What Child Development Schools, Inc. does

Child Development Schools, Inc. operates as Childcare Network, a private for-profit early childhood education provider founded in 1988 in Columbus, Georgia, and currently operating more than 230 owned schools across 10 southeastern and south-central U.S. states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia). The company serves children from 6 weeks to 12 years old through six age-segmented programs—Bright Baby (infants), Smart Steps Academy (toddlers), Ready 2 Learn (twos), Pre-Kindergarten Prep Academy (threes), Kindergarten Prep Academy (pre-K), and Young Achiever's Club (school-age)—all powered by the proprietary HighReach Learning curriculum, a play-based, milestone-aligned framework developed in-house. Supporting technology includes a real-time parent engagement mobile app delivering daily updates on activities, meals, and milestones, and a Child Scan electronic safety system on school buses. The company also offers 13-week Adventure Summer Camp, School Break Care, kindergarten readiness add-ons (Get Set, Jumpstart), and school transportation services with safety features.

The business model is primarily subscription-based weekly tuition billed per child, with rates varying by age group and enrollment days per week. Supplementary revenue streams include state-funded free Pre-K participation in Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina; employer partnership subsidies where companies pay or discount tuition through B2B benefit programs; CCDF (Child Care and Development Fund) subsidized payments; and privately funded scholarships for income-eligible families. GTM is direct-to-consumer through owned school locations, supplemented by an employer partnership B2B2C channel, a NACCRRA military family referral partnership, and an active acquisition program that adds independent childcare centers to the network. Leadership is led by founder David Evans as Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. The company holds NECPA, NAEYC, and NAC national accreditations alongside state-level Star Ratings in five states, and is privately held with no public funding rounds disclosed.

Name

Child Development Schools, Inc.

Legal name

Child Development Schools, Inc.

Website

https://childcarenetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Child Development Schools, Inc., operating as Childcare Network, is a private for-profit early childhood education provider operating 230+ schools across 10 southeastern and south-central U.S. states, serving children 6 weeks to 12 years old through age-segmented programs powered by the proprietary HighReach Learning curriculum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education and Childcare Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Infant & Toddler Classrooms within Childcare Centers (EDACAGAC)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Childcare services
• Daycare programs
• Preschool education
• Before after school care

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Childcare Tuition and Fees: The primary revenue stream is tuition charged to families for child care services. Tuition rates vary based on the child's age and the number of care days per week. The company offers competitive weekly tuition rates and accepts subsidized child care payments through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) as well as private pay families.
2. State-Funded Pre-K Programs: In select states (Georgia, Florida, North Carolina), the company participates in state-sponsored free prekindergarten programs for eligible four-year-old families. These programs are funded through state lottery or legislative appropriations and provide per-pupil funding to participating providers.
3. Employer Partnership Benefits: The company generates revenue through employer-sponsored benefit programs where companies pay for or subsidize child care tuition, priority enrollment slots, and backup care for employees' children. Revenue may come as direct employer subsidies, tuition discounts paid by the employer, or a combination.
4. Child Care Scholarships (Privately Paying Families): The company offers tuition scholarships and reduced registration fees for privately paying families who do not qualify for state-funded subsidies but need financial assistance. This supports enrollment from a broader income range of families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Child Development Schools, Inc. (operating as Childcare Network) operates a network of more than 230 early childhood education and childcare schools across 10 U.S. states, serving children from 6 weeks to 12 years old. The company delivers age-based programs (infant, toddler, two-year-old, three-year-old, pre-K, school-age, summer camp, and school-break care) powered by its proprietary HighReach Learning curriculum, with meals, transportation, and real-time parent-app updates included.

Product overview

Child Development Schools, Inc. (operating as Childcare Network) offers a comprehensive early childhood education platform with age-appropriate programs spanning from infants (6 weeks) through school-age (12 years). The portfolio consists of six core developmental programs: Bright Baby (infants), Smart Steps Academy (toddlers), Ready 2 Learn (twos), Pre-Kindergarten Prep Academy (threes), Kindergarten Prep Academy (pre-K), and Young Achiever's Club (school-age K-5). The proprietary HighReach Learning curriculum powers all programs with milestone-based, play-based learning approaches. Seasonal offerings include Adventure Summer Camp (13-week themed program) and School Break Care for winter, spring, and summer breaks. Add-on readiness programs include Get Set and Jumpstart for kindergarten preparation. State-funded free Pre-K programs are available in Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina at participating schools. Additional services include school transportation with safety features, employer partnership solutions, and financial assistance through subsidies, scholarships, and employee discounts. The company operates over 230 schools across 10 states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HighReach Learning: Proprietary curriculum brand used across all Childcare Network schools for early childhood education from infants through school-age.
• Bright Baby
• Smart Steps Academy
• Ready 2 Learn
• Pre-Kindergarten Prep Academy
• Kindergarten Prep Academy
• Young Achiever's Club
• Adventure Summer Camp

Products and services

• Bright Baby

Quantifiable outcome

• Childcare benefits can yield up to 425% ROI for employers and retaining as little as 1% of eligible employees can fully cover the cost of these benefits (per BCG/Moms First research cited by the company).
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerChildcare Network partners with NACCRRA to provide childcare support to active-duty military families in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Reserves. Through this partnership, qualifying military families receive reduced tuition at Childcare Network schools, and the company benefits from a referral channel that directs eligible families to its schools.
• Boston Consulting Group (BCG) / Moms First (Research Partner)minorOthersChildcare Network cites research from Boston Consulting Group and Moms First on the ROI of employer childcare benefits (up to 425% ROI) to support its employer partnership value proposition. This is not a formal partnership but a reference to published research used in marketing materials.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• KinderCare Learning Companies: Largest private U.S. early childhood education provider with ~1,500+ centers across 40+ states, serving infants through school-age children. Directly comparable in multi-state center-based childcare model, though meaningfully larger in scale and now publicly traded.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Public, global provider of employer-sponsored childcare, early education, and back-up care operating ~1,000+ centers with a heavy B2B2C employer-partnership focus. Closely comparable to Childcare Network's employer-partnership channel and corporate clientele, though larger and more internationally diversified.

Direct peers

• Cadence Education: Private-equity-backed U.S. operator of ~200+ private early childhood education centers serving infants through school-age children. Highly comparable in scale (~200+ schools), proprietary curriculum, and multi-state roll-up strategy.
• Learning Care Group: PE-backed operator of ~900+ schools under multiple brands (Childtime, Tutor Time, La Petite Academy, The Children's Courtyard). Closely matches Childcare Network's multi-age center-based model and proprietary curriculum approach.
• Primrose Schools: Franchise-based operator of ~470+ accredited private early childhood education schools across 30+ states, using a proprietary Balanced Learning curriculum. Comparable in proprietary curriculum, accreditation focus, and center-based infant-through-school-age delivery.
• New Horizon Academy: Family-owned operator of ~100+ early childhood education centers across multiple U.S. states. Comparable in center-based delivery for infants through school-age and proprietary curriculum focus, though smaller in scale.
• The Goddard School: Franchise-based operator of ~600+ private early childhood education schools emphasizing a play-based proprietary curriculum. Directly comparable to Childcare Network in proprietary play-based curriculum philosophy and franchise/company-owned mix.

Emerging players

• Guidepost Montessori: Fast-growing operator and franchisor of Montessori early childhood schools across the U.S. and internationally. Comparable as a multi-age center-based early education operator with proprietary curriculum, though differentiated by Montessori pedagogy.

Regional players

• The Malvern School: Family-owned operator of ~30+ private early childhood education schools concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic (PA, NJ, DE). Comparable in proprietary curriculum and premium positioning, but a regional player with no southeastern footprint.

Others

• Childcare.gov (US Government Resource / NACCRRA): Federal resource and referral hub that connects military and civilian families to licensed childcare providers, including Childcare Network's schools via the NACCRRA partnership. Adjacent ecosystem participant that influences referral traffic to the company rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChildcareNetworkSchools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/childcare-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/childcarenetwork
• Xx.com/childcarenetwk

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Child Development Schools, Inc.