Today, we highlight one of our co-ops, Childspace! Childspace, a worker cooperative, was recently featured in a video on the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center (NCDC)’s website on the childcare cooperative page. Founded in 1988 out of a need for infant care, Childspace currently serves infants and children across two locations: Mt. Airy and Germantown.

The childcare industry wants high-quality childcare. When workers are treated and paid poorly, however, this is an impossible ask. One of the biggest challenges in childcare is worker retention, as high turnover rates lead to children experiencing one or even multiple changes in care providers during a year. This is where worker co-ops, like Childspace, come in. While higher pay for childcare providers is a systemic industry problem, when workers own the business, they can improve conditions and retain workers at high rates. The co-op model also supports congeniality between everyone involved in childcare, creating an environment where people enjoy their work and build trust with each other. Childcare co-ops are dedicated to quality, are long-lasting, and are good for children.

The video shared by NCDC about Childspace shows what it means to be a part of a co-op, and everything that makes it meaningful. As a Childcare Worker Cooperative, Childspace is democratically managed and operated by its employees. Teachers are worker-owners, and they receive numerous benefits, including sick leave, vacation time, and paid leave, compared to childcare providers working in non-cooperatives. Everyone in the Childspace co-op community, whether they are office staff, teachers, or directors, receives equal voting power. One member, one vote! Childspace is immensely proud of the level of dedication that the workers demonstrate every single day. Each of them cares deeply about the children they serve and the community they are in. Through meetings and votes, the staff work together to ensure they are all on the same page. They know the industry and their budgets. They know what’s coming next. Learn more about Childspace on their Instagram (@childspacecenters) and Website.

Watch the full video HERE!