Trueleaf Finance, a small-business funding service in Saginaw, Michigan, helps child care centers and home-based providers in Saginaw County request equipment financing, working capital and term loans from funding partners. This page covers a center's cash cycle, furniture and play equipment, opening or expanding a center, what partners read and the county's child care counts from Census data.
| Child day care services with employees, 2023 | 47 (CBP, NAICS 624410) |
|---|---|
| Under-5-employee share | 53.2% (CBP 2023) |
| Employees reported, 2023 | About 388 (CBP) |
| Nonemployer child care providers, 2024 | 438 (NES, NAICS 62441) |
Counting the County's Child Care Providers
Saginaw County had 47 child day care businesses with paid employees in 2023, and 53.2% of them had fewer than five employees (County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 624410). They reported about 388 employees. Separately, Nonemployer Statistics counted 438 child care providers without payroll in 2024 (NAICS 2022 code 62441). That is a separate program and year, so the two counts are never combined.
Funding in this field can range from a single provider's play equipment to a center's expansion.
How Money Moves Through a Center
Payroll is a major cost, and a center needs caregivers on hand whatever the day's enrollment. Tuition may be collected in advance, which helps, but subsidy and program payments can arrive after the care is provided. Food, supplies and insurance add up. Opening a new classroom means hiring and equipping it before it fills.
Child Care Needs and the Structures That Fit
| Need | Structure | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Cribs, cots, tables, play equipment | Daycare furniture financing | Equipment secures it |
| Payroll before subsidy payments | Working capital | Bridges payment timing |
| A new classroom or second center | Term loan | Build-out over years |
| Van for field trips or transport | Equipment financing | The vehicle backs it |
Daycare Furniture Financing and Play Equipment
Cribs, cots, child-size tables and chairs, outdoor play structures and kitchen equipment all finance as equipment. Bring vendor quotes. Outdoor structures may need installation and surfacing that a partner treats separately. For a home-based provider, smaller purchases may suit working capital better than an equipment term.
How to Get Funding for a Daycare Center
Opening or expanding a center means a build-out, equipment, and months of wages before enrollment fills the room. Partners read the enrollment plan, current waiting list if you have one, tuition rates, the payroll budget and the lease. An existing center adding a classroom gives a partner current enrollment to read; a brand-new one does not.
If the space needs a change of use or building work, start with the Saginaw, MI zoning and building permits checklist.
What Partners Read From Child Care Providers
- Bank statements showing tuition and subsidy deposits
- Enrollment by classroom and the waiting list
- Payroll records and the payroll budget
- Tax returns and a year-to-date profit-and-loss statement
- The lease, quotes for equipment and any build-out budget
Worked by Hand: A New Toddler Room
Illustrative figures only, not an offer. A Saginaw center adds a toddler room for twelve children. Furniture, cots and play equipment are quoted at $14,000 and light renovation at $11,000. Two added caregivers cost about $6,800 a month, and the room is expected to take three months to fill. Equipment financing covers the furniture; working capital or a small term loan covers the renovation and the wages until tuition from the new room covers them.
From Home-Based Provider to Center
Nonemployer Statistics counted 438 child care providers without payroll in Saginaw County, MI in 2024; some run their programs from home. Moving from a home program to a center is a big step: a commercial space, build-out, more equipment, first employees and a payroll to carry.
Partners reviewing that move read the provider's track record, current enrollment and waiting list, the lease and the payroll budget. A term loan can carry the build-out, with furniture and play equipment on equipment financing.
Care Providers in Saginaw County, MI: Related Pages
Assisted living and residential care homes are covered on the industries hub. Compare equipment financing, working capital and term loans, or see county data on the Saginaw, MI page.
By Trueleaf Finance · Updated
