I'm out today, but we already know what our task is - to find all the childcare providers we can in the zip codes we chose last class:

• Noah, Julian, Peyton and Zander: 22206 and 22201
• Anthony and A.V.: 22213
• Jeidy, Madie and Molly: 22204 and 22202
• Mostapha, Darling and Aura: 22203
• Yamilet, Alejandra and Jhon: 22207 and 22209

We'll be meeting again with Sara and Bella from 1:45 to 2 pm next Wednesday, so let's impress them with the work we've been able to do!

We will join Sara and Bella for a brief online meeting to check-in on our progress from 1:45 to 2 pm. Here are the questions I'd like to ask them during our meeting:

1. Are there any changes or additions you'd like us to make to the list of framing questions we listed on Monday?
2. Which columns should we add to the ChildcareProvidersArlingtonVA_2026 spreadsheet to help us gather the most useful information we can in the first iteration of our investigation?

I've created a shared drive to which AV, Darling, Bella, Madie, Peyton and Sara should all have access. I'm still waiting for Jhon to send me an email so I can add him as well.

I've started a spreadsheet named ChildcareProvidersArlingtonVA_2026 into which we can begin gathering our first iteration of data.

Let's start with each group entering the information on name, address, phone number, and website from each of the child care providers they investigated last week, in addition to any columns we add in our meeting today.

I'm thinking after that we can break our county up by zip codes, with each group taking a zip code or two and searching for all the child care providers they can find within that zip code. You can begin this process while I'm out on Friday.

I met with Sara and Bella over spring break, and together we came up with a set of questions that will frame our investigation and the development of our business plan:

1. What childcare resources already exist in Arlington?
2. What licensing, training, and regulatory requirements do childcare providers face in Arlington?
3. What resources, networks, and service providers do Arlington's childcare providers rely on? With which organizations do they affiliate?
4. What challenges do childcare providers face in running their businesses?
5. Which specific communities in Arlington do the current providers serve?
6. Which communities are either not served or underserved by the currently existent childcare services? Which specific communities in Arlington do the current providers serve?
7. What resources and models exist that can inspire us here in Arlington to address the needs identified in question 6?
8. Can we develop a business plan that addresses the needs identified in question 6 guided by what we learned in questions 1 to 5 and inspired by what we learned in question 7?

We'll begin class today by looking over these questions and determining together if they indeed capture what we need to know to develop a good business plan.

I have already received information summaries from Jeidy, Molly and Madi on Rock Spring Cooperative Preschool and from Noah, Zander, Julian and Payton on Sleepy Hollow Preschool. I'm still awaiting summaries from Alejandra, Jhon and Yamilet on Spring-Mar Cooperative Preschool and from Darling, Mostapha and Aura on Arlington Unitarian Cooperative Preschool.

After discussion our broad goals, I'll ask each group to select one of its members who has a VCCS email address to be that group's POC. The POC will have edit access to the shared documents we will use to gather our research.