Palm Beach County child care centers on Friday drew a visit from leaders who highlighted the goal of fostering small-business growth and the need to provide affordable child care.
Stopping by the centers were Congresswoman Lois Frankel and Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Dilawar Syed.
In the past three years, the Small Business Administration has helped over 18 million new businesses get back on their feet, supporting them with nearly a trillion dollars of COVID relief loans, Syed said during a visit to Learning Wonderland Preschool in Palm Springs.
“It’s good news, and we love to share good news,” U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel said as she walked through the colorful learning center.
The preschool was one of the many businesses in Florida to receive a loan from the Small Business Administration to keep doors open during the pandemic. Not only did the SBA cover six months of loan payments during the pandemic, but funding and guidance from the local SBA chapter also helped Alina Shubov achieve her dream of opening the child care center eight years ago.
“Without the SBA, none of this would have happened,” Yakov Shubov, her husband and co-owner, said. “The SBA kept us afloat during the hardest times.”
Frankel and Syed on Friday also visited Super Kidz West Palm Beach.
According to Syed, the state of Florida has the highest number of small businesses created in the past three years.
Many of these small-business owners come from underserved communities. Knowing this, the SBA opens its doors to these entrepreneurs and small-business owners, offering guidance and funding to those who face challenges receiving approval from banks.
“When you start a business, that’s just the first step,” Syed said. “You need funding, resources, support and advice. That’s where our team comes in. We work with partners to make sure that if you are looking for funding, we can support you with that.”
In Florida, a lack of affordable child care continues to burden working families.
Parents or guardians “can’t go to work if they don’t have a safe, nurturing place for their children,” Frankel said. “Because of this women are having to leave the workforce, which has a negative effect on the economy.”
According to Frankel, continuing to support child care centers with SBA funding is one way to combat affordable child care shortage in Florida.
“It’s important for the families that the children have a place to go so that parents can go to work. It’s also important for teachers to have a job, because they’re also supporting their families,” Shubov said. “If the place shuts down it affects a lot of families, a lot of individuals.”
