Child Paths
Child Paths is a Dublin-based SaaS company founded in 2014 that provides management, compliance, and curriculum-aligned learning software to early childhood settings (creches, nurseries, preschools) across Ireland and the UK.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersDublin, Ireland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Child Paths does
Child Paths Limited is a Dublin-headquartered private SaaS company founded in 2014 that provides a unified management and learning platform for early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings in Ireland and the UK. Its software combines administrative functionality — attendance tracking, NCS/Pobal funding reports, invoicing, staff scheduling, digital forms, and filing — with pedagogical tooling, including Aistear/Síolta-aligned Learning Records (developed by Chief Education Officer Dr Gillian Lake) and the Milestones early intervention module co-developed with the Adult and Child Therapy Centre. Two curriculum-aligned product variants serve Irish (Aistear) and UK (EYFS) settings, with separate parent and educator interfaces delivered as a responsive web application.
The company monetizes through a per-child monthly subscription for ECEC settings (€3.75 part-time, €5.00 full-time, €0.50 afterschool) and a direct-to-parent family subscription at €7.50 per month with a 30-day free trial. Distribution is primarily direct sales via a website-driven 'Book a Demo' funnel, supplemented by self-serve parent onboarding and channel partnerships with Irish Education and Training Boards (Limerick & Clare ETB, Cork College of FET, Laois Offaly ETB). Strategic differentiation rests on tight integration with Tusla and Pobal regulatory workflows in Ireland, EYFS in the UK, and curriculum frameworks authored in collaboration with academic and sector partners.
Child Paths operates with 1-10 employees, has no disclosed external funding, and serves a customer base of predominantly SMB creches and nurseries with select multi-site enterprise accounts (Crann Support Group, Nurture, Tigers Childcare, Reddington Childcare Centres). The firm has been expanding into the UK, runs an annual Giving Back Campaign Recognition Awards initiative (over €40,000 invested in 2024), and has built a leadership team spanning operations, education, finance, and strategy with senior experience from Virgin Media Ireland and DCU Institute of Education.
Child Paths firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Child Paths
- Legal name
- Child Paths Limited
- Website
- https://childpaths.ie
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Child Paths is a Dublin-based SaaS company founded in 2014 that provides management, compliance, and curriculum-aligned learning software to early childhood settings (creches, nurseries, preschools) across Ireland and the UK.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Child Paths industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early Childhood Education Software
- NAICS
- Educational Services (61)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping Resources (State/NAEYC/Head Start) (EDACAJAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Comprehensive ECE Curriculum Frameworks (Birth–5) (EDACAJAA), Developmental Screening & Assessment (0–5) (EDACAFAA), Parent-Facing Home Learning & Family Engagement Apps (EDACANAK), Family Engagement & Take-Home Learning Materials (Home Packs, Parent Guides) (EDACAJAL), Parenting Skills & Child Development Education (EDACALAA)
Keywords
Where Child Paths is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dublin
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Child Paths business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- SaaS Subscription (Settings/Educators): Early years settings and schools pay a per-child monthly subscription for access to the full platform. Pricing tiers differentiate by child attendance type (part-time, full-time, afterschool). The setting can choose to absorb the cost or pass it to parents.
- Parent/Family Subscription: Parents paying directly are charged €7.50 per family per month. Settings paying on behalf of parents are charged €3.75 per part-time child, €5 per full-time child, and €0.50 per afterschool child per month. Maximum two children per family.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Parent-paid family subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | Setting-paid part-time child |
| Subscription | Monthly | Setting-paid full-time child |
| Subscription | Monthly | Setting-paid afterschool child |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Child Paths product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Child Paths provides early years management and learning software for childcare settings including crèches, nurseries, and preschools in Ireland and the UK. The platform integrates with national curricular frameworks — Aistear and Síolta in Ireland and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in the UK — and supports learning records, milestone tracking, parent engagement, finance management, and regulatory documentation for early years professionals and the families they serve.
Product overview
Child Paths is a unified early years management and learning software platform that serves childcare settings in Ireland and the UK. The platform combines multiple modules including parent communication, educator tools, finance management, attendance tracking, learning records (Learning Records), NCS compliance tracking (NCS Tracker & Alerts), and early intervention support (Milestones). The platform is offered in variants aligned with Irish (Aistear, Síolta) and UK (EYFS) curriculum frameworks, with distinct interfaces for parents and educators. Additional specialized features include a Montessori Feature for tracking Montessori learning outcomes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Early Years (Aistear)
Quantifiable outcome
- Dramatic reduction in reliance on paper attendance sheets, daily records, sleep charts, food records, and child observation records (per multiple customer testimonials).
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Child Paths
Customer profileNamed customers26 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Child Paths technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature12 records
Child Paths partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Crann Support GroupcoreChild Paths consulted the Crann Support Group during development to understand administrative and curricular planning needs. The group participated in consultation processes involving childcare professionals and parents, and helped shape the product's early direction.
- National Childhood NetworkcoreChild Paths worked closely with the National Childhood Network to integrate Irish curricular frameworks Aistear and Síolta into the software platform, ensuring alignment with national quality standards.
- Adult and Child Therapy CentrecoreJointly developed the Milestones early intervention tool with the Adult and Child Therapy Centre. This tool allows educators to track a child's developmental progress and automatically generates support plans for children and parents when concerns arise.
- Limerick and Clare Education and Training BoardminorChild Paths software is embedded as a digital learning tool in the Early Learning and Care course modules, preparing upcoming educators to use the platform in practice.
- Cork College of FETminorPartnered with Cork College of FET (the largest further education college in Ireland) to prepare upcoming educators to use technology in the early childhood sector.
- Laois Offaly Education and Training BoardminorPartnered with Laois Offaly ETB to prepare upcoming educators to use technology in the early childhood sector.
- Tusla (Child and Family Agency)coreTusla is the Irish regulatory body for early years services. Child Paths software is built to ensure settings are inspection-ready and fully compliant with Tusla requirements, including all regulations covered in one place for regulatory visits.
- PobalcorePobal administers government funding programmes for early years settings in Ireland. Child Paths generates Pobal-ready reports, tracks NCS attendance, and includes funding breakdowns on invoices for NCS wrap-around hours to support compliance with Pobal requirements.
- NCCA (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment)coreDr Gillian Lake, Chief Education Officer at Child Paths, co-authored the commissioned literature reviews for the Aistear 2024 Framework's Communicating theme while at DCU Institute of Education. The Learning Record feature is directly aligned with the updated Aistear framework.
- European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA)minorDr Gillian Lake, Chief Education Officer, serves on the Board of Trustees of EECERA, contributing to international early childhood policy and research. This provides Child Paths with access to the latest sector research and a platform for thought leadership.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Child Paths competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- EYLog: UK early years online learning journal used in nurseries and pre-schools for EYFS observation, tracking, and parent sharing. Comparable UK-focused functionality to Child Paths' Learning Records.
- Connect Childcare: UK-based nursery management software offering parent communication, invoicing, and daily reporting. Comparable operational feature set for the UK ECEC segment.
- TeachKloud: Irish early years management software with attendance, planning, and parent engagement features. Most direct local competitor in Child Paths' home Irish market.
- EduKit: UK early years software for nurseries and pre-schools covering observations, parent engagement, and EYFS-aligned planning. Direct UK overlap with Child Paths' EYFS product variant.
Broad incumbents
- Brightwheel: US-headquartered global leader in early childhood education software with attendance, billing, parent messaging, and learning observations. Comparable in core functionality but vastly larger scale and venture-backed.
- Procare Solutions: US-based, vertically focused child care management platform with billing, family engagement, and accounting modules. Comparable core functionality but US-centric and significantly larger.
Direct peers
- Famly: Copenhagen- and London-based SaaS for nurseries and preschools offering attendance, parent communication, invoicing, and learning documentation. Direct competitor in the UK/Ireland ECEC market, with stronger funding and broader European footprint.
- HiMama: Canadian early childhood SaaS offering daily reports, parent communication, attendance, and curriculum planning. Closely comparable product scope to Child Paths' educator and parent modules.
- Kangarootime: US-based child care management SaaS providing billing, parent communication, attendance, and reporting. Comparable product architecture aimed at small-to-mid-market centres.
- Tapestry (by Foundation Years): UK-based early years learning journal platform built around the EYFS framework. Direct competitor in UK settings for learning record documentation and parent sharing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Child Paths social profiles
Digital presenceChild Paths financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Child Paths leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Child Paths funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Child Paths 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 Child Paths
What does Child Paths do?
Child Paths provides early years management and learning software for childcare settings including crèches, nurseries, and preschools in Ireland and the UK. The platform integrates with national curricular frameworks — Aistear and Síolta in Ireland and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in the UK — and supports learning records, milestone tracking, parent engagement, finance management, and regulatory documentation for early years professionals and the families they serve.
Is Child Paths a public or private company?
Child Paths is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Child Paths founded?
Child Paths was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Child Paths based?
Child Paths is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does Child Paths make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. SaaS Subscription (Settings/Educators) is the primary driver. The others are parent/Family Subscription.
Who are Child Paths's main competitors?
Regional players on record are EYLog, Connect Childcare, TeachKloud and EduKit. Broad incumbents are Brightwheel and Procare Solutions. Direct peers are Famly, HiMama, Kangarootime and Tapestry (by Foundation Years).
Does Child Paths have an API?
No public API is recorded for Child Paths.
What industry is Child Paths in?
Child Paths's product category is Early Childhood Education Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACAJAN, Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping Resources (State/NAEYC/Head Start), with a secondary code of EDACAJAA, Comprehensive ECE Curriculum Frameworks (Birth–5). Its NAICS code is 61 and its SIC code is 8200.