Press
Detroit, MI (January 21, 2026) – IFF, a nationally recognized mission-driven lender, developer, and real-estate consultant for Midwest nonprofits, and First Children’s Finance (FCF) are launching Stronger ECE Spaces, a new 12-month professional development opportunity – made possible by generous support from JPMorganChase – designed specifically to support Detroit child care providers and entrepreneurs in providing access to affordable, high-quality care, which Detroit’s families and economy depend on.
Stronger ECE Spaces: An SNI Program – which begins orientation Jan. 27, 2026 – is a fully subsidized program for child care providers in Detroit who are facing facilities challenges that put additional strain on their operations and finances. Through a mix of peer learning sessions and 1-on-1 coaching, the program offers business owners tools and support to stabilize their facilities and increase financial strength. The program is built to equip child care professionals with the essential business acumen needed to navigate today’s complex economic landscape.
“Child care providers are the backbone of our communities, and it is critical that they are supported not just in their educational mission, but in their role as business owners and supporters of all other local businesses. Working parents rely on quality, accessible child care to be able to stay in the workforce,” said Celina Byrd, director of early childhood strategy at IFF. “This collaborative program with First Children’s Finance will deliver tailored resources and support to help these businesses not only survive but thrive for years to come.”
Participants will join a cohort of peers for technical assistance sessions focused on critical topics that are essential for business growth and sustainability, such as financial management, access to capital, addressing barriers to child care facilities and housing, and the role of facilities in financial health and program success.
“As America’s leading small business bank, we’re focused on helping entrepreneurs access the capital, resources, and expert guidance they need to succeed at every stage of their journey,” said Terrah Opferman, region manager for Michigan and Ohio, J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking and chair of the firm’s Michigan Market Leadership Team. “By supporting Stronger ECE Spaces, we’re supporting the entrepreneurs behind Detroit’s early childhood education centers as they build stronger businesses that create jobs, fuel local growth, and expand opportunity for families across the city.”
Following the group learning sessions, participants will receive four to six months of intensive, individualized support designed to meet their organization’s specific needs, including: personalized financial consultation with the FCF team, financial coaching tailored to the organization’s unique circumstances, and real estate technical assistance to explore facility-related challenges and opportunities.
“Our goal is to meet child care business owners and entrepreneurs where they are and to provide the tools and guidance necessary to secure their financial and operational future,” said Michael-John Myette, chief states officer at FCF. “This comprehensive program offers specialized support directly addressing the unique challenges faced by the child care sector.”
Stronger Nonprofits Initiative (SNI) was designed to help build the financial capacity of nonprofits across sectors, recognizing the significant barriers that nonprofit leaders face in accessing capital and real estate opportunities and the outsized role nonprofits play in building and growing thriving communities and economies. SNI, which launched in 2017, has served nearly 100 nonprofit organizations across the Midwest including in Detroit in 2019. Building off this innovative model to help support nonprofit leaders to increase their financial expertise and capacity to expand and grow their real estate footprints, Stronger ECE Spaces is a new, unique sector-specific approach to directly support families, children, working parents, and the communities they in turn strengthen.
IFF – headquartered in Chicago – has had an office in Detroit for more than 10 years during which time ECE providers, children, and families have been a major focus. In addition to providing financial and facilities expertise and various supportive programs and grants, IFF has developed two exemplar ECE centers in Detroit: Marygrove Early Education Center and McClellan Early Childhood Center, with a third planned in Southwest Detroit.
To read more about IFF’s early childhood education work, click here.
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About IFF
Grounded in equity and deep sector expertise, IFF is a mission-driven Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that champions nonprofits to shape more equitable and vibrant communities through community-centered lending, development, and real estate consulting. Since 1988, IFF has been working at the intersection of facilities and finance and has provided $1.8 billion in flexible, affordable financing to nonprofits serving a variety of sectors in order to increase their financial stability and programmatic offerings. Headquartered in Chicago, IFF is one of only a few CDFIs nationally to hold the top-ranked Aeris four-star rating for impact management and AAA rating for financial strength and performance. IFF serves the serves the Midwest from regional offices in Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and St. Louis. To learn more visit iff.org or follow IFF on LinkedIn and Facebook @iffcdfi.
About First Children’s Finance
First Children’s Finance (FCF) is a national nonprofit founded in 1991 and headquartered in Minneapolis, with state offices in Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Vermont, and Oregon. As the nation’s only Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) dedicated exclusively to child care, FCF strengthens the supply and long-term sustainability of excellent child care by supporting the business leaders who make it possible. FCF provides low-interest financing, targeted incentives, and tailored business and financial expertise to help launch, stabilize, and grow high-quality child care businesses – particularly those serving low- and moderate-income families. With more than three decades of deep industry knowledge, data analysis, and partnership-building, FCF leads initiatives across 20 states and numerous Native Nations, connecting child care businesses with the public and private resources needed to build scalable, sustainable, and resilient child care systems. To learn more, visit www.firstchildrensfinance.org and follow FCF on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Media Contact: Thomas Marcetti, Communications Manager | tmarcetti@iff.org, 313-880-1083