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By Doug Gardner

Five new home-based businesses are expanding childcare services in Hampton Roads thanks to an innovative approach by Minus 9 to 5, Ready Region Southeastern, part of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at �鶹��ý.

Minus 9 to 5 tapped state grant funds to support five individuals as they launched their childcare businesses. The “Family Day Homes” project is a pilot initiative created in response to the need for more childcare options, said Jane Elyce Glasgow, PhD, executive director of Minus 9 to 5. She spoke at an event held Aug. 1 in Suffolk accompanied by the new business owners and by representatives from the City of Suffolk. Four of the five new childcare businesses are in Suffolk; the fifth is located nearby in Chesapeake.

“In total, these five Family Day Homes will serve 24 children, offering families greater flexibility, access to licensed care in their own neighborhoods, and high-quality childcare,” Dr. Glasgow said. “There’s not one single solution that will solve the problem. It will take a myriad of approaches and solutions. This is just one sliver of the solutions we are working on.”

Suffolk Mayor Michael Duman lauded the project for its dual impact on families and the city.

“These new Family Day Homes aren’t just places for kids to nap and snack,” he said. “Every provider who opened their doors launched a business, and their business growth will in turn help Suffolk grow. Access to childcare is a vital component to the success of the city’s economic development.”

Ja’Ron Vanderhall, childcare capacity coordinator with Minus 9 to 5, said research identified Suffolk as a “high need” community for childcare options. He assisted the childcare providers as they worked to open their new businesses.

“These new Family Day Homes represent more than just additional childcare options — they represent opportunity, empowerment, and economic growth for both families and providers,” Vanderhall said. “Each home reflects the entrepreneurial spirit of providers who are stepping up to meet the needs of our growing community.”

In addition to helping the owners navigate the process of establishing a business, Minus 9 to 5 ensured they received the resources needed to successfully open and operate licensed childcare homes. That included educational toys, emergency equipment, cribs, business training, laptops and childcare management software.

An anonymous testimonial seemed to represent a shared sentiment among the new business owners: “Becoming a childcare provider through the program allowed me to turn my passion into a profession," the new business owner wrote. "I love supporting families in my community while working from my own home.”

Minus 9 to 5 worked closely with Suffolk Economic Development Department on the Family Day Home project. Economic Development Director Janet Day said her department is committed to strengthening early childhood education in the region.

“Accessible, affordable childcare is a big challenge across our region, so we need to be innovative in our approach and in how we decide to embrace that,” she said.

The unveiling of the Family Day Home project coincided with the release of findings and recommendations from the Shovel Ready Virginia Task Force, which launched in 2024 to support the Virginia Business Roundtable for Early Education. The Family Day Home project aligns with one of the task force’s key objectives — to expand the supply of childcare services.

Minus 9 to 5, a collective impact initiative of the M. Foscue Brock Institute for Community and Global Health, focuses on supporting children from conception to age five. Minus 9 to 5 is housed in the Department of Pediatrics, Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at �鶹��ý.