Childcare Business Pathways Celebrates Its First Spanish-Language Cohort
For nearly a decade, NYCHA’s Childcare Business Pathways (CBP) program has helped public housing and Section 8 residents launch or grow their childcare businesses. This year, the program reached a new milestone: the first-ever Spanish-language class of graduates.
On September 10, NYCHA and its partners celebrated the 11 new graduates of cohort 9, who now join the ranks of 148 CBP alumni. Over the course of 15 weeks, participants received free business training and mentorship, earned certificates, and gained the tools needed to start or expand their childcare businesses.
Family and friends joined CBP partners and NYCHA staff — including NYCHA’s CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt, who gave a congratulatory address at the event — to honor the graduates’ achievements. The CBP program is a collaboration between NYCHA’s Resident Economic Empowerment and Sustainability (REES) department, the Public Housing Community Fund, JPMorganChase Foundation, and the Business Outreach Center Network (BOC Net).
“REES is extremely excited to launch its first Spanish-language Childcare Business Pathways program,” Lenese McPhie, Deputy Director of REES, said. “We are impressed with the level of commitment and dedication of the 11 women who completed this intensive training, and we stand alongside them as they continue the important work of shaping the lives of our children.”
At the graduation ceremony, Ms. Bova-Hiatt highlighted one of the cohort 9 graduates, Genny Tapia. “Throughout the program, Genny showed exceptional preparation, strong communication skills, and a warm, outgoing personality, qualities that reflect the excellence of this entire class,” Ms. Bova-Hiatt said. “Genny, and all of the graduates, are stepping into roles that are vital to the strength of our communities. Parents deserve to know their children are safe and cared for by someone they trust while they work to support their families. By completing Childcare Business Pathways, you have joined a strong and growing network.”
Ms. Tapia is excited to begin this new phase in her life as a childcare business owner and said she feels very prepared to provide children in her care with the physical, emotional, and educational support they need.
“The Childcare Business Pathways program is essential for all people who have a passion for childcare,” Ms. Tapia said. “Not only does this program help strengthen the skills needed to accompany children in their early stages of learning, but it also provides practical tools to create an environment where they feel safe, motivated, and prepared when they reach preschool. Thanks to this project, I hope to achieve my goals: to become financially independent, to offer well-being to my family, to fulfill the dream of buying a house and, above all, to own a business that I have always longed for.”
“El programa Childcare Business Pathways es que resulta fundamental para todas las personas que sienten pasión por el cuidado infantil. Este programa no solo ayuda a fortalecer las habilidades necesarias para acompañar a los niños en sus primeras etapas de aprendizaje, sino que también brinda herramientas prácticas para crear un entorno donde ellos se sientan seguros, motivados y preparados al llegar al preescolar.Gracias a este proyecto espero alcanzar mis metas: independizarme económicamente, ofrecer bienestar a mi familia, cumplir el sueño de comprar una casa y, sobre todo, ser dueña de un negocio que siempre he anhelado.”
– Genny Tapia
Residents interested in Childcare Business Pathways can sign up to join the waitlist for the 2026 cohort by completing this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CBP-2026.