Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral is a Portage, Michigan-based nonprofit founded in 1973 that serves as the designated child care resource and referral agency for eight Southwest Michigan counties, delivering free parent referrals, provider professional development, TriShare coordination, and Family Child Care Network support.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersPortage, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral does
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral (SWCCR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Portage, Michigan, that has operated since 1973 as the designated child care resource and referral agency for eight counties in Southwest Michigan: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph. The organization's functions span five program areas: (1) parent referral and child care search assistance delivered free of charge to families, (2) provider-side professional development including a Child Development Associate (CDA) Apprenticeship program, (3) TriShare coordination, in which SWCCR acts as the regional hub for Michigan's tri-share child care cost-sharing model that splits employer, employee, and state costs, (4) the Family Child Care Network, a peer-cohort model for home-based child care providers, and (5) Great Start to Quality Resource Center operations, a state-administered quality-rating and improvement system for which SWCCR serves as the regional resource hub.
SWCCR does not sell a commercial product; its revenue is sourced from state appropriations administered through MiLEAP, Great Start to Quality (GSQ) Hub funding, Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC) allocations, and private foundation grants. Services are delivered free of charge to families and providers, meaning the customer relationship is two-tiered: government/foundation funders on the revenue side and families plus licensed child care providers on the service-delivery side. Recent programmatic additions through 2025-2026 include the Nurture Benefits pilot (Nov 2025), participation in the statewide Early Childhood Educator Wage Initiative (Dec 2025), and selection as a PreK for All Home-Based Pilot site (Apr 2026), positioning the organization as an early mover for Michigan's expansion of publicly funded, home-based pre-K.
Operationally SWCCR is small (estimates of ~15 staff based on the agency's stated 11-50 employee range), and there is no indication of proprietary technology, AI/ML components, or a venture-fundable business model. The economic engine is state policy: the agency's strategic posture is to align with Michigan's expanding early-childhood workforce and access agendas so that its franchise-style regional designations remain the chosen implementation vehicle for new programs funded by Lansing.
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral
- Legal name
- Southwest Child Care Resource and Referral
- Website
- https://ccr4kids.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral is a Portage, Michigan-based nonprofit founded in 1973 that serves as the designated child care resource and referral agency for eight Southwest Michigan counties, delivering free parent referrals, provider professional development, TriShare coordination, and Family Child Care Network support.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Child Care Resource and Referral Services
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (62441), Child and Youth Services (624110), Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Transition & School-Readiness Support for Special Needs Children (HSAAAIAO), Home Visiting & Parent Coaching Programs (EDACALAC)
Keywords
Where Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portage
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Government Grants and Public Funding: Operates as a nonprofit resource center funded through Michigan state programs including Great Start to Quality Resource Center funding, state department partnerships (MiLEAP), and federal preschool development grants. Services are primarily free to end users (families and providers).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free CDA Apprenticeship Program |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Southwest Child Care Resource and Referral is a regional nonprofit that connects families in eight Southwest Michigan counties with licensed child care, preschool, and school-age programs through resource and referral services. It also delivers professional development for the early childhood workforce — most notably the CDA Apprenticeship Program — and operates the regional Great Start to Quality Resource Center, the Tri-Share facilitator hub, the Family Child Care Network, a Lending Library, training opportunities, MiRegistry support, Licensed Exempt Provider support, and CDC Scholarship administration.
Product overview
Southwest Child Care Resource and Referral operates as a regional resource center providing a portfolio of interconnected child care services across eight Southwest Michigan counties. The core offering is resource and referral services that guide families in finding quality child care. This is supported by professional development programs including the CDA Apprenticeship Program and Training Opportunities. The organization facilitates the MI Tri-Share Child Care Program as a regional hub for workforce development. Additional services include the Family Child Care Network (FCCN) for provider peer support, CDC Scholarship administration, MiRegistry support for professional tracking, a Lending Library for educational resources, and Licensed Exempt Provider support. The organization also administers the Great Start to Quality Resource Center and recently launched the PreK for All Home-Based Pilot Initiative in partnership with MiLEAP.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Child Care Resource and Referral Services
Companies that use Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential (MiLEAP)coreMiLEAP selected Southwest Child Care Resource & Referral as one of three FCCN hub organizations for the PreK for All Home-Based Pilot Initiative. The pilot will support home-based providers delivering free PreK to children in Southwest Michigan, with approximately 75 PreK spaces and funding, coaching, and quality resources.
- Kellogg Community CollegecoreCDA Apprenticeship Program graduates may obtain up to 9 college credits toward an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education through Kellogg Community College partnership.
- Great Start to Quality (GSQ)coreOrganization houses the Southwest Resource Center for Great Start to Quality since 2009. Provides training, technical assistance, consultation, and online tools to help families access high-quality child care.
- Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC)minorECIC is a statewide leader in early childhood collaborating to increase public and private investment. SWCCR participates in ECIC initiatives and connects families to ECIC resources.
- TEACH Early Childhood MichiganminorStatewide scholarship program linking education, compensation, and commitment to improving early education quality. Financial support available through T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Michigan Scholarship for CDA Apprenticeship participants.
- TimilonminorFunder partner supporting Southwest Child Care Resource and Referral operations.
- Stryker Johnston FoundationminorFoundation funder supporting Southwest Child Care Resource and Referral programs.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Child Care Services Association: North Carolina-based nonprofit operating CCR&R functions plus T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood scholarship program — a direct services parallel to SWCCR's TEACH scholarship coordination and resource & referral model.
- Ounce of Prevention Fund: Chicago-based early childhood nonprofit providing parent coaching, home visiting, and provider professional development — directly comparable program mix to SWCCR's Quality Improvement coaching and family engagement services.
- Child Care Resource Center (CCRC): Large California-based CCR&R and family-services nonprofit operating similar resource & referral, subsidized child care, and early childhood education programs. Closest direct operating peer given its comparable multi-county service area and R&R mandate.
- Child Care Aware of Minnesota: Statewide Minnesota CCR&R network providing the same parent search, provider training, and child care referral services SWCCR offers — directly comparable operating model and funder relationships at the state level.
Broad incumbents
- Child Care Aware of America: National membership organization for Child Care Resource & Referral agencies. SWCCR is a member of this umbrella network, making it the closest structural peer at the national level for resource & referral service delivery and CCR&R policy advocacy.
Others
- Michigan League for Public Policy: Michigan-focused policy and advocacy nonprofit operating in adjacent early childhood policy space; comparable as a Michigan nonprofit stakeholder engaged with the same MiLEAP and state policy ecosystem SWCCR depends on.
Regional players
- Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC): Michigan statewide early childhood backbone organization that SWCCR partners with. Comparable as a coordinating/intermediary body for public-private early childhood investment across Michigan regions.
- BHK Child Development: Michigan-based early childhood services organization (Upper Peninsula) offering comparable Head Start/Early Head Start, Great Start programming, and family support — a regional operating peer within the same Michigan early childhood system.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral social profiles
Digital presenceSouthwest Child Care Resources and Referral financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles21 records
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral
What does Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral do?
Southwest Child Care Resource and Referral is a regional nonprofit that connects families in eight Southwest Michigan counties with licensed child care, preschool, and school-age programs through resource and referral services. It also delivers professional development for the early childhood workforce — most notably the CDA Apprenticeship Program — and operates the regional Great Start to Quality Resource Center, the Tri-Share facilitator hub, the Family Child Care Network, a Lending Library, training opportunities, MiRegistry support, Licensed Exempt Provider support, and CDC Scholarship administration.
Is Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral a public or private company?
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral founded?
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral was founded in 1973. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral based?
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral is headquartered in Portage, United States, in the North America region.
How does Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Grants and Public Funding.
Who are Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Child Care Services Association, Ounce of Prevention Fund, Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) and Child Care Aware of Minnesota. Child Care Aware of America is listed as a broad incumbent. Michigan League for Public Policy is listed as an others. Regional players are Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC) and BHK Child Development.
Does Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral have an API?
No public API is recorded for Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral.
What industry is Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral in?
Southwest Child Care Resources and Referral's product category is Child Care Resource and Referral Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACALAH, Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services, with a secondary code of HSAAAIAO, Transition & School-Readiness Support for Special Needs Children. Its NAICS code is 62441 and its SIC code is 8351.