Children’s Learning Centers of Fairfield County

What Children’s Learning Centers of Fairfield County does

Children's Learning Centers of Fairfield County (CLC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN #06-0665191) early childhood education provider founded in 1902 and headquartered at 64 Palmers Hill Road, Stamford, CT. CLC delivers comprehensive early childhood education to children ages 6 weeks through 5 years across eight physical classroom locations in Stamford, serving more than 800 children annually. Its program portfolio includes Early Head Start, Head Start, Child Development, and School Readiness programs, all delivered through the Creative Curriculum framework, with wraparound health, nutrition, and family support services. The organization serves over 500,000 meals per year at no cost to families and is NAEYC-accredited and federally designated as a Head Start provider.

CLC's revenue model blends three streams: (1) federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Head Start (Grant #01CH012890), which underwrites Head Start and Early Head Start services for income-eligible families; (2) sliding-scale tuition and a $35 non-refundable enrollment fee for its Child Development and School Readiness programs, billed monthly in advance; and (3) tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations, solicited through a dedicated giving portal, annual galas, golf outings, and direct outreach. The go-to-market motion is community-led: families access services via direct enrollment at CLC sites, referrals through Stamford Public Schools (where 1 in 3 students are CLC graduates), and community partner pipelines. Distribution is exclusively physical/domestic; no online or remote education services are offered.

Operationally, CLC is governed by a Board of Directors, a Senior Leadership team, and the Jennifer Lapine Leadership Council, with Monica Maccera Filppu appointed CEO in 2025 alongside a refreshed board (new chair and four new members). The organization employs 101–250 staff across its sites. Reported outcomes include 70% of children with preschool experience meeting or exceeding kindergarten readiness benchmarks (vs. 30% without) and a published $7–$13 community return per dollar invested.

Name

Children’s Learning Centers of Fairfield County

Legal name

Children's Learning Centers of Fairfield County

Website

https://clcfc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Children's Learning Centers of Fairfield County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating eight Stamford, CT early childhood education sites serving 800+ children ages 6 weeks to 5 years annually through Head Start, Early Head Start, Child Development, and School Readiness programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL), Toddler-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAG)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Head Start programs
• Preschool services
• Infant toddler care
• Kindergarten readiness

Headquarters

HQ city

Stamford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Monthly fees established at intake interview using a sliding scale based on family income. Fees are paid one month in advance, due the last Friday of each month. The organization also charges a $35 non-refundable enrollment fee for Child Development and School Readiness programs (not applicable for Head Start).
2. Federal Grants: Funded by Office of Head Start grant (Grant Number 01CH012890) within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
3. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Organization is tax exempt under IRS section 501(c)(3) with EIN #06-0665191. Accepts one-time and recurring gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Children's Learning Centers of Fairfield County (CLC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit early childhood education provider operating 8 physical classroom locations in Stamford, CT. It delivers comprehensive early learning programs—Early Head Start, Head Start, Child Development Program, and School Readiness Program—for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years, alongside wraparound health, nutrition, and family support services using the Creative Curriculum framework.

Product overview

Children's Learning Centers of Fairfield County is an early childhood education nonprofit offering a portfolio of federally-funded and eligibility-based programs for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. The core programs include Early Head Start, Head Start, Child Development Program, and School Readiness Program, which provide comprehensive early education, health, nutrition, and family support services across 8 Stamford locations. Instruction uses the Creative Curriculum framework. Additional services encompass enrichment programs, parents & family programs, and health/nutrition services. The organization operates as a unified nonprofit with eligibility-based financial assistance available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Head Start

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% of children with preschool experience meet or exceed kindergarten benchmarks vs. 30% without
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)coreOthersProfessional accreditation body that has accredited CLC's early childhood education programs, demonstrating adherence to NAEYC's standards for high-quality early childhood education.
• Stamford Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPipeline partner providing elementary school placement for CLC graduates. 1 in 3 Stamford Public School students are CLC graduates, demonstrating strong district integration and transition support.
• Stamford Public Schools - Kindergarten Assessment DataminorOthersCollaborative relationship providing outcome data showing 70% of children with preschool experience meet or exceed kindergarten benchmarks compared to 30% without.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ABCD (Action for Boston Community Development): Large regional nonprofit providing Head Start and Early Head Start programming across Massachusetts; directly comparable in mission, federal funding model, and wraparound services to CLC.
• Children's Center of Hamden: Connecticut-based nonprofit offering early childhood education and family support services; comparable in geographic scope, nonprofit structure, and age range served.
• Catholic Charities of Fairfield County: Regional nonprofit delivering social and educational services including early childhood programs in the same geography; directly comparable in community-based nonprofit ECE delivery.
• Jumpstart: National nonprofit focused on early childhood education and school readiness for underserved preschoolers; comparable in mission, donor-supported model, and outcomes orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Large publicly-traded provider of early education and child care across the U.S.; competes in the same end market (working families seeking childcare) with a much broader geographic and employer-sponsored footprint.
• KinderCare Learning Companies: National for-profit early childhood education chain serving infants through school-age children; broadly comparable age range and curriculum-based delivery, though CLC is a nonprofit in a single geography.
• Primrose Schools: Accredited franchised early education provider for infants through Pre-K and private kindergarten; comparable curriculum-led model but operates as a national franchise rather than a community nonprofit.
• The Learning Experience: National franchised child care and early education provider for infants through kindergarten; comparable age range and curriculum focus, but for-profit franchise model vs. CLC's nonprofit structure.

Emerging players

• Horizons National: National nonprofit running summer learning and enrichment programs for underserved youth including pre-K aged children; thematically comparable in nonprofit ECE and school-readiness focus.

Regional players

• Families and Children Together (FACT) of Stamford: Local Stamford-area human services nonprofit providing early childhood and family support programs; comparable in geographic market and community-led service delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/clcstamford

Compliance3 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 Children’s Learning Centers of Fairfield County