities

Once you have determined that a need for outreach for family child care providers exists

in your community, you need to assess your own congregation's capabilities and re 

sources.  For a church or synagogue to develop a successful program it needs to be clear

about what it is able to do.  The following questions may help a congregation assess its

resources and capabilities.

1. What is the congregation's mission with children?

2. How do congregational members feel about child care?  Do they support mothers

who need or want to work outside the home?

3. Are there family child care providers who attend the church/synagogue?

Any families that use family child care?

4. How would a family child care program fit into the total program of the church

or synagogue?  Are people in the congregation ready to support a long term

program?  Or would they prefer short range projects?  Would members prefer to

operate a program by themselves or join a partnership with other groups?

5. What are the physical and human resources of the church/synagogue?  What

space and facilities could be used by a family child care program?  Are there

congregational members who are potential staff or volunteers?

6. How accessible is the church/synagogue to public transportation such as bus or

subway stops?  Is there parking available?

7. Are there known family child care providers in the neighborhood?  Are there

many children with families in the area?

8. What funds are available for a family child care program?  How much money

can the church/synagogue itself put into the program?  Are these one time

resources or are they on going?  What potential does the congregation have for

special individual gifts?  What potential is there through regional or national

religious agencies?

9. Will fees be charged for any services?  If so, will they be on a sliding scale?  How

will fees be determined?

10. Will public funds be sought?  For what purpose?  How does the congregation feel

about receiving public monies?

11. Are there local religious, voluntary or business groups that might join in partnership

with the program?  Contribute equipment, supplies, in kind services, scholarships?

12. What are the hidden costs of a family child care program?  How much do provid 

ers subsidize their services by earning incomes much lower than they deserve?  Is

the congregation willing to increase its administrative or maintenance budget to

cover additional office/program costs?

13. Does the church/synagogue's liability insurance cover a family child care program?

What would the policy limits be?  Would there be additional costs?

14. What laws might affect the use of the church or synagogue for a family child

care program?

15. If public funds are sought, to which laws and regulations will the church/

synagogue be subject?  How will receipt of public funds influence the type of

program developed?

Adapted from Helping Churches Mind the Children  by the National Council of Churches, (rev. 1987).

Used with permission.

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