Child Care Consultants Announced Rebrand
Written By: Shelley Candy and Christy S. Renjilian
Have you heard the news?! Child Care Consultants (CCC) is now Community Connections for Children.
After 35 years in the non-profit field, CCC has evolved to provide expanded resources and programs for the families in their community.
Rest assured, Community Connections for Children is still the same beloved nonprofit, providing high-quality early learning and educational solutions in Central Pennsylvania — solutions like financial aid, quality child care, provider education, and community partnerships.
With such a comprehensive list of services, the name Child Care Consultants no longer encapsulated all of the work that our organization does. Enter a new name — Community Connections for Children — new logo, fresh look, and new branding campaign.
CCC actively works in 13 counties across Pennsylvania. We are in the business of connecting communities, school districts, early childhood education providers, nonprofits, and businesses together to support children and families.
Community Connections for Children and the new logo reflect our mission, vision, and values of ensuring that every child has the resources they need to be successful in school and that families are able to remain in the workforce.
We know that early childhood education and child care are the foundation of our local economies and educational systems.
Our efforts to ensure that children and families have the best possible start impact the trajectory of each individual — and our collective whole. We strive for educational and life success.
And CCC is thrilled to start this new chapter.
A New Name For Increased Clarity and Understanding
In the past five years, the team and board of directors discovered the name Child Care Consultants did not accurately reflect all of the wonderful work our team does each day.
And as we continue to grow and evolve, we needed more clarity and understanding about our mission and vision for the services we provide. In our most recent strategic plan, a name change was prioritized. And we’ve been laying the groundwork over the last few years to make it happen.
With our new name — Community Connections for Children — you’ll instantly know our purpose: to develop connections for children and families that will support, grow, and see them thrive.
If you’re in a similar space, considering a complete rebrand or a refresh of your mission, vision, or brand, here’s a look behind the scenes to highlight the steps we took to launch our new brand image.
How We Approached the Rebranding Process
The first step in our rebrand process happened years ago, during our last strategic planning meeting. In talking with our staff, board, and client community, the need for a refreshed brand was highlighted time and time again. And in doing so, we were able to gain the support of the staff, board of directors, and stakeholders.
Next, funds were allocated to work with a consultant, a public relations firm here in our community. And we went through a public process to select our consultant — LUMI — and to implement a marketing strategy to develop and announce our new name and fresh look.
When it was determined earlier this year that we were moving forward with a major rebrand, we formed a small committee — a task force — of staff and board members to lead the transformation.
The task force dedicated countless hours to the process and was very deliberate and thoughtful as they considered various names and logos. It was critical to have a broad group working on the project to ensure diversity of thoughts.
Rebranding was an exciting, energizing process that helped us to better articulate our mission, vision, and values and plan for our future.
In addition to the task force, here are some of the critical tasks the staff completed during the process:
- Created a request for proposal (RFP) and selected LUMI as our partner. They have been very patient, easy to work with, and provided a lot of assistance.
- Gathered feedback about the logo and brand color palette and styles.
- Reviewed and held brainstorming sessions to discuss name options.
- Compiled the thoughts on the brand and name suggestions for further discussion.
- Reviewed our mission, vision, and values. Reflected on what we do and why, our role in the community, and the message we want to share and convey.
- Aligned our efforts with our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) vision, policy statement, and values.
- Involved the Leadership Team, Marketing Committee, and Board in selecting the final name and logo.
And now, we’re working on marketing collateral, like business cards, letterhead, brochures, digital signatures, and social media content. As well as the legal and financial changes that come when a nonprofit changes its name.
Additional steps include LUMI creating a branding guide, the announcement of our name change, and working with those we serve to assist them in knowing and utilizing the new name.
It’s been an amazing opportunity to connect our brand with those who already are familiar with us and with the community at large. It also helps us increase and strengthen our outreach efforts and build relationships with the communities we serve.
The Biggest Struggles We Faced in the Rebrand
The hardest part of the process has been selecting a new name for the organization.
The Committee was presented with three rounds of names to consider, and there was much debate on the meaning of words, how they would be received, and if they encompassed our mission and vision. We also wanted to ensure the longevity of the name.
Another challenge was developing and designing the new logo. With many creative options from our talented team, it was hard to land on one. And even once it was selected it took time to make adjustments to the style, font, and tagline.
As with so many organizations, it was a struggle to incorporate all that we do into just a few words. Not to mention, navigating the different meanings and values that people bring to specific words.
We spent a lot of time talking about who are our “clients” and “audiences” (we have many) and their association with us and how the “language” used varies from program to program. Something seemingly as easy as what is the name of the sector we are in – “child care” vs “early childhood education” vs “early learning” became a sticking point.
Be aware of these sticking points as you approach a rebrand, and allow for time, discussion, and dissent. It’s important that your team and leadership embrace your new brand, and it’s important for everyone to be heard and understood.
How the New Brand Elevates Our Impact
Our former name and brand looked and felt a bit dated and much more formal. It was also narrow in scope and left someone new to our organization questioning our mission. Whether it was a potential client looking for assistance with childcare, an early childhood educator in search of training, or a community partner they were often confused.
Some thought we provided childcare — we do not.
And others interpreted “consultants” as individuals you could hire to help you with a project.
The name did not incorporate all the various programs and services we provide. The logo also didn’t really tell our story. The fact that it was only vertical also made it challenging to use in all the formats and ways we wanted to.
The new name, Community Connections for Children, and logo feel more relational, representing our approach and mission. It’s more open, and positive, and speaks to the heart of our work, connecting the community — in all the ways that can be defined — to support children.
It aligns with our mission and tells you exactly who we serve and why. The logo symbolizes familial connections, growth, inclusion, and strength. It connotes a firm foundation for the child and family as well as upward movement and growth.
We hope you love it as much as we do, and we look forward to serving our community for decades to come.
Community Connections for Children (CCC) is a nonprofit centered in the heart of Pennsylvania. They are the backbone of the economy, serving childcare providers and low-income families ‒ the ones that have been impacted the most by the pandemic.
For you and your business, CCC helps keep childcare options open for your employees ‒ saving missed work hours and lowering on-the-job stress levels. They work with early childhood education programs and home-based providers to improve the quality of care, ensuring that all children enter school ready to be successful.
Christy Renjilian serves as its Executive Director, and Shelley Candy is its Community Engagement Manager. Shelley was instrumental in the rebranding process, spearheading CCC’s efforts, managing the task force, and even suggesting the new name.
To learn more and to donate, visit cccforpa.org.
For more information on the consultant we partnered with, visit www.lumicreates.com.