Footsteps Child Care

What Footsteps Child Care does

Footsteps Child Care, Inc. is a California-registered nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (Tax ID 94-3206278) that provides licensed child care and youth programming to families in the Belmont-San Mateo-Redwood City corridor of the San Francisco Peninsula. Founded in 1995 by Karen Haas-Foletta and operating continuously for over 30 years, the organization runs three preschool sites (Nesbit Puma Cubs in Belmont, Little Footsteps in San Mateo, Redwood Creek in Redwood City) serving children ages 6 weeks to 5 years, and four school-age programs (Barrett, Cipriani, Nesbit, Shores) co-located on elementary school campuses serving TK through 8th grade. Its core technology stack is operational rather than differentiating: Kinside for enrollment and waitlist management, Adobe Sign for enrollment paperwork, Care.com for summer camp registration, Zoom for orientation, and Google Calendar for schedule sharing.

The business model is a hybrid of recurring tuition, state subsidized child care reimbursements (CCTR and CSPP for income-eligible families), and seasonal program fees. Monthly tuition provides the revenue base for preschool and school-age programs, while summer camps ($475-$650/week) and ancillary services (Parent's Night Out, Full Day Child Care drop-in at $80/day) generate incremental seasonal revenue. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through seven physical sites, with go-to-market reliant on community referrals, partnerships with the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (BRSSD), and digital enrollment platforms. The organization holds multiple California child care licenses and is one of the few providers in its catchment offering subsidized care, positioning its value proposition around accessibility and 30-year community trust rather than technology or price differentiation.

Name

Footsteps Child Care

Legal name

Footsteps Child Care, Inc.

Website

https://footstepschildcare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Footsteps Child Care is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating licensed preschools, before/after school programs, and summer camps across seven sites in Belmont, San Mateo, and Redwood City, serving infants through 8th graders through tuition and state subsidized care (CCTR/CSPP).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Care Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Drop-In / Flexible Infant & Toddler Care (EDACAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parent’s Helper (Non-Infant) & Child Supervision (HSAAAGAA), School-Age Wraparound Care (Ages 3–5) (EDACAHAA)

Keywords

• Child care services
• Preschool programs
• Before after school
• Summer camp programs
• Early childhood education

Headquarters

HQ city

Belmont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Child Care Tuition: Full-time and part-time tuition for infant, toddler, preschool, and school-age programs. Enrollment confirmed upon receipt of registration fee and deposit.
2. State Subsidized Child Care (CCTR/CSPP): Revenue from California state subsidized child care programs for income-eligible families. Families pay monthly fees based on income.
3. Parent's Night Out (PNO): One-time per-event child care service with dinner, activities, and movie. Rates: Infant/Toddler $55, Preschool/School Age $40.
4. Full Day Child Care: Drop-in fees of $80/day for school breaks. Full-time after school enrollment included in tuition. Additional fees for field trips ($25-$65) and optional pizza lunch ($8).
5. Summer Camp Fees: Weekly camp registration fees ranging from $475-$650 depending on program. Includes Thrill Seekers Travel ($650/week), Swim Camps ($500/week), and general camps ($475/week). Extended hours available at $20/session.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Footsteps Child Care, Inc. provides licensed child care and educational programs for infants through 8th-grade children across the San Francisco Peninsula. Offerings include full-time infant-toddler-preschool care at three locations, before/after school care at four elementary school sites, themed summer camps (Junior Explorers, Explorers, Adventurers, Creators, Racquets & Swim, Swim Camps, Thrill Seekers Travel), Full Day Child Care during school breaks, and Parent's Night Out evening care. Income-eligible families access subsidized care through California CCTR and CSPP state programs.

Product overview

Footsteps Child Care, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization providing comprehensive child care services in the San Francisco Bay Area. The organization operates three preschool locations (Nesbit Puma Cubs in Belmont, Little Footsteps in San Mateo, and Redwood Creek in Redwood City) serving infants through 5-year-olds, and four school-age programs (Barrett, Cipriani, Nesbit, and Shores) serving TK through 8th grade students. The company offers seasonal summer camp programming including Camp Footsteps Junior Explorers, Explorers, Adventurers, Creators, plus specialized Racquets & Swim, Swim Camps, and Thrill Seekers Travel camps. Additional services include Full Day Child Care during school breaks and Parent's Night Out (PNO) evening care. The organization also administers State Subsidized Child Care Programs (CCTR/CSPP) for income-eligible families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nesbit Puma Cubs: Preschool program at Nesbit Elementary School campus serving ages 6 weeks to 5 years
• Little Footsteps
• Redwood Creek

Products and services

• Nesbit Puma Cubs Licensed preschool program for infants through age 5 located on the Nesbit Elementary School campus in Belmont, CA. Provides full-time care from 7:30am to 6:00pm for ages 6 weeks through 5 years.
• Little Footsteps Preschool program serving children ages 2-5 years at St. Andrew's Church in San Mateo, CA. Operates as a non-faith-based program with full-day care from 7:30am to 6:00pm.
• Redwood Creek Preschool program for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years in Redwood City, CA. Offers full-time care with hours from 7:45am to 5:30pm.
• Barrett School-Age Program Before and after school care serving TK through 5th grade at Barrett Community Center in Belmont, CA, with transportation from Central Elementary. Operating hours 7:00am to 6:15pm.
• Cipriani School-Age Program Before and after school care serving TK through 5th grade on the Cipriani Elementary School campus in Belmont, CA. Operates Monday through Friday, 7:00am to 6:15pm.
• Nesbit School-Age Program Before and after school care serving kindergarten through 8th grade on the Nesbit Elementary School campus in Belmont, CA. Operates Monday through Friday, 7:00am to 6:15pm.
• Shores School-Age Program Before and after school care serving TK through 5th grade on the Redwood Shores Elementary School campus in Redwood City, CA. Operates Monday through Friday, 7:00am to 6:15pm.
• Camp Footsteps Junior Explorers Summer camp for transitional kindergarten through 1st grade students, held at the Cipriani location. Features age-appropriate weekly themes, field trips, and outdoor experiences with extended hours available.
• Camp Footsteps Explorers Summer camp for transitional kindergarten through 3rd grade students, held at the Nesbit location. Includes weekly themed activities, field trips, special events, outdoor classroom experiences, and two daily snacks.
• Camp Footsteps Adventurers Summer camp for 4th through 8th grade students featuring leadership development, problem-solving activities, STEAM projects, a Counselors-In-Training program, and recreational activities. Held at Cipriani and Barrett locations.
• Camp Footsteps Creators Creative arts and maker summer camp for 1st through 5th grade students, held at the Shores location. Features art studio activities, Lego stations, maker spaces, 3D printing, and Lando-partnered curriculum for clay, coding, and engineering.
• Racquets & Swim Camp Sports summer camp for 3rd through 6th grade students featuring tennis, pickleball, badminton, table tennis (H.I.T.S. program), and recreational swimming, in partnership with the City of Belmont and USTA NorCal.
• Swim Camps Swim instruction camps for kindergarten through 5th grade students at the Cipriani location. Combines daily activities with swim lessons at Carlmont High School Pool or Highlands Rec. Pool, plus recreational swimming.
• Thrill Seekers Travel Camp Adventure travel camp for 3rd through 8th grade students featuring daily field trips to Bay Area amusement and water parks including Great America, Raging Waters, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, and South Bay Shores. All meals included.
• Full Day Child Care Full-day child care available during school breaks (mid-winter break, spring break) and summer months for school-age children. Includes activities, optional field trips ($25-$65), snacks, and optional pizza lunch ($8) at Barrett, Cipriani, Nesbit, and Shores locations.
• Parent's Night Out (PNO) Evening child care service allowing parents to enjoy outings while children are supervised by Footsteps staff. Includes dinner, activities, and movies. Available for infants/toddlers at Nesbit Puma Cubs and preschool/school-age children at various locations.
• State Subsidized Child Care Program (CCTR/CSPP) Income-based state subsidized child care programs including General Center Child Care Program (CCTR) for children ages 4.9-11 years and California State Preschool Program (CSPP) for children ages 2-5 years. Eligibility is based on income and family size, with monthly family fees determined by income.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LandocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Lando for Camp Footsteps Creators program. Lando provides curriculum for LEGO robotics, coding & game design, and engineering & design thinking activities. Sample curriculums available for Art with Clay, Coding & Game Design, and Engineering & Design Thinking.
• City of BelmontcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with City of Belmont for Racquets & Swim Camp. The city supports the H.I.T.S. tennis program in combination with USTA NorCal. Provides access to tennis courts and facilities for the camp program.
• USTA NorCalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSTA NorCal supports the H.I.T.S. (Honoring Integrity, Teamwork, Sportsmanship) tennis program. The program combines tennis with educational and character-building aspects of team sports.
• Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (BRSSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local school district allowing Footsteps to operate on elementary school campuses. School-age programs located at Barrett Community Center, Cipriani, Nesbit, and Redwood Shores Elementary schools.
• California State/Local AgenciescoreOthersPartnership with local agencies to provide subsidized child care. Works with state programs including CCTR (General Center Child Care) and CSPP (California State Preschool Program) for income-eligible families.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Largest U.S. operator of employer-sponsored and center-based child care, serving infants through preschool with employer partnerships. Comparable to Footsteps in core service (licensed center-based care) but operates at national scale with corporate-backed employer clients.
• KinderCare Learning Companies: National for-profit child care chain with center-based programs for infants through school age, including before/after school care. Comparable service mix to Footsteps (infant care, preschool, wraparound) but operates thousands of centers nationwide.

Direct peers

• Primrose Schools: Franchised early childhood education provider offering accredited private preschool and after-school programs. Comparable to Footsteps' preschool and school-age wraparound programs, with similar age ranges and parent-paid tuition model.
• The Learning Experience: National franchised child care and preschool operator serving infants through pre-K with proprietary curriculum. Comparable to Footsteps in center-based infant/preschool care with similar age range and tuition model.

Regional players

• Stratford School: Bay Area-based private school chain offering preschool through 8th grade with extended care and enrichment programs. Direct geographic and service-line overlap with Footsteps in the San Francisco Peninsula.

Emerging players

• Guidepost Montessori: Growing national Montessori-focused early childhood provider offering infant, toddler, and preschool programs with some school-age extensions. Comparable to Footsteps in center-based infant/toddler/preschool service line but differentiated by Montessori curriculum.
• Children's Learning Adventure: Premium child care and preschool operator with center-based infant, toddler, and preschool programs plus enrichment. Comparable service lines to Footsteps including summer and enrichment programming.

Others

• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula: Local nonprofit youth services organization serving the same Belmont-Redwood City-Menlo Park footprint as Footsteps. Comparable nonprofit, mission-driven operating model with after-school and summer programming, though not infant/toddler focused.
• YMCA of Silicon Valley: Regional nonprofit YMCA offering licensed child care, preschool, before/after school care, and summer camps across the Silicon Valley geography. Closely comparable nonprofit mission and service mix including subsidized care participation.
• Children's Council of San Francisco: San Francisco-based nonprofit child care resource and referral agency that administers subsidized child care programs. Comparable to Footsteps in California subsidized care participation (CCTR/CSPP), though operating as a coordinating entity rather than a direct provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/footstepscc
• Facebookfacebook.com/435529329988874
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/footsteps-child-care-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Footsteps Child Care