Children of America

What Children of America does

Children of America (COA), founded in 1998 and operating under the legal entity Children Have Fun, Inc., is a private, family-owned provider of educational childcare and preschool services for children from 6 weeks through 12 years of age. The company runs more than 65 corporately-owned schools across 18 U.S. states (Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin), headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida. Its service mix spans infant and toddler care, twos and early preschool, preschool and pre-K, before-and-after school care with transportation, and seasonal summer camp (Camp WOW). COA holds NAEYC national accreditation and serves dual-income and single-parent working families as the primary customer segment, with secondary focus on early-education-focused parents, families utilizing CCDF childcare subsidies, and school-age households needing extended-hour care.

COA's delivery is anchored by its proprietary Mind & Body Matters™ holistic curriculum, which integrates four pillars: the STAR Curriculum (structured academic lessons in math, literacy, science, and social studies), the Just Read Program (anchored by the original Bentley Book Series authored by COA's Education team), the Presidential Fitness Program, and the Apple A Day Nutrition Program. Developmental progress is measured through the COR Advantage Assessment and Key Developmental Indicators (KDIs). Supporting technology includes the COA Family Portal (parent-facing account management and communication) and COA Always Close By, a subscription-based real-time classroom video monitoring service. The company also operates a Bentley mascot-driven literacy engagement program and a CEO-hosted monthly video update ("Minute with Ted: Family Edition") to maintain family transparency.

The revenue model is primarily subscription-based weekly tuition billed in advance, with tiered pricing across part-time (<5 hours/day) and full-time (>5 hours/day) care, before/after-school programs, and summer camp. Supplementary streams include non-refundable registration fees, extended care surcharges, $20 late payment fees, $15/quarter-hour late pickup charges, Always Close By video monitoring subscriptions, and federal/state CCDF subsidy reimbursement at most locations. A 10% sibling discount on the eldest child, a one-week referral credit after the referred child's first month, and an Early Bird Special (10% off + free registration through July 31) drive acquisition and retention. Distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer via the company website, individual school tours, and phone enrollment support, with no franchise or reseller model.

Name

Children of America

Legal name

Children Have Fun, Inc.

Website

https://childrenofamerica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Children of America is a private, family-owned provider of educational childcare and preschool services for children aged 6 weeks to 12 years, operating 65+ corporately-owned schools across 18 U.S. states under its proprietary Mind & Body Matters curriculum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Childcare / Preschool Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Extended Day Programs at Preschools & Childcare Centers (EDACAHAB), Toddler-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAG)

Keywords

• Educational childcare
• Preschool programs
• Infant daycare
• Before after school care
• Summer camp programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Delray Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices57 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Childcare Tuition: Primary revenue stream from weekly or monthly tuition payments for childcare services. Tuition varies by location, child's age group, number of days per week, and hours per day (part-time vs full-time care). Full-time defined as more than 5 hours/day; part-time defined as fewer than 5 hours/day.
2. Registration Fees: Non-refundable registration fee required at enrollment plus annual registration fee billed every September. Covers administrative enrollment processing.
3. Extended Care Fees: Additional weekly fees charged for families requiring longer daily hours beyond standard care coverage (10 hours for full-time, 4 hours for part-time).
4. Late Fees: $20 late fee charged when tuition is not paid by due date. Weekly tuition billed Monday due by Tuesday; monthly tuition due second business day.
5. Late Pickup Charges: $15 per child for each quarter hour late pickup, providing additional revenue from extended supervision.
6. Video Monitoring Subscription: Optional Always Close By subscription service providing real-time video access to classrooms through third-party provider.
7. Subsidized Care Revenue: Revenue from federal and state childcare subsidy programs (CCDF) at most locations. Subject to policy delays and payment timing issues.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Children of America provides educational childcare services through more than 65 corporate-owned preschool locations across 18 U.S. states, serving children from 6 weeks to 12 years of age. Its core offering is age-segmented enrollment programs — Infant & Toddler, Twos & Early Preschool, Preschool & Pre-K, Before & After School Care, and Summer Camp — built on the proprietary Mind & Body Matters holistic curriculum that combines STEM academics, fitness, character education, and creativity. Supporting services include nutritional meals, transportation for school-age children, real-time classroom video monitoring, and a parent-facing digital portal.

Product overview

Children of America is a nationally accredited preschool and educational childcare provider operating as a single-brand, multi-location childcare service. The company offers a unified portfolio organized around its proprietary Mind & Body Matters™ curriculum, which spans four integrated programs: STAR Curriculum (academic), Just Read Program with Bentley Book Series (literacy), Apple A Day Nutrition Program (wellness), and Presidential Fitness Program (physical development). Services are delivered through age-specific programs including Infant & Toddler Care, Twos & Early Preschool, Preschool & Pre-K, Before & After School Care, and Summer Camp. The company operates over 65 corporate-owned locations across 18 states, supported by the COA Family Portal for parent engagement and the COA Always Close By video monitoring platform. The portfolio is entirely proprietary with no acquired brands or separate product lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mind & Body Matters: Proprietary holistic early childhood curriculum integrating STEM, fitness, character education, and creativity to support whole-child development.
• STAR Curriculum
• Just Read Program
• Apple A Day Nutrition Program
• Presidential Fitness Program
• Bentley
• Camp WOW

Products and services

• Infant & Toddler Program Nurturing childcare for children from 6 weeks old that supports early development, bonding, and key milestones through consistent routines and sensory-rich learning experiences. Targeted at parents of infants and toddlers needing supervised care during work hours.
• Twos & Early Preschool Program Development program for two-year-olds and early preschoolers that helps children develop language, social skills, and emerging independence through exploration, self-expression, and early concepts in math, literacy, and science. Targeted at parents seeking structured early learning for toddlers transitioning to preschool.
• Preschool & Pre-K Program School-readiness program focusing on literacy, math readiness, social problem-solving, and leadership skills to prepare children for elementary school through hands-on learning and collaborative play. Targeted at parents of 3–5 year olds prioritizing kindergarten preparation.
• Before & After School Care Extended care program providing a secure, engaging environment for school-age children before and after the regular school day, including homework support, snacks, group activities, and transportation to/from local schools. Targeted at working parents of elementary school-age children who need supervised care around the school day.
• Summer Camp (Camp WOW) Seasonal day camp program with weekly themes, outdoor play, and hands-on projects that keeps children learning and active during summer months while maintaining high safety standards. Targeted at families of school-age children (and younger) needing structured summer programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children advance from behind developmental milestones to ahead academically and in life skills by age 2
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Pryor Family FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOA partners with The Pryor Family Foundation, founded by Thad Pryor with 35+ years of early childhood education experience. The partnership extends shared mission beyond the classroom through emergency family assistance, long-term opportunity gap solutions, and community resilience building. The foundation focuses on providing emergency assistance to families in need and creating stronger communities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New Horizon Academy: Privately held, family-owned operator of more than 100 early childhood education centers across multiple U.S. states. Highly comparable to COA in corporate-owned (non-franchise) model, proprietary curriculum focus, and multi-state footprint.
• The Learning Experience: Large private U.S. preschool and childcare operator with proprietary curriculum and a mix of corporate and franchise locations. Directly comparable in age range served, proprietary branded content, and parent-engagement positioning.
• Primrose Schools: National franchise network of accredited early childhood education schools serving infants through pre-K and after-school care. Comparable proprietary Balanced Learning curriculum and accredited preschool positioning, though franchise-owned rather than corporate-owned.
• KinderCare Learning Companies: Public (NYSE: KLC) national operator of more than 1,500 early childhood education centers serving infants through school-age children with proprietary curriculum. Closest large-scale direct competitor to COA in multi-site corporate-owned delivery model.
• Cadence Education: Privately held operator of more than 200 early childhood education centers across the U.S. Comparable as a scaled, corporate-owned multi-state childcare platform with proprietary curriculum.
• Goddard School: National franchise system of accredited early childhood education centers with proprietary play-based curriculum. Directly comparable in accredited preschool positioning and infant-through-pre-K age range, differentiated by franchise delivery model.
• Discovery Point Child Development Centers: Regional franchise operator of accredited early childhood education centers with proprietary curriculum. Comparable in age range, proprietary content branding, and accredited positioning, though franchise-owned delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Spring Education Group: Private operator of multiple early childhood and K-12 school brands including Tutor Time and La Petite Academy. Comparable as a multi-brand childcare platform serving similar age groups with proprietary curricula.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Public, NYSE-listed operator of employer-sponsored childcare centers and early education programs. Largest scaled competitor in the U.S. early childhood education market with overlapping infant-through-pre-K programs and proprietary curriculum.

Regional players

• Childcare Network: Regional operator of early childhood education centers concentrated in the southeastern U.S. Comparable in target demographic and accredited preschool service offering, with overlapping footprint in some of COA's Southeast markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ChildrenOfAmerica
• Facebookfacebook.com/childrenofamerica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/children-of-america
• Instagraminstagram.com/coachildrenofamerica/?hl=en
• Xx.com/COAChildcare

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&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Children of America