Paper Crown Preschool

What Paper Crown Preschool does

Paper Crown Preschool is a privately held, Rhode Island-based early childhood education provider that operates three physical locations in East Greenwich, Portsmouth, and Providence. Founded in 2020 by Julia Smith (MA, BCBA, LBA), the company delivers play-based preschool programs for children aged 18 months to 5 years using the Tools of the Mind curriculum, which it describes as Rhode Island's only preschool to do so. Each location is intentionally limited to three classrooms, and programming runs year-round, Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 5:30pm, with both full-time and part-time scheduling.

In parallel with its preschool operations, Paper Crown runs on-site Autism Therapy Centers offering Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for children aged 18 months to 6 years, with a stated cap of 8–10 clients per day per site. The centers are staffed by three BCBA-certified Program Directors and a mix of Lead Teachers, Teacher Assistants, Behavior Technicians, and RBTs who deliver individualized one-to-one therapy in environments deliberately designed to minimize sensory stressors. A core structural differentiator is the integration of the autism therapy centers within the preschool sites, enabling inclusion opportunities where neurodivergent and typically developing peers learn side by side.

The business model rests on two recurring tuition- and reimbursement-based revenue streams: (i) preschool tuition for toddler and pre-kindergarten programs offered on full-time and part-time schedules, and (ii) ABA therapy services billed through a gradually expanding set of insurance providers. The company acquires families through a direct-to-consumer motion—pre-registration forms on the company website, organic social presence on Facebook and Instagram, and direct phone/text and email contact—and serves families exclusively within Rhode Island. No public funding history, revenue figures, or app-based product surface are disclosed beyond the company website.

Name

Paper Crown Preschool

Legal name

Paper Crown Preschool

Website

https://papercrownpreschool.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Paper Crown Preschool is a private Rhode Island provider operating three physical locations in East Greenwich, Portsmouth, and Providence, delivering play-based preschool education using the Tools of the Mind curriculum alongside integrated ABA autism therapy services for children aged 18 months to 6 years.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (6244), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Therapeutic & Developmental Preschools (Specialized Support) (EDACABAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autism Early Intervention (Educational) (EDAKAKAB), Autism & Neurodevelopmental Early Intervention Programs (EDACAFAF)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Preschool programs
• ABA therapy services
• Autism therapy center
• Play-based learning

Headquarters

HQ city

East Greenwich

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Preschool Tuition: Year-round preschool programs operating Monday-Friday 7:30am-5:30pm, offering full-time care (5 days) and part-time care (2-4 days) for toddler and pre-kindergarten programs.
2. Autism Therapy Services: ABA therapy services for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder aged 18 months - 6 years, offered as full-day and part-day programs of individualized one-to-one therapy. Services accepted by various insurance providers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Paper Crown Preschool operates year-round play-based early childhood education programs for children 18 months to 5 years old across three Rhode Island locations, using the Tools of the Mind curriculum and limiting each location to three classrooms. The company additionally runs integrated Autism Therapy Centers delivering BCBA-supervised Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy to children aged 18 months to 6 years diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, with full-day and part-day options. Programs operate Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 5:30pm.

Product overview

Paper Crown Preschool operates as a multi-location early childhood education center with three Rhode Island locations (East Greenwich, Portsmouth, and Providence). The company offers two core educational programs—the Toddler Program for children 18 months to 3 years and the Pre-Kindergarten Program for children 3-5 years—using the Tools of the Mind curriculum (the only preschool in Rhode Island to do so). Additionally, Paper Crown operates an Autism Therapy Center providing compassionate, play-based ABA therapy for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder aged 18 months to 6 years, combining individual therapy with preschool classroom integration for unique inclusion opportunities. Programs operate Monday through Friday from 7:30am-5:30pm year-round.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Toddler Program Early childhood education program for children aged 18 months to 3 years, focused on developing learning-to-learn skills such as critical thinking, sequencing, and memory recall through warm, naturalistic classroom environments with intentional play.
• Pre-Kindergarten Program School readiness program for children aged 3 to 5 years built upon the Tools of the Mind curriculum and Rhode Island Department of Education goals, incorporating traditional academics alongside social skills, conflict resolution, and team skills within daily activities.
• Autism Therapy Center Compassionate, play-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy program for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder aged 18 months to 6 years, offering individualized one-to-one therapy developed by BCBAs with full-day and part-day program options. Integrated with the preschool environment to enable inclusion opportunities with typically developing peers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Small client-to-staff ratio with maximum 8-10 clients per autism therapy center per day
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Insurance Providers (unspecified)supportingOthersPaper Crown Preschool accepts various insurance providers for autism therapy services. Their website states 'If your insurance provider is not listed, please contact us as we are gradually adding more providers.' Insurance providers are not individually named on the website.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KinderCare Learning Companies: Largest for-profit early childhood education provider in the US with thousands of centers nationwide. Broad incumbent offering overlapping preschool and pre-K services at significantly larger scale but without Paper Crown's specialized play-based/ABA integration.
• Centria Healthcare: National behavioral health and ABA therapy provider serving children with autism across multiple states. Broad incumbent with overlapping ABA services for young children plus broader behavioral health services that Paper Crown does not offer.
• Primrose Schools: National preschool franchise with play-based, balanced-learning curriculum philosophy serving infants through pre-K. Broad incumbent with overlapping preschool mission and play-based pedagogy at much larger scale, but no integrated autism therapy services.
• May Institute: Non-profit organization providing autism services, special education schools, and ABA therapy across multiple states. Broad incumbent with direct overlap on the autism/ABA side and on early-intervention programming, though at much larger institutional scale.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Largest US provider of employer-sponsored early childhood education, operating hundreds of centers including preschools nationwide. Broad incumbent with overlapping preschool and early-learning programming but no specialized autism/ABA integration.

Direct peers

• BlueSprig Pediatrics: One of the largest US Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy chains providing one-on-one ABA therapy for children with autism in center-based settings. Direct peer due to overlapping age range (toddlers through early childhood), clinical approach, and insurance-billable model.
• Hopebridge: Multi-state autism therapy provider offering ABA therapy, diagnostic services, and integrated day programs for children 18 months and older. Direct peer because of its similarly young-child focus, integrated clinical-plus-therapeutic model, and center-based delivery closely paralleling Paper Crown's Autism Therapy Centers.
• Acorn Health: Multi-state ABA therapy provider operating dedicated autism centers delivering individualized one-on-one therapy for young children with ASD. Direct competitor in clinical model, age range, and insurance-based reimbursement structure.
• Little Leaves Behavioral Services: ABA therapy chain specializing in early intervention for young children with autism in center-based settings across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Direct peer due to preschool-age ABA focus and integrated clinical programming.

Regional players

• The Children's Workshop: New England regional chain of early learning centers with multiple Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts locations. Regional peer with comparable preschool age range and family-focused positioning, though without Paper Crown's ABA therapy integration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PaperCrownPreschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/papercrownpreschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paper Crown Preschool