Little Willows

What Little Willows does

Little Willows is a network of 12 licensed early childhood education and childcare centres operating across Maple Ridge and Mission, British Columbia. Founded in 2015 as a non-profit, the organization differentiates itself through a nature-based, outdoor learning approach, with children reportedly spending 75% of their time learning outside. Service offerings are organized across two age tiers: Early Education (ages 0-5) covering infant, toddler, preschool, and kindergarten programs, and School-Age Learning (ages 6-12) covering before- and after-school care, PA/PD day and school-break camps, and summer camps, with backup childcare offered as an additional support service.

The business model is a direct-to-consumer, subscription-style recurring revenue model based on ongoing childcare tuition fees paid by families, supplemented by seasonal camp registration and backup care fees. There is no publicly disclosed pricing, and families must register to obtain rate information. Distribution is via physical centres (the primary channel), an online registration platform hosted on the Kids & Company website, and employer-benefit partnerships that route corporate clients' employees to backup childcare as a workplace perk. The company has no disclosed proprietary technology stack, no AI/ML capabilities, and no patents or trademarks.

Little Willows was acquired by Kids & Company, Canada's leading child care provider, integrating its 12 locations into a national platform while retaining the Little Willows brand at the centre level. The company's stated geographic scope is British Columbia, Canada, and its social media, digital registration, and employer-partnership channels now operate under the Kids & Company infrastructure. The only disclosed capital inflow in the available data is a $10,000 grant from The Weld Trust in August 2023.

Name

Little Willows

Legal name

Little Willows

Website

https://littlewillows.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Little Willows is a non-profit network of 12 licensed childcare centres in Maple Ridge and Mission, BC, offering nature-based early learning programs for children aged 0-12, now operating under Kids & Company.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Childcare and Early Childhood Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor/Nature/Forest Preschools (EDACABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL), Toddler-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAG), Outdoor / Nature-Based Before/After Care Programs (EDACAHAJ)

Keywords

• Childcare services
• Early childhood education
• Outdoor learning programs
• Preschool programs
• School-age care

Headquarters

HQ city

Maple Ridge

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Childcare Services Revenue: Little Willows generates revenue through recurring childcare service fees. Parents register for ongoing care programs including infant, toddler, preschool, kindergarten, and school-age learning services. Additional revenue streams include summer camp registration fees and backup childcare services. Programs are available for children from birth to 12 years of age.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Little Willows operates 12 physical childcare and early learning centers across Maple Ridge and Mission, British Columbia, delivering nature-based early childhood education programs for children from birth to 12 years of age. The offering spans age-segmented programs including infant care, toddler programs, preschool, kindergarten, before and after school care, PA/PD day and school break camps, summer camps, and on-demand backup child care, with on-site meals provided through Kidco Kitchen.

Product overview

Little Willows Early Learning is a network of 12 child care centers in Maple Ridge and Mission, BC, that has joined Kids & Company, Canada's leading child care provider. The offering is a multi-location service platform providing age-based programs across two main categories: Early Education programs for children ages 0-5 years (including Infant, Toddler, Preschool, and Kindergarten Programs) and School-Age Learning programs for children ages 6-12 years (including Before & After School Care, PA/PD Days & School Break Camps, and Kidco Summer Camps). Additional services include Backup Child Care for occasional coverage needs. Each of the 12 physical center locations (119 Avenue, Edge, Alouette, Harry Hooge, Dewdney Church, Dewdney House, Silver Valley, Webster's Corner, Briskham, Lougheed, Whonnock, and Stave Falls) serves specific age groups and program types.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Infant Program Child care and early education program for infants, offered at select Little Willows locations as part of the 0-5 years early education offering.
• Toddler Program Early childhood education program for toddlers, part of Little Willows' 0-5 years early education offerings.
• Preschool Program Preschool education program for children preparing for kindergarten, offered as part of Little Willows' early education services.
• Kindergarten Program Kindergarten program for children, part of Little Willows' comprehensive 0-5 years early education curriculum.
• Before & After School Care Child care services for school-age children (6-12 years) before and after regular school hours.
• PA/PD Days & School Break Camps Child care programs for school-age children during professional activity days, professional development days, and school breaks.
• Kidco Summer Camps Summer camp programs for children, with 2026 summer camp registration currently open.
• Backup Child Care On-demand backup child care services for parents who need occasional coverage, also offered as an employer benefit through Kids & Company corporate partner programs.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Kids & CompanyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLittle Willows child care centres have joined Kids & Company, Canada's leading child care provider. This acquisition integrates Little Willows' 12 locations in Maple Ridge and Mission, BC into the Kids & Company family, expanding their national footprint while maintaining the Little Willows brand at these specific locations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Kids & Company: Parent company of Little Willows and Canada's largest private childcare operator. Directly comparable as a multi-site licensed childcare network serving the same 0-12 age range with corporate employer partnerships and backup care services.
• YMCA Child Care (BC): Not-for-profit childcare operator with multiple BC locations, including infant, toddler, preschool, and out-of-school care. Comparable to Little Willows in serving the same age groups in the same regional market.

Direct peers

• BrightPath Kids: Canadian multi-site licensed childcare provider operating centers across multiple provinces. Comparable to Little Willows as a competing national/regional network offering infant through school-age programs with curriculum-based learning.
• Childventures Early Learning Academy: Operates licensed childcare centers in Ontario and BC with infant, toddler, preschool, and school-age programs. Comparable to Little Willows in program structure, premium positioning, and multi-center delivery model.
• CEFA Early Learning: Canadian licensed early learning franchise with multiple BC locations serving infants through school-age children. Comparable to Little Willows as a competing BC-based early childhood education operator.
• Lullaboo Nursery and Childcare Centre: Multi-site licensed childcare provider in Ontario and Western Canada offering 0-5 programs. Comparable to Little Willows in age range, licensed-center model, and curriculum-driven early education.

Emerging players

• Childcare World / Bumble Bee Daycare: Independent licensed childcare center in Metro Vancouver/Maple Ridge region. Comparable to Little Willows as a regional licensed childcare operator in the same Lower Mainland catchment.
• Greenplay Outdoor / Forest School operators (BC independents): Independent forest and nature schools in BC (e.g., Saplings Outdoor, Pacific Spirit Forest School). Comparable to Little Willows' 75%-outdoor model in pedagogical approach, though smaller in scale and not always licensed for full-day care.

Others

• West Coast Kids Therapy / Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre: BC-based child care resource, advocacy, and referral organization. Comparable to Little Willows as an ecosystem participant serving the same BC families seeking licensed childcare, though not a direct operator.

Regional players

• Sunshine Coast daycare independents (e.g., Kidz & Co): Smaller independent licensed childcare operators in suburban BC communities. Comparable to Little Willows as community-based licensed centres offering nature/outdoor programming and serving suburban families.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDx305jAln82P1tFl4R6wdg
• Facebookfacebook.com/100063660666518
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kids-and-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/kidcochildcare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Little Willows