It’s 2:15 on a Tuesday.
You grab a handful of goldfish crackers from the snack shelf because you forgot to eat lunch. Again.
Your phone buzzes. A parent asking about next month’s schedule. You’ll answer it tonight, from your couch, after your own kids are in bed.
Right now you’re covering the toddler room because you’re short-staffed. Again.
There’s a stack of applications on your desk, but you haven’t had time to look at them. Two of the three are probably no-shows anyway. The last person you interviewed didn’t come back for her second day.
And the teacher you’re covering for? She starts at the school district on Monday.
She told you two weeks ago. Standing in the doorway of your office, not quite making eye contact. She said the words you’ve heard before.
“I love it here. But I got an offer with benefits.”
You smiled. You told her you understood. You hugged her. You meant it.
Then she left the room, and your stomach dropped to the floor.
Your teachers take care of everyone else’s kids. Who’s taking care of them?
You started your childcare center for one reason.
You love kids. You saw a need in your community, and you stepped up. Maybe you took over a center that was about to close. Maybe you leased a space and painted the walls yourself. Maybe you took out a loan that kept you up at night.
You didn't have a roadmap for running a childcare center. You didn't have a master plan. You had a calling. And you answered it.
The thing that makes you great at what you do is the same thing that makes this so hard. You care. About the kids. About the families. About your teachers.
Especially your teachers.
You know their kids' names. You know who's going through a rough patch at home. You know who's been putting off a doctor's visit for two years because she can't afford it. You know who needs her anxiety medication but hasn't filled the prescription because the copay is too high.
You see all of it. And it eats at you.
Because you want to give them what they deserve. You want to take care of the people who take care of everyone else's children.
You just don't know how. Not on your budget. Not with your margins. Not when the school district down the street offers real benefits and you're offering heart and goldfish crackers.
Let's talk about the conversation you never post about on Facebook.
It always happens the same way. She comes to your office. She closes the door partway. She sits down and looks at her hands for a second before she starts talking.
I love working here.
Your stomach tightens. Because you already know what comes next.
But I got an offer at the school district. They're giving me health insurance. Dental. Vision. A retirement plan.
She's not leaving because she doesn't love the kids. She's not leaving because you're a bad boss. She's leaving because her daughter needs braces. Because she hasn't been to the doctor in three years. Because she's been choosing between her blood pressure medication and groceries, and she can't do it anymore.
More than one-third of Americans haven't filled a prescription because of the cost. Your teacher is one of them. And she's been suffering quietly because she didn't want to burden you with something you can't fix.
You can't blame her for leaving. You'd do the same thing.
But that doesn't make it hurt less.
What the School District Offers
- Health insurance
- Dental coverage
- Vision coverage
- Prescriptions
- Mental health support
- Wellness programs
What Most Centers Can Offer
- Health insurance
- Dental coverage
- Vision coverage
- Prescriptions
- Mental health support
- Wellness programs
Here's the part nobody talks about.
After she walks out, you go back into the classroom and pretend everything is fine. The kids are watching. The parents are watching. The rest of your team is watching.
You smile. You get through the day.
Then you go home and start doing the math. How long to find someone decent. How many weeks to train her. How many parents will complain about the transition. How many kids will ask where Miss Jen went.
When a good teacher leaves, it doesn't just leave a hole in your schedule. It starts a chain reaction through your entire center.
The teachers who stay pick up the extra weight. They get stretched thinner. They get tired. Their patience shortens. And they start wondering if maybe they should be looking too.
The parents notice. Families can feel instability. The mom who chose your center because of that one amazing teacher in the three-year-old room starts looking at the center down the street. She doesn't say anything to you. She just doesn't re-enroll.
Your enrollment dips. Your revenue dips with it. You're working more hours than ever. Covering classrooms. Doing interviews. Answering parent concerns. Your own health takes a hit. Your own family feels the strain.
And the worst part?
You can see it all happening. You know exactly what's going wrong. You just feel powerless to stop it.
Because you can't offer what the school district offers.
Or so you've been told.
What if that wasn't true?
What if there was a way to give your teachers real healthcare, real prescriptions, real therapy, real dental and vision, and a pharmacy benefit that delivers their medications right to their front door?
What if the reason you've never heard about it is that nobody in the childcare world was talking about it?
Until now.
There is a way to stop this cycle. It starts with one question: does your center qualify?
Join a free, live session. 20 minutes. No pressure. No commitment.
Before we go any further, there's someone you need to meet.
Her name is Jean Baglien. And she has been exactly where you are right now.
Jean purchased a closed childcare center at a sheriff sale and reopened it. She started with a big dream, a thin budget, and no roadmap for running a childcare center. She figured everything out by doing it. The licensing. The staffing. The finances. The days where she played the role of director, bookkeeper, janitor, and substitute teacher all at the same time.
She knows what it's like to eat goldfish crackers from the snack shelf at 2 PM and call it lunch. She knows what it's like to stay late, come in early, and wonder if any of it is going to be enough.
She also knows what it's like to build something beautiful.
Because that's what Jean did. She grew that little center into a thriving operation. Families loved it. Teachers were proud to be there. It became something real, something bigger than she imagined when she painted those first walls.
And when the time was right, Jean exited successfully. She sold a business worth being proud of.
But there's a moment in Jean's story that changed everything. And it happened long before the exit.
“I sat in my car in the parking lot and cried. Not because I was sad. Because I was angry.”
Jean Baglien
Jean remembers the exact day.
It was a Tuesday morning. Her best teacher, the one parents requested by name, walked into her office and closed the door.
“I got a job at the school district. Better pay. Benefits. A pension.”
Jean couldn't match it. She couldn't even come close.
And she watched the best teacher she ever had walk out the door.
That night, Jean sat in her car in the parking lot after everyone had gone home. And she cried. Not because she was sad. Because she was angry.
She had built something beautiful. A center that families loved. A team that was dedicated. And she couldn't take care of the people who made it all work. Her teacher had been skipping doctor's appointments for years. Had been rationing her medication. Had been dealing with anxiety she couldn't afford to treat. And Jean never knew. Because her teacher never said anything. She didn't want to add to Jean's burden.
That moment changed something in Jean.
She went on to build her center into a thriving operation and eventually exited. But the memory of that teacher walking out never went away.
It was after her exit that Jean discovered something that stopped her in her tracks.
A program designed specifically for small employers like childcare centers. Not a stripped-down version of insurance. Not a discount card. A real healthcare platform that gives teachers the kind of coverage that big, self-insured companies offer.
Virtual doctors. Real therapy. Free prescriptions delivered to their door. Dental and vision. A wellness platform. Coverage for their kids. All of it with no copays, no deductibles, and no reduction in their take-home pay.
When Jean learned what this program included, her heart sank.
She thought about every teacher she had lost over the years. The ones who wanted to stay but couldn't. The one who was rationing her blood pressure medication. The one who was dealing with depression and didn't have anyone to talk to. The one whose daughter needed glasses and couldn't afford the exam.
She wished, more than anything, that she had known about this while she was still running her center.
Every childcare center owner in America needs to know about this.
Jean Baglien
That sentence lit a fire in Jean. She couldn't go back in time for her own teachers. But she could make sure other owners don't miss what she missed.
That's why she started Childcare Elevated. Because no owner should have to watch her best people walk out the door. Not when there's a way to actually take care of them.
Here's what Jean found. And here's why it matters to you.
There's a whole new way to offer your teachers real healthcare. It's called the Sheperd benefits program. And most childcare center owners have no idea it exists.
Sheperd uses tax codes that have been on the books since 2013 to give your center the same kind of benefits structure that large, self-insured companies use. It's fully compliant with ACA requirements. It reduces your FICA payroll taxes, can lower Workers' Compensation costs by up to 30%, and your teachers' take-home pay stays exactly the same.
This is not an expense. It is a financial strategy that happens to come with world-class healthcare for your team.
And the healthcare your teachers receive isn't a watered-down version of real coverage. It's powered by Shepherd Wellness, an AI-driven preventive healthcare platform that delivers real, comprehensive care.
Here's what your teachers actually get. Not someday. Not “if they qualify for a sub-plan.” This is what every enrolled member receives.
THE BENEFITS
What Your Teachers Actually Get
Not someday. Not “if they qualify for a sub-plan.” This is what every enrolled member receives.
24/7 Urgent Care
12 virtual visits per year. A real doctor in under 20 minutes. No copays. No deductibles.
Primary Care
Same doctor every visit. 12 visits per member, plus 12 for each child ages 2+. Lab work included.
Mental Health
12 therapy sessions per year. Master's level clinicians. 24/7 availability. Completely confidential.
Free Prescriptions
1,000+ medications delivered to her door. 90-day supply. Unmarked box. 70+ urgent meds at 70,000 pharmacies.
Weight Health
Provider-prescribed medications. One-on-one coaching. FitOn PRO access. All 50 states.
Dental, Vision, and More
PPO dental and vision. Accident coverage. Life insurance. Hospital gap. Personal health dashboard.
A real doctor they can see when they're sick.
Your teacher wakes up at 3 AM with a fever. She's got a classroom full of two-year-olds counting on her in the morning. She picks up her phone and schedules a virtual urgent care visit. A doctor sees her in under 20 minutes. No waiting room. No copay. No bill.
She gets 12 urgent care visits a year. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Whether it's a sore throat, an ear infection, a UTI, back pain, or a stomach bug, she has access to a real doctor who can diagnose her, prescribe medication, and refer her to in-person care if she needs it.
No copays. No deductibles. No out-of-pocket costs.
A primary care doctor who actually knows her name.
This isn't a random doctor every time. Your teacher can see the same primary care provider at every visit. Someone who knows her history. Someone who can manage her blood pressure, keep an eye on her cholesterol, help her with her diabetes, and order lab work when she needs it.
She gets 12 primary care visits a year. And her kids (ages 2 and up) each get 12 visits too. That means the teacher whose 4-year-old has been dealing with recurring ear infections can finally get him consistent care without paying for it out of pocket.
Appointments available Monday through Friday. Personalized health plans. Lab work coordination. A doctor who treats her like a person, not a number.
Someone to talk to when she's struggling.
Your teachers carry a lot. The emotional weight of caring for other people's children. The financial stress at home. The burnout. The anxiety. The days when everything feels like too much.
With this program, every member gets 12 virtual therapy sessions a year with a master's level clinician. Available 24/7 for anyone age 12 and up. Whether she's dealing with daily stress, depression, relationship concerns, burnout, or something deeper, she has a trained professional to talk to.
Every session is completely confidential. Her employer never sees her records. Her coworkers never know.
And beyond the one-on-one sessions, she gets access to the Shepherd Wellness platform: an AI-driven wellness tool with live group support sessions, guided journaling, personalized mental health content, coaching courses, and mental health assessments she can take on her own time.
Her medications, delivered to her front door. Free.
More than one-third of Americans have skipped filling a prescription because they couldn't afford it. For a teacher making $15 an hour, that's not a statistic. That's a Tuesday.
This program covers over 1,000 of the most commonly prescribed generic medications. Blood pressure meds. Anxiety medication. Thyroid medication. Diabetes management. Asthma inhalers. Allergy medicine. Birth control. Prenatal vitamins. Migraine medication. Pain management. Antidepressants.
They're delivered right to her door in a 90-day supply. In an unmarked box for privacy. 12 free shipments a year. If she's currently taking a medication that's on the list, she can transfer her prescription and start getting it at no cost.
On top of that, 70 or more urgent care medications are available at over 70,000 retail pharmacies nationwide. If her doctor prescribes an antibiotic during an urgent care visit, she can pick it up at her local pharmacy at no charge.
She also gets a pharmacy discount card for any medications not on the formulary, plus access to pharmacist consultations whenever she has questions.
No copays. Free delivery. Nationwide coverage.
Help reaching her health goals.
If your teacher is struggling with her weight, this program gives her real support. Not a pamphlet. Not a generic app. A personalized weight health program with provider-prescribed medications (for eligible members), one-on-one coaching sessions with a Shepherd Wellness health coach, and full access to FitOn PRO for fitness and meal planning.
Free home delivery of weight health medications. Available in all 50 states. Built to support conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, PCOS, sleep apnea, and more.
Dental, vision, and more.
Every enrolled member also gets PPO dental and vision plans. Accident and critical illness coverage. Hospital gap coverage. Life insurance. And a personal health dashboard that helps them see where they are and where they're heading with their health.
She can add her family.
Your teacher can add up to six family members, including her children, her spouse, or her partner. Each person over 18 gets their own private account. Her health information stays hers.
And if she or her family members need help accessing things like food assistance, transportation, childcare resources, or job training, the concierge support team can help them find what they need.
0+
Medications Covered
0
Doctor Visits Per Year
0+
Partner Pharmacies
24/7
Care Availability
Your teachers take care of everyone else’s kids every day. It’s time someone took care of them.
Jean and the team will walk you through how this works in a free, live session. You’ll see what your center could qualify for. No sales pitch. Just the facts.
Now let's talk about what this does for you, the owner.
Sheperd is built on tax codes that have been part of the law since 2013. The program creates real financial advantages for your center. Not in theory. In practice. On your books. Starting the first month.
Your payroll costs go down. The program is structured to reduce your FICA tax liability for every participating team member. Those savings add up across your entire team.
Your Workers' Comp costs can drop by up to 30%. When your team has real healthcare, access to primary care, and a wellness program, the downstream costs of workplace injuries and claims decrease.
Your turnover costs disappear. Every time you lose a teacher and hire a replacement, it costs you time, money, and momentum. When your team has a real reason to stay, the hiring cycle stops. The training investment you made in your teachers actually pays off because they're still here.
Your center becomes the employer of choice. When a candidate asks “Do you offer benefits?” you say yes. And you mean it. Not a discount card. Not a vague “wellness stipend.” Real doctors. Real prescriptions. Real therapy. Real dental and vision. Try finding another childcare center in your area that can say that.
Your business value goes up. A center with stable staffing, competitive benefits, reduced tax liability, and professional infrastructure is worth more than a center held together by one exhausted owner. Whether you plan to run your center for 20 more years or sell it in five, this changes the math.
And here's what might surprise you most.
There is no upfront investment from you. None. The tax advantages built into the program mean your center comes out ahead financially. That's why we don't ask you to buy anything. We ask you to see if you qualify.
Before Sheperd
- Constant hiring cycle
- Teachers leaving for school districts
- No benefits to offer
- High stress, long hours
- Rising costs
With Sheperd
- Stable team, lower turnover
- Teachers staying because they’re taken care of
- Real benefits: doctors, therapy, prescriptions, dental, vision
- Professional operation, competitive edge
- Tax savings, lower Workers’ Comp
YOUR FUTURE
What Your Monday Morning Looks Like Six Months From Now
You pull into the parking lot. The lights are already on. Your teachers are inside, setting up their classrooms. The same teachers who were here last month. And the month before that.
Nobody gave their two weeks. Nobody came to your office with that look on their face.
Because your team has something worth staying for now. Real healthcare. Real prescriptions. Real therapy when they need it. Dental for their kids. Medications delivered to their door. All without losing a penny from their paycheck.
One of your teachers told you last week that she finally went to the doctor for the first time in three years. Another one said she transferred her anxiety medication to the program and can't believe she's getting it for free. The new teacher you hired last month? She told her friends about the benefits, and two of them asked if you're hiring.
Your parents can feel the difference. The same teacher greets their child at drop-off every morning. The consistency shows up in the kids' confidence, their development, their comfort. Enrollment is steady. Waitlist is growing.
And you? You're not covering classrooms every other week. You're not spending Saturday nights on job boards. You're running a center that runs the way it's supposed to.
You can finally breathe.
THE PROCESS
Here's How This Works. Three Steps.
1
Spend 20 minutes with us.
Join a free, live session with Jean and the team. We’ll walk you through how the program works, what it covers (all six areas of care), and what it could mean for your center. No jargon. Plain English. If it’s not right for you, you’ll know. And you’ll have lost nothing but 20 minutes.
2
Share your payroll report.
If you want to move forward, we’ll need a simple payroll report. Names, roles, and hours. Takes about five minutes. We handle everything from there.
3
Get your custom proposal.
Within a few business days, you’ll receive a proposal built for your specific center. It shows you exactly what your team qualifies for, what benefits they’ll receive, and what the financial impact looks like for your business. Everything in plain English.
Then you decide. No pressure. No follow-up calls unless you want them.
What You DON'T Have to Do
- Figure out tax codes.
- Become a benefits administrator.
- Change your existing insurance.
- Reduce anyone’s paycheck.
- Learn new software.
- Manage enrollment paperwork.
- Invest a single dollar upfront.
We handle it. You’ve got enough on your plate.
The entire program is up and running within 30 days. Fully automated. You don't need to hire anyone or manage anything. Your team enrolls through a simple online portal and a mobile app. And if anyone needs help, the concierge support team is a phone call away.
THE PROOF
Is This Real? Yes. Here's Why You Can Trust It.
It’s built on existing tax law.
The tax codes that make Sheperd work were added by the ACA in 2013. This is not a loophole. It’s the tax code, working the way it was intended for small employers.
It’s fully ACA-compliant.
The program satisfies all requirements for a business to offer a Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) program. Your center is covered. Your team is covered. No gray areas.
It launches in 30 days.
Fully automated setup. You don’t need to hire anyone, learn new software, or manage enrollment. We handle it from start to finish.
It works alongside your existing coverage.
If you already offer some form of insurance, Sheperd doesn’t replace it. It adds to it. No disruption.
Your team’s healthcare is delivered by Shepherd Wellness.
Shepherd Wellness is an AI-driven preventive healthcare platform with predictive technology validated to identify future risk factors with 80-93% accuracy. Real doctors, real therapists, real pharmacists, and real medications. Your teachers access care through a secure member portal and mobile app. Available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Thousands of small employers are already using this.
The model is proven. The compliance is verified. The outcomes are documented.
Real words from real people:
“
We love the ability to offer the Sheperd program to employees at a $0 net cost.
Jack, Employer, via Sheperd
“
Thanks to the Sheperd program offered by my company, I have been granted access to local and virtual medical care for myself and family that we did not have prior.
Anna, Employee, via Sheperd
“
The mental health support and wellness coaching through Shepherd have been transformative for me and my family. The 24/7 telehealth access means I can get care when I need it, without disrupting my busy schedule. Truly life-changing.
Jennifer Rodriguez, via Shepherd Wellness
Sheperd is not insurance and is not regulated as such. Limitations apply. Contact us for full program details.
You built something amazing. Let’s take it higher.
Spots are limited for each live session. Pick a time that works for your schedule.
YOUR QUESTIONS
You're Thinking It. Let's Talk About It.
That’s exactly why this program exists. Sheperd was designed for small employers who don’t have Fortune 500 budgets. The program creates savings through existing tax codes, not expenses. Most center owners see a positive financial impact from the very first month. We don’t ask you to buy anything. We ask you to see if your center qualifies, and we show you your own numbers before you decide.
A PERSONAL NOTE
A Moment With Jean
I know what it feels like to love what you do and still feel like you're drowning.
I know the guilt that comes with watching a good teacher leave because you can't offer her what the school district can. I know what it's like to find out that your teacher has been skipping her medication because she can't afford the copay. I know the exhaustion of wearing every hat, every day, with nobody to hand things off to.
I've been in that parking lot. I've had that cry.
And I know what it feels like when things start to change.
When your team stays. When your mornings get calmer. When one of your teachers tells you she finally saw a doctor for the first time in years, because now she can. When another one says she transferred her prescriptions and they showed up at her door in three days. When a parent tells you she can feel the difference in her child's classroom because the teacher has been there all year.
That's what this program makes possible.
I'm not going to tell you it fixes everything. It won't. But it fixes one of the biggest problems you face right now. The one that keeps you up at night. The one that costs you your best people.
And once that problem gets handled, everything else starts to get a little easier.
Every month you wait is another month you risk losing a good teacher you didn't have to lose. Another month of turnover costs you didn't have to pay. Another month of stress you didn't have to carry. Another month of a teacher silently skipping her medication because she can't afford to fill it.
I'm not asking you to commit to anything today. I'm asking you to spend 20 minutes with me. Let me show you what your center qualifies for. Let me answer your questions. And then you decide.
That's it. No tricks. No fine print. Just a conversation between one childcare center owner and another.
You built something amazing. Let me help you take it higher.
Jean Baglien
Founder, Childcare Elevated
Your teachers take care of everyone else’s kids every single day.
It's time someone took care of them.
Free. Live. 20 minutes. No obligation.
Questions first? Reach out anytime. We're real people and we actually answer.