The Village

The COVID-19 pandemic redefined the world of work. Employers across the spectrum faced the reality that the 9-5 model is no longer viable with the current workforce. While there is no doubt that employment flexibility is now a reality, the pandemic caused a significant increase in work-induced burnout. Working parents (especially working mothers) represent a significant portion of that population. McKinsey's Women in the Workplace reported that one in four women are "considering leaving the workforce or downshifting their careers versus one in five men". In addition, forty percent of mothers (and 27 percent of fathers) spend at least three hours a day more than they did pre-COVID-19 meeting household responsibilities. Working parents are substantially left out of the debates on flexible work arrangements. This phenomenon is undoing decades of progress for women in the workforce. In addition, the cost of childcare continues to skyrocket; for instance, families in New York State pay an average of $10,400 per year for an infant and $9,100 for a toddler. The process of enrolling children in daycare center is cumbersome with little upfront pricing and cost transparency.

The Village helps parents navigate the new world of work by offering a parent-centric co-working space. Working mothers and fathers can benefit from drop-in hours where hourly child-care is provided.Parents can purchase day, weekly, or monthly passes to access spaces that provide as-needed childcare services. Parents can chose to remain on the premises and utilize the co-working space or book private offices. Parents no longer have to take video-calls from the McDonalds Play Area or have their kids photo bomb their Zoom backgrounds. In addition, the Village offers a network of professional parents that can rely on their Village's community for professional and social support. 

We envision reaching every working parent that needs a more flexible, affordable, and innovative childcare option. Parents no longer follow a traditional and gendered 9 to 5 yet we are still providing childcare solutions designed for that era. We want to reach working parents during their paternal/maternal leaves who are craving much-needed social interactions as well as parents who would like to have access to their children during coworking hours for a little bit of a snack time!  

This idea comes from numerous March 2020 Zoom calls with my nephews where I could see that their parents have officially run out of entertainment ideas. By the same token, their parents were expected to put in the regular effort of a full time employee. Fast forward two years, I am surrounded by new parents that feel left out of the "return to work" discourse. Businesses made impeccable strides in navigating the new world of work; yet, childcare services continue to follow a pre-pandemic model. 

We find in Solve the perfect platform for a business-minded approach to a social service. We are applying to Solve because we need help in building the technical proposal to ensure that the project is self-sufficient yet remains dedicated to its socially driven mission. 

Current childcare solutions have rigid applications, conventional operating hours, and opaque pricing structures. Even with applications such as Sittercity and Care.com, the options are quite limited for working parents. The Village would be the first solution that blends the concept of co-working into childcare models.

We hope to launch two co-working daycare centers that are bookable by The Village app. We want to grown an organic membership base of working parents that can utilize the space through membership sign-ups. 

As we are still in the concept phase, these are our Key Performance Indicators:

• Number of organic co-working sign-ups 
• Number of bookings/visits per day 
• In-app NPS and review scores

1. Activity: Provide a space where parents (particularly working mothers) can co-work in a professional setting while having access to quality, affordable, and flexible childcare 
2. Outputs: Working mothers receive a much-needed support system that evolves with the current flexible working conditions.
3. Short-term outcomes: Working mothers are given the space to balance between their careers and childcare labor.
4. Long-term outcomes: Working mothers do not have to make a choice between career and motherhood; creating more equitable working environments.

Our co-working spaces will be bookable by app where parents can find geo-location based childcare services. Parents can schedule weeks in advance as well as on-demand spaces. 

The Village business model is based on a three-tiered approach:

• Annual membership: Parents can purchase an annual membership that allows unlimited access to our child-friendly co-working facilities. Parents can ensure they have a spot for themselves and their children by booking through The Village app. Memberships are priced at an income-based sliding scale to ensure affordability.
• Monthly/Weekly pass: Parents can opt for a more flexible commitment that allows access to the co-working spaces twice a week via a booking credit system.
• Employer-sponsored benefit: corporations and enterprises can offer either of the above options as an employee-sponsored benefit for working parents or parents currently on their paternal/maternal leave.

We are seeking funding from the following sources:

• Y Combinator Accelerator Program
• New York State Childcare Desert Grant