Our Kids Media

What Our Kids Media does

Our Kids Media is a privately held Canadian multi-platform media company founded in 1997 by former Toronto Star photojournalist Andrew Stawicki, headquartered in the Greater Toronto Area. The company operates three vertically focused consumer-facing media properties: OurKids.net (Canada's #1 private school-choice platform reaching 2.7M annual unique visitors), Camps.ca (camp and program discovery reaching 860K+ visitors), and ComfortLife.ca (Canada's #1 retirement-choice platform reaching 840K+ visitors). Underlying technology comprises a content management and publishing platform supporting detailed 2,000-4,000 word structured provider profiles, user review systems, advanced search and comparison tools, mobile apps, email newsletters, and annual print guides (Private School Guide at 230+ pages, Camp and Program Guide at 100 pages, Comfort Life Retirement Guide at 100+ pages).

The company monetizes through tiered annual membership subscriptions (Gold/Silver/Bronze) sold to roughly 350 private schools, 350 camps and programs, and 200+ retirement communities, plus a separate home care marketing offering. Secondary revenue streams include national-brand advertising across the platforms, event sponsorship (notably the annual Toronto Camp Expo with 70+ camps and 1,600+ attendees), and Lunch & Learn sessions in major Canadian cities. Distribution combines owned digital properties (websites, mobile apps, email to 40K+ subscribers, 16K+ social followers) with mass and niche print distribution through major Canadian newspapers. The company also runs the Our Kids Marketing Academy, offering webinars and live events that double as both member value-add and marketing channel.

The business is family-operated, 100% Canadian-owned, with no disclosed institutional investment or external backing. Customer relationships are long-tenured, with some camp clients retained since the 1997 founding. The company's GTM spans a sales-led membership acquisition process, an event-driven channel (expo and Lunch & Learns), and community-led word-of-mouth referrals among small, locally known member institutions.

Name

Our Kids Media

Legal name

Our Kids Media

Website

https://ourkidsmedia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Our Kids Media is a privately held Canadian multi-platform media company that operates OurKids.net, Camps.ca, and ComfortLife.ca, connecting families researching private schools, summer camps, and retirement communities with providers through profiles, search tools, print guides, events, and email newsletters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vertical Media Publishing

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

akta.pro primary industry

Kids & Family Curated Content Platforms (MPACAKAL)

Keywords

• Vertical media publishing
• Niche audience marketing
• Private school advertising
• Camp marketing platforms
• Retirement living media

Headquarters

HQ city

Mississauga

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees - Schools: Annual membership fees for private schools providing comprehensive marketing platform access including online profiles, print magazine inclusion, social media promotion, mobile app presence, and advanced marketing tools. Membership includes Gold, Silver, Bronze tiers with varying positioning benefits.
2. Membership fees - Retirement Communities: Membership fees for retirement communities and home care providers providing profiles on ComfortLife.ca, print guide inclusion, social media promotion, video production, and marketing tools.
3. Membership fees - Camps & Programs: Annual membership for camps and programs with Gold, Silver, Bronze tiers. Includes web profiles on OurKids.net and Camps.ca, print guide listing, camp expo participation, eNewsletter promotion, and mobile app presence.
4. National brand advertising: Advertising revenue from national brands targeting the family demographic reached through Our Kids Media's platforms across private schools, camps, and retirement living verticals.
5. Event sponsorship and expo fees: Revenue from annual camp expo (Toronto), Lunch & Learn events, and webinar series sponsorship opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Our Kids Media operates a multi-platform vertical media network that sells annual membership subscriptions to private schools (350+), camps and programs (350+), retirement communities (200+), and home care providers, granting them featured placement, structured brand profiles, video production, social promotion, mobile app presence, and print inclusion across OurKids.net, Camps.ca, ComfortLife.ca, mobile apps, and annual print guides. The company aggregates this content to attract 3+ million Canadian families annually, and supplements membership revenue with national-brand advertising and event sponsorships (camp expo, Lunch & Learns, webinars).

Product overview

Our Kids Media operates as a multi-platform digital media and marketing company with three core consumer-facing platforms serving distinct verticals: OurKids.net for private schools and camps (reaching 2.7M annual visitors), Camps.ca for camp discovery, and ComfortLife.ca for retirement communities (reaching 840K annual visitors). The company is structured around membership programs where schools (350+ members), camps (350+ members), and retirement communities (200+ members) pay for enhanced profiles, print advertising in annual guides (Private School Guide 230+ pages, Camp Guide 100 pages, Retirement Guide 100+ pages), event participation, and digital promotion across web, mobile, social, and email channels. The Marketing Academy provides additional value through webinars, live events, and marketing resources for members. The product architecture follows a platform-plus-membership-tiers model with Gold, Silver, Bronze positioning options and guaranteed visibility metrics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OurKids.net Private School Platform Canada's premier private school-choice platform where 350+ member schools purchase featured placement, 2,000–4,000 word brand profiles, user reviews, Insider Perspective video interviews, advanced search positioning, and comparison listings. Reaches 2.7 million unique visitors annually researching K-12 options.
• Camps.ca Camp Discovery Platform Dedicated camp and program discovery platform re-launched within the Our Kids Media network, with advanced search, camp profiles, event calendars, session listings, camp busing feature, and eNewsletter promotion for 350+ member camps and programs. Reaches 860K+ annual unique visitors combined with OurKids.net camp pages.
• ComfortLife.ca Retirement Living Platform Canada's #1 retirement-choice platform where 200+ member retirement communities purchase featured placement, 2,000-word brand profiles with photos and videos, user reviews, Take Comfort reviews, brand synopsis, advanced search, comparison tables, events, blog/newsfeed, and Family Review video production. Reaches 840,000+ annual unique visitors.
• Home Care Marketing Platform Marketing platform operated under the Comfort Life brand for private home care companies and senior care providers, offering profiles on ComfortLife.ca, digital and print magazine presence, event promotion, Facebook, Twitter, eNewsletter inclusion, and reach into 600,000+ qualified Canadian families annually.
• Private School Membership Program Annual membership program for private schools combining online exposure on OurKids.net, detailed 2,000–4,000 word brand profiles, user reviews, capsule reviews, brand synopsis, advanced search placement, comparison tables, events promotion, newsfeed, digital magazine inclusion, print exposure in the Private School Guide, social media promotion, and mobile app presence. Gold/Silver/Bronze positioning tiers with a money-back guarantee of 800+ qualified family views annually.
• Camp and Program Membership Program Annual membership program for camps and programs combining positioning on OurKids.net and Camps.ca, profiles, mini-profiles, session listings, advanced search, calendar and newsfeed, camp busing feature, editorial coverage, inclusion in the 100-page printed Camp and Program Guide, annual Toronto camp expo participation, eNewsletter promotion to 40,000+ subscribers, mobile app presence, digital magazine, and social media. Gold/Silver/Bronze positioning tiers.
• Comfort Life Retirement Community Membership Program Annual membership program for retirement communities combining online exposure on ComfortLife.ca, detailed 2,000-word brand profiles with photos and videos, user reviews, Take Comfort reviews, brand synopsis, advanced search, comparison tables, events, blog/newsfeed, digital magazine inclusion, 100+ page printed Comfort Life guide (170+ community profiles), social media promotion, and Family Review video production. Guaranteed results with money-back guarantee.
• Our Kids Private School Guide (Print Publication) 23rd annual 230+ page print magazine, Canada's most referenced private school resource, featuring hundreds of school profiles and editorial. Distributed through niche and mass channels including major Canadian newspapers (Vancouver Sun, Calgary Herald, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail), reaching 160,000+ copies and 140,000+ families; sold to schools as part of their annual membership package.
• Our Kids Camp and Program Guide (Print Publication) 100-page print guide with 350+ profiles of camps and programs and 40 pages of editorial content. Canada's largest and most referenced camp and program guide, distributed through niche and mass channels, with 150,000+ copies in distribution; sold to camps and programs as part of annual membership.
• Comfort Life Retirement Living Guide (Print Publication) 100+ page annual print magazine featuring 170+ retirement community profiles. Canada's most referenced retirement living resource, distributed strategically through mass and niche channels to families researching senior living; sold to retirement communities as part of annual membership.
• Our Kids Marketing Academy Professional development offering for current member schools, camps, and retirement communities, providing marketing resources, webinars, live events, downloadable guides, and expert insights on marketing performance, with no additional charge for members. Includes industry-specific tracks for schools, camps, and retirement living.
• Annual Camp Expo (Toronto) Canada's largest and best-attended annual camp expo held in Toronto, with 70+ camps exhibiting and 1,600+ family attendees. Member camps receive profile distribution in printed camp guides handed to all attendees; sponsorship packages are sold separately to members and national brands.
• Mobile App (Schools and Camps Locator) Canada's largest private school locator mobile app (iPhone, iPad, iPod) plus a re-launched camp research app, featuring searchable profiles, advanced search tools, and contact information for member schools and camps.
• Insider Perspectives Video Series (Schools) 20-minute third-party video interviews featuring parents or alumni sharing thoughts on school community, culture, and experience. Featured as editorial content on school profiles, review hubs, social channels, and eNewsletters as part of the school membership package.
• Family Review Video (Comfort Life) 15-minute video interviews with resident families sharing thoughts on community culture and experience. Featured on Comfort Life profiles, review portal, social channels, and eNews as third-party editorial content validating retirement community members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Guaranteed minimum 800 qualified family views annually for school profiles, or money-back
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Brave EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial-emotional learning (SEL) programme partner for schools. Brave Education delivers small-group, role-play-based learning reaching 50,000+ students annually. Founded by Kevin Cyr, the programme helps students navigate conflict, build resilience, and foster healthy relationships. Our Kids Media provides marketing support and platform visibility.
• Chartwells CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood and support services provider for independent schools, operating on 500+ education institutions. Part of Compass Group Canada, Chartwells provides dining services that help boost concentration and knowledge retention. Partner schools include Bayview Glen, Havergal College, TFS, and others.
• CloroxProminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional cleaning and disinfecting solutions division of The Clorox Company. Provides schools with Health Canada-registered products and resources including School Wellness Toolkit. Supports infection prevention in educational settings.
• InSchoolwearminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerManufacturer and retailer of school uniform apparel. Established 1997, headquartered in Oakville Ontario. Exclusive Canadian distributor for ECO clothing line made from post-consumer plastic bottles. Serves 51+ partner schools including Appleby College, Mentor College, St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School.
• Ontario Virtual School (OVS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry-inspected online school offering 170+ courses in English and French for Grades 6-12. Provides flexible pathways for students to earn credits toward OSSD. Partners with schools to expand course access when scheduling or staffing makes it difficult to offer classes in-house.
• ASAP Camp Safety ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnline camp safety program providing screening guidelines and staff training for camps and programs.
• Ontario Camps Association (OCA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Lunch & Learn events and annual OCA conference workshops. Joint educational programming for camp marketers.
• Ontario Federation of Independent Schools (OFIS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Savvy School Marketer Webinar Series. Joint webinar mini-series creating a complete marketing framework for school marketers.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Niche: US-based K-12 school and college information platform monetized via school advertising and memberships with detailed profiles, reviews, and comparison tools. Closely comparable to OurKids.net in business model (membership-funded content platform) and audience (families researching education).
• GreatSchools: Major US K-12 school information platform with detailed profiles, reviews, and comparison features for parents. Directly comparable to OurKids.net in serving families evaluating private and public school options through a content-driven, advertiser-supported model.
• KidsCamps: Online camp directory platform with searchable camp profiles, categories, and membership-style marketing packages for camps. Directly comparable to Camps.ca in audience (parents searching for summer programs) and monetization (camp memberships/ads).
• A Place for Mom: Largest US senior-living referral platform connecting families with retirement communities, assisted living, and home care, monetized through paid leads and provider memberships. Directly comparable to ComfortLife.ca in audience and business model.
• Caring.com: Senior care information and referral platform with detailed provider profiles, reviews, and lead-generation services for senior living, home care, and hospice. Comparable to the retirement and home-care verticals within Our Kids Media.
• SeniorLiving.org: Senior living information and referral platform with community profiles, comparison tools, and provider leads. Directly comparable to ComfortLife.ca in serving seniors/families researching retirement options.

Emerging players

• SchoolDigger: K-12 school data and comparison platform providing rankings, profiles, and reviews. Partial overlap with OurKids.net's comparison tools and search functionality for families evaluating private schools.

Broad incumbents

• Active.com: Large-scale registration platform for camps, sports, and activities owned by Active Network/Vista. Provides camp and activity listings with registration tools—comparable to the camp platform while operating at much broader scale and with adjacent verticals.
• Yelp: Large-scale consumer review and business-discovery platform with localized profiles, reviews, and advertising products. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the reviews/directory space that competes for family decision-making mindshare in adjacent categories.

Regional players

• Retirement Homes .com: Canadian retirement home directory with community profiles and family resources, primarily serving Ontario and select Canadian provinces. Closely comparable to ComfortLife.ca given overlapping Canadian geography and retirement-living focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/ourkidsnet
• Xx.com/ourkidsnet
• Facebookfacebook.com/ourkidsnet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/our-kids-media

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Our Kids Media