Sprouts, Inc. proposes opening the first 24-hour childcare center in Pinellas County to serve families with parents working abnormal or third shift schedules. Currently there are no childcare options available for these families. The center would operate as a non-profit to provide affordable, around-the-clock care so parents like Sandra Beardsley, a single mother and cardiac nurse, do not have to pay expensive nannies. While no overnight childcare currently exists in the area, market research found over 60% of local children under 6 have working parents, showing strong potential demand.

1. The problem Clearwater has a large population of abnormal and third shift workers. At the same time, there is not a single childcare center with operating hours to accommodate those workers who need care for their children. Sandra Beardsley is a full time cardiac nurse and a single mother to two preschool-aged children. “I can barely afford to put gas in my car because of how much I have to pay the nanny who watches John and Avery. But I have no other choice because we have to eat and I have no friends or family able to care for the kids while I’m at work.

2. Sprouts, Inc. Around the clock child care Sprouts, Inc. is a 24-Hour childcare center with a Non-For-Profit 501 c(3) classification. This would be the first of it’s kind in Pinellas County and would function not only as a business but also as a service to the community by helping many families in need. A competent and caring staff provide your children a home away from home day and night, whatever your schedule may be.

3. Industry According to Pinellas County Licensing Board and the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, there is not a single overnight childcare center in the Clearwater area. This poses a problem for parents who work in industries requiring abnormal work shifts. What options do these parents have when it comes to childcare?

4. Market According to the 2000 Census, 61.1% of children under the age of 6 residing in Clearwater had parents that were both in the workforce. Alexandra, an Emergency Room nurse at Mease Countryside Hospital is a mother and wife of a pilot. “There are times when one of us has to call off work because the one of our parents is sick. As they get older, it’s happening more and more. In this economy, calling off work hurts.”

5. The competition The strengths of Sprouts, Inc. include lower tuition rates for parents and the 24/7 convenience. Just as well, Sprouts, Inc. provides children with much needed social development. According to selfgrowth.com, “Without day care, your daughter only knows you; you are her whole world. ..Children benefit from day care by expanding their world to include people other than their parents” Weaknesses include the possibility of low enrollment. The key opportunity is to tap in to a market with strong potential. Threats include the current unemployment rate and possible drop in demand for overnight childcare