Creative Child Care
Creative Child Care, Inc. is a family-owned, four-center early childhood education provider in Columbus, Ohio, serving infants through prekindergarten age (6 weeks to 5 years) and qualifying families through Head Start and Early Head Start programs, using the Creative Curriculum® framework and operating since 1970.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersColumbus Grove, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Creative Child Care does
Creative Child Care, Inc. is a family-owned and operated early childhood education provider headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1970 by Karin Waldron's father and currently run by Todd and Karin Waldron, the company operates four Step-Up-To-Quality-rated childcare centers serving children from age 6 weeks through prekindergarten, plus Early Head Start and Head Start programs for income-qualifying families. The company relies on the Creative Curriculum® as its foundational learning framework — a research-based academic and social-emotional curriculum aligned with Ohio's Early Learning Development Standards — and uses a parent communication app for daily family engagement.
The business generates revenue primarily through recurring monthly tuition from enrolled families (infants 6 weeks-18 months through prekindergarten), supplemented by government-subsidized payment streams including Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC) administered via County Departments of Jobs and Family Services, Head Start and Early Head Start funding through a partnership with Ohio State University, and USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reimbursements that fund on-site meal service. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the company characterizes its rates as competitive and notes PFCC acceptance broadens access. Services are delivered Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. at the company's West Center and other Columbus locations.
Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and community-driven: family acquisition is primarily through word-of-mouth referrals, a multi-generational customer base (parents who attended Creative as children now enrolling their own children and grandchildren), and an informational website with an online inquiry form. All four centers exceed Ohio's childcare licensing standards through the Step-Up-To-Quality rating program, and the company maintains open-door parent engagement policies and 30+ hours of biennial specialized teacher training to support lower staff-to-child ratios and individualized programming.
Creative Child Care firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Creative Child Care
- Legal name
- Creative Child Care, Inc.
- Website
- https://creativechildcareinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Creative Child Care, Inc. is a family-owned, four-center early childhood education provider in Columbus, Ohio, serving infants through prekindergarten age (6 weeks to 5 years) and qualifying families through Head Start and Early Head Start programs, using the Creative Curriculum® framework and operating since 1970.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Creative Child Care industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Childcare Services
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (624410), Child Care Services (62441)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Infant & Toddler Classrooms within Childcare Centers (EDACAGAC), Center-Based Infant Care (0–18 months) (EDACAGAA), General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA), Infant-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAF), Toddler-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAG)
Keywords
Where Creative Child Care is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbus Grove
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Creative Child Care business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Tuition and Childcare Fees: Ongoing tuition payments from families for infant, toddler, preschool, and prekindergarten care services. Revenue is recurring (daily/weekly/monthly rates) based on child enrollment and care schedule.
- Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC): Government-subsidized childcare payments for qualifying families based on income, family size, and hours worked or attending school. Families may have a required parent copayment.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Tuition rates for childcare services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Creative Child Care product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Creative Child Care provides full-day early childhood education and childcare for children ages 6 weeks through 5 years at its Columbus, Ohio centers, organized into infant, toddler, preschool, and prekindergarten classrooms using the Creative Curriculum® aligned with Ohio Early Learning Development Standards. The company also operates Early Head Start and Head Start programs for income-eligible families, a free preschool program through the Ohio Department of Education, and on-site USDA-compliant meal service.
Product overview
Creative Child Care operates as a single-location early childhood education provider offering a unified set of childcare and educational programs. The core offerings include age-based programs spanning infant care (6 weeks-18 months), toddler care (18 months-3 years), preschool (3-5 years), and prekindergarten. Specialized programs include Early Head Start and Head Start Preschool for qualifying families, plus a free preschool program through the Ohio Department of Education. All programs utilize Creative Curriculum as the foundational learning framework. An on-site nutritional meal program provides USDA-compliant meals daily. The West Center serves as the primary location delivering all programs Monday through Friday, 6:30am-5:30pm.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Infant Care Program Full-day infant care program for children from 6 weeks to 18 months, providing developmentally appropriate activities in a safe and nurturing environment with daily parent communication.
- Toddler Care Program Full-day toddler care program for children from 18 months to 3 years, with age-appropriate curriculum and activities supporting early development, socialization, and individualized lesson plans.
- Preschool Program Full-day preschool program for children 3 to 5 years, aligned with Ohio Early Learning Development Standards to ensure school readiness through the Creative Curriculum® framework.
- Prekindergarten Program Full-day prekindergarten program preparing children for formal schooling with a comprehensive academic and social-emotional curriculum.
- Early Head Start Program Subsidized Early Head Start program for income-qualifying families, serving children from 6 weeks to 3 years in a mixed-age room setting structured like a home environment, delivered in partnership with Ohio State University.
- Head Start Preschool Program Head Start Preschool program for income-qualifying families, serving children 3 to 5 years old with comprehensive early childhood education services through the Ohio Department of Education.
- Free Preschool Program Free preschool program administered through the Ohio Department of Education for income-qualifying families with children ages 3 to 5.
- Nutritional Meal Program Daily on-site preparation of nutritional breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks at no additional cost to families, planned per USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) standards.
Quantifiable outcome
- All children participate in a learning and development program where the level of quality exceeds Ohio's childcare licensing standards
Companies that use Creative Child Care
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Creative Child Care technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Creative Child Care partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Ohio State University (Early Head Start Partnership Program)corePartnership with Ohio State University for the Early Head Start Partnership Program, providing comprehensive services to children 6 weeks to 3 years and their families.
- Ohio Department of Children and YouthcoreRegulatory oversight and quality rating partnership. The DCY administers the Step-Up-To-Quality program and licenses childcare operations in Ohio.
- Ohio Department of EducationcorePartnership for Head Start and free preschool programs through ODE. The ODE also co-administers the Step-Up-To-Quality rating system.
- USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)coreParticipation in USDA CACFP enables provision of nutritious meals (breakfast, lunch, snacks) prepared on-site per USDA standards at no additional cost to families.
- County Department of Jobs and Family ServicescorePartnership for administering Publicly Funded Child Care Assistance (PFCC), helping working or schooling families pay for childcare based on income, family size, and hours worked.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Creative Child Care competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- KinderCare Learning Centers: Largest private early childhood education provider in the U.S., operating ~2,100 centers nationwide. Directly comparable as a multi-site childcare operator serving infant through pre-K age groups with curriculum-aligned programming.
- Bright Horizons Family Solutions: National early education and child care operator with employer-sponsored and center-based programs. Comparable in operating licensed, curriculum-driven centers with structured age-based programs and a focus on quality ratings.
- Learning Care Group: Operates multiple early childhood brands including Childtime, Tutor Time, and La Petite Academy with ~1,000 centers. Comparable as a multi-brand childcare operator serving infant, toddler, and preschool age groups.
Direct peers
- Primrose Schools: Franchise network of accredited private early childhood education schools using a proprietary Balanced Learning® curriculum. Comparable as a franchise/private center operator delivering research-based curriculum aligned with state standards.
- The Goddard School: Franchise network of private early childhood education centers using a proprietary play-based curriculum. Comparable in operating licensed, curriculum-aligned childcare centers for infant through pre-K with an emphasis on quality differentiation.
- The Learning Experience: National franchise of early learning centers serving infants through pre-K with proprietary curriculum. Comparable in operating curriculum-driven childcare centers and competing on quality and family engagement.
- Childcare Network: Regional multi-center childcare operator in the Southeast U.S. with similar curriculum-driven, age-segregated programs. Comparable as a scaled regional operator focused on licensed, quality-rated early childhood education.
- Kids 'R' Kids: National franchise of accredited early learning centers for infants through school-age children. Comparable in operating curriculum-based, licensed childcare centers competing on quality credentials and educational outcomes.
Regional players
- Crème de la Crème: Premium early learning center operator concentrated in the Southeast and Midwest. Comparable as a multi-center, high-quality preschool operator with proprietary curriculum and strong family-engagement programs.
Emerging players
- Montessori Academy: Montessori-based early childhood education operator with multiple centers. Comparable as a multi-site, curriculum-driven childcare provider serving infant through kindergarten age groups with a focus on developmental pedagogy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Creative Child Care social profiles
Digital presenceCreative Child Care compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Creative Child Care financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Creative Child Care leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Creative Child Care funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Creative Child Care 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 Creative Child Care
What does Creative Child Care do?
Creative Child Care provides full-day early childhood education and childcare for children ages 6 weeks through 5 years at its Columbus, Ohio centers, organized into infant, toddler, preschool, and prekindergarten classrooms using the Creative Curriculum® aligned with Ohio Early Learning Development Standards. The company also operates Early Head Start and Head Start programs for income-eligible families, a free preschool program through the Ohio Department of Education, and on-site USDA-compliant meal service.
Is Creative Child Care a public or private company?
Creative Child Care is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Creative Child Care founded?
Creative Child Care was founded in 1970. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Creative Child Care based?
Creative Child Care is headquartered in Columbus Grove, United States, in the North America region.
How does Creative Child Care make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Childcare Fees are the primary driver. The others are publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC).
Who are Creative Child Care's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are KinderCare Learning Centers, Bright Horizons Family Solutions and Learning Care Group. Direct peers are Primrose Schools, The Goddard School, The Learning Experience, Childcare Network and Kids 'R' Kids. Crème de la Crème is listed as a regional player. Montessori Academy is listed as an emerging player.
Does Creative Child Care have an API?
No public API is recorded for Creative Child Care.
What industry is Creative Child Care in?
Creative Child Care's product category is Childcare Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACABAL, Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers, with a secondary code of EDACAGAC, Infant & Toddler Classrooms within Childcare Centers. Its NAICS code is 624410 and its SIC code is 8351.