Blue Bird Day
Blue Bird Day is a Chicago-area therapeutic preschool and kindergarten serving children ages 2-6 with autism, developmental delays, and related conditions. It integrates multidisciplinary therapy into the school day, billing commercial insurance across three Chicagoland locations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Blue Bird Day does
Blue Bird Day, LLC is a privately held therapeutic preschool and kindergarten program headquartered in the Chicago metropolitan area, operating three physical sites in Chicago's West Loop and Northcenter neighborhoods and in Wheaton, Illinois. Founded in 2014 by occupational therapist Dr. Laura Mraz as a spinoff of her earlier venture Eyas Landing (founded 2007), Blue Bird Day serves children ages 2-6 with autism spectrum disorder, developmental delays, sensory processing differences, speech and language delays, ADHD, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and related conditions who require more support than traditional daycare, preschool, or kindergarten can provide.
The company's core technical offering is an integrated daily-rotation model in which multiple therapy disciplines — speech, occupational, physical, developmental, behavioral (ABA), feeding, and social work — are delivered within a school-like environment rather than as isolated sessions. Therapy delivery is grounded in codified proprietary frameworks (Blue Bird Day Approach to Learning, Blue Bird Day Hierarchy of Skill Development, Multi-disciplinary Therapy Rotations) layered onto established evidence-based methodologies such as DIR/Floortime, Sequential Oral Sensory Feeding, TEACCH, Handwriting Without Tears, and the Beckman Oral Motor Protocol. Operational technology is limited to off-the-shelf platforms: CentralReach for EMR, scheduling, and billing, and the Daily Connect app for parent-teacher communication and daily progress sharing.
Revenue is generated primarily by billing commercial insurance for therapeutic services rendered during the school day and during extended-day programs. Blue Bird Day is in-network with Aetna PPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois PPO/Blue Choice, and Blue Cross PPO Gold/Silver/Bronze plans, and accepts out-of-network PPOs; the company explicitly does not accept Medicaid and relies on a concierge administrative team for benefits verification and out-of-pocket payment plans. The go-to-market motion is sales-led, relying on pediatrician and early-intervention referrals, structured facility tours, playdates, and group evaluations. The business operates under the "Three Birds One Mission" umbrella alongside sister companies Eyas Landing (multi-disciplinary therapy ages 0-21) and Merlin Day Academy (ISBE-accredited special education ages 6-14), creating a cradle-through-adolescence therapeutic pipeline under Dr. Mraz's ownership.
Blue Bird Day firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blue Bird Day
- Legal name
- Blue Bird Day, LLC
- Website
- https://bluebirddayprogram.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Blue Bird Day is a Chicago-area therapeutic preschool and kindergarten serving children ages 2-6 with autism, developmental delays, and related conditions. It integrates multidisciplinary therapy into the school day, billing commercial insurance across three Chicagoland locations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blue Bird Day industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pediatric Therapy Services
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (624410), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Day Childcare Centers (EDACAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Extended Day Programs at Preschools & Childcare Centers (EDACAHAB), Part-Day Childcare Centers (EDACAAAB)
Keywords
Where Blue Bird Day is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Blue Bird Day business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Insurance-Billed Therapy Services: Blue Bird Day bills clients' insurance for therapeutic services. They are in-network with Aetna PPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois PPO/Blue Choice, and Blue Cross PPO Gold/Silver/Bronze plans. They also accept out-of-network PPOs. The administrative team performs comprehensive insurance verification of benefits before enrollment.
- Extended Day Services: Supplemental therapeutic services outside of regularly scheduled preschool and kindergarten program hours, billed through insurance as additional therapy sessions.
- Diagnostic Testing Services: Comprehensive psychological evaluations for autism, ADHD, and developmental assessments, billed through insurance.
- Interest-Free Payment Plans: Interest-free payment plans that spread out the burden of insurance plan maximum out-of-pocket costs for families.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Therapeutic Preschool Program (Half-Day) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Therapeutic Kindergarten Program |
| Subscription | Monthly | Extended Day Services |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Diagnostic Testing and Assessment |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels12 records
Blue Bird Day product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blue Bird Day operates a therapeutic preschool and kindergarten program for children ages 2-6 who need more support than traditional daycare or preschool can provide, including those with autism, developmental delays, sensory needs, speech delays, ADHD, and social-emotional needs. Therapy disciplines (speech, occupational, physical, developmental, behavioral, feeding, social work, and nutrition) are integrated into the school day through structured rotations rather than delivered as isolated sessions. Services are billed primarily through private insurance, with supplemental offerings including extended day programs and diagnostic testing.
Product overview
Blue Bird Day is the nation's first therapeutic preschool and kindergarten program, providing an integrated model where therapy is woven throughout the school day rather than delivered in isolated sessions. The core offering consists of the Therapeutic Preschool Program and Therapeutic Kindergarten Program, both running Monday-Friday as half-day or full-day options. These programs are supported by a multidisciplinary team offering Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy, Pediatric Speech Therapy, Pediatric Occupational Therapy, Pediatric Physical Therapy, Pediatric Social Work, Developmental Therapy, Pediatric Feeding Therapy, and Pediatric Nutrition Therapy. Additional services include a Therapeutic Extended Day Program for supplemental services, Therapy Case Management to coordinate care, and Diagnostic Testing and Assessment for autism and developmental evaluations. The program is designed for children ages 2-6 who need more support than traditional preschool can provide, with the goal of preparing children for transition to least restrictive educational environments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Therapeutic Preschool Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Children develop skills for successful transition to kindergarten and beyond
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Blue Bird Day
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Blue Bird Day technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature5 records
Blue Bird Day partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.
- Eyas LandingcoreEyas Landing is a sister company providing multi-disciplinary therapeutic services for children and adolescents ages 0-21 at their state-of-the-art clinic, virtually through telehealth, at school or daycare, and at home. Both companies are part of the Three Birds One Mission family led by Dr. Laura Mraz.
- Merlin Day AcademycoreMerlin Day Academy is a sister company accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education providing special education and multi-disciplinary therapy for children ages 6-14 with neuro-diverse learning needs. Located in Avondale, Chicago.
- Gourmet GorillasupportingGourmet Gorilla is Blue Bird Day's catering partner developing healthy and delicious lunch and snack menus that meet the unique sensory and oral motor needs of each child. Family-style meals promote social interaction and structure mealtime to encourage engagement with a variety of foods.
- Chicago Autism NetworkminorCommunity partner providing financial assistance and grants for families seeking autism-related services.
- Autism Hero ProjectminorCommunity partner providing financial assistance and grants for families seeking autism-related services.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Blue Bird Day competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Acorn Health: National ABA therapy provider operating center-based clinics for children with autism. Overlaps directly with Blue Bird Day's behavioral therapy offering and center-based delivery model.
- Autism Learning Partners: ABA and autism services provider operating across multiple states with center-based and in-home therapy. Comparable clinical discipline mix and insurance-reimbursement business model.
- Surpass Behavioral Health: Multi-state ABA and pediatric therapy provider delivering center-based and in-home services for children with autism and developmental needs. Comparable multidisciplinary therapy model targeting a similar payer mix.
- Giant Steps: Illinois-based therapeutic school and therapy program serving children and young adults with autism. Direct regional competitor offering integrated therapeutic education within a school-like setting in the same Chicagoland footprint.
- KGH Autism Services: ABA and autism therapy provider offering center-based and home-based services for children with autism across the Midwest. Comparable therapy discipline and payer-billing approach in overlapping geographies.
- Hopebridge: Multi-state pediatric therapy center operator focused on autism and developmental delays, offering ABA, occupational, speech, and physical therapy in clinic settings. Operates a similar center-based therapeutic model with insurance billing.
- Behavioral Innovations: Multi-state ABA therapy provider with center-based clinics for children with autism. Closely aligned therapy discipline, age range, and insurance-billing model with Blue Bird Day's behavioral therapy offering.
- Merlin Day Academy: Sister company and Illinois State Board of Education-accredited special education school for neurodiverse children ages 6-14 in Avondale, Chicago. Serves as the natural next step for Blue Bird Day graduates aging out of the 2-6 preschool window.
- Eyas Landing: Sister company within the Three Birds One Mission family led by Dr. Laura Mraz. Provides multi-disciplinary therapeutic services for children and adolescents ages 0-21 in clinic, telehealth, school, daycare, and home settings with overlapping therapy disciplines.
- Cortica: National integrated pediatric therapy provider offering ABA, speech, occupational, and developmental therapy for autism and neurodevelopmental conditions under one roof. Closest scaled analog to Blue Bird Day's integrated multidisciplinary clinic-and-school model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Blue Bird Day social profiles
Digital presenceBlue Bird Day financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blue Bird Day leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Blue Bird Day funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blue Bird Day M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blue Bird Day
What does Blue Bird Day do?
Blue Bird Day operates a therapeutic preschool and kindergarten program for children ages 2-6 who need more support than traditional daycare or preschool can provide, including those with autism, developmental delays, sensory needs, speech delays, ADHD, and social-emotional needs. Therapy disciplines (speech, occupational, physical, developmental, behavioral, feeding, social work, and nutrition) are integrated into the school day through structured rotations rather than delivered as isolated sessions. Services are billed primarily through private insurance, with supplemental offerings including extended day programs and diagnostic testing.
Is Blue Bird Day a public or private company?
Blue Bird Day is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Blue Bird Day founded?
Blue Bird Day was founded in 2014. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Blue Bird Day based?
Blue Bird Day is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Blue Bird Day make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Insurance-Billed Therapy Services are the primary driver. The others are extended Day Services, diagnostic Testing Services and interest-Free Payment Plans.
Who are Blue Bird Day's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Acorn Health, Autism Learning Partners, Surpass Behavioral Health, Giant Steps, KGH Autism Services, Hopebridge, Behavioral Innovations, Merlin Day Academy, Eyas Landing and Cortica.
Does Blue Bird Day have an API?
No public API is recorded for Blue Bird Day.
What industry is Blue Bird Day in?
Blue Bird Day's product category is Pediatric Therapy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACAAAA, Full-Day Childcare Centers, with a secondary code of EDACAHAB, Extended Day Programs at Preschools & Childcare Centers. Its NAICS code is 624410 and its SIC code is 8351.