Child Care Center Boosted by Grant

Angela Benson has spent the past nearly three years building Ladybugs Childcare into a state-certified home-business business serving between 16 and 22 families. In the space of a single day in March, however, Angela saw her monthly business revenue drop by more than 50%. While LadyBugs Childcare is still open for business, it is limited to provide care for a maximum of 10 children at a time under state requirements adjusted for COVID-19.

Angela was happy she could help essential workers with much needed childcare, but she worried about whether she would be able to keep all of her employees on the payroll. Her concern was eased after she was selected to receive a $10,000 Small Business Relief Fund grant from Prosper Portland with support from Oregon Community Foundation.

“Without that money, I probably could have stayed open for another month but either would have had to let employees go or would have had to reduce the number of families I could accommodate,” Angela said.

With those worries no longer hanging over her head, Angela is focusing her attention on a future for her business that includes leasing a commercial space to provide service for more families.