Skip-a-Long Child Development Services

What Skip-a-Long Child Development Services does

Skip-a-Long Child Development Services is a nonprofit early childhood care and education provider operating as a program of SAL Community Services, founded in the Quad Cities region in 1970. It runs four licensed early-childhood centers in Davenport (IA), Milan (IL), Moline (IL), and Rock Island (IL), serving children from six weeks through 12 years old, and operates the Home Child Care Network — a licensed home-based provider network extending into Peoria and Galesburg. Stated per-center capacity ranges from 146 to 234 children.

The organization's educational stack combines three evidence-based methodologies: Creative Curriculum (a 38-objective developmental framework), Teaching Strategies (observation-based assessment across nine developmental domains), and Conscious Discipline (Dr. Becky Bailey's self-regulation and classroom management model). On-site mental health therapists are described as unique to the Quad Cities market, and 94.5% of assessed children are reported as kindergarten-ready. All centers hold Gold Circle of Quality (ExceleRate Illinois), NAC accreditation, and Illinois DCFS licensing.

Revenue is generated through a combination of sliding-scale family tuition, Illinois DHS and Iowa DHS Child Care Assistance subsidies, Illinois Preschool For All and Iowa Statewide Voluntary Preschool participation, Head Start/Early Head Start grants, and foundation-funded scholarships. Tuition is not publicly disclosed. The organization is currently expanding via a new state-of-the-art Rock Island center (construction began August 2025, opening Fall 2026) built in partnership with Friendship Manor for an intergenerational learning program — the first in the Quad Cities and only the third in Illinois.

Name

Skip-a-Long Child Development Services

Legal name

Skip-a-Long Child Development Services

Website

https://skip-a-long.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Skip-a-Long Child Development Services is a Quad Cities nonprofit operating four licensed early-childhood centers and a home-based care network, serving children aged six weeks to 12 years with evidence-based curriculum, on-site mental health support, and government-subsidy access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education and Child Care Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (624410), Child Care Services (62441), Educational Services (61)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDACABAL

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers

Education/Early Childhood Education/Preschools & Pre-K Programs

SECONDARYEDACAGAB

Center-Based Toddler Care (18–36 months)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Infant & Toddler Care Programs

SECONDARYEDACAAAC

Drop-In / Flexible Childcare Centers

Education/Early Childhood Education/Daycare & Childcare Centers

SECONDARYEDACAHAF

Drop-In / Flexible Before/After Care Services (Early Years)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Before & After School Care (Early Years)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Child care services
• Preschool programs
• Home child care
• Social emotional learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Moline

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Child Care Tuition: Direct tuition payments from families for child care services. Care is provided on a sliding fee scale based on family size and income.
2. Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP): Government-funded child care assistance through Illinois Department of Human Services for income-eligible parents who are employed, attending school, receiving TANF, have children with special needs, or are teen parents in school.
3. Iowa Child Care Assistance: Government-funded child care assistance through Iowa Department of Human Services for income-eligible parents who are employed, participating in vocational training, PROMISE JOBS activities, or children in protective custody.
4. Scholarships and Emergency Tuition Assistance: Short-term and emergency tuition payment assistance offered through partnerships with local foundations and grantors. Available to qualifying families through an application process.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Skip-a-Long Child Development Services operates four licensed early childhood education centers across the Quad Cities area (Davenport IA, Milan IL, Moline IL, Rock Island IL), providing full-day care and education for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years. The organization also operates the Home Child Care Network, which supports licensed home-based family child care providers across the Quad Cities, Peoria, and Galesburg regions. Programs use evidence-based curricula including Creative Curriculum, Teaching Strategies assessment, and Conscious Discipline for social-emotional development.

Product overview

Skip-a-Long Child Development Services operates as a portfolio of early childhood care and education offerings through SAL Community Services (a nonprofit founded in 1970). The core offering consists of four Skip-a-Long Childhood Centers providing licensed childcare for children six weeks to 12 years old, supplemented by the Home Child Care Network (HCCN) which supports licensed home-based providers. Programs span infant, toddler, two-year-old, preschool, and school-age care, with specialized services including Conscious Discipline social-emotional learning curriculum, Early Head Start, Prevention Initiative, and a Welcoming Center for immigrant and refugee families. The organization provides Child Care Assistance Program support through Illinois and Iowa DHS. The new Rock Island campus under construction represents a major expansion with an intergenerational learning center partnership with Friendship Manor.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Skip-a-Long Childhood Centers Nationally accredited early care and education centers providing full-day childcare and educational services for children from six weeks to 12 years old across four locations in the Quad Cities area (Davenport IA, Milan IL, Moline IL, Rock Island IL).
• Home Child Care Network (HCCN) A free program working with licensed home child care providers to help them develop curriculum, purchase safety and teaching supplies, and provide one-on-one business management consultation. Serves the Quad Cities, Peoria, and Galesburg regions.
• Infant Care and Early Education Full-day, full-time care for infants six weeks old to one year, focusing on connection, predictability through one-on-one interactions, gross and fine motor skill development, and foundations of early learning.
• Toddler Care and Education Full-day, full-time care for toddlers ages one to two years, focusing on learning limits and boundaries, exploring cause and effect, and developing mobility skills.
• Two-Year-Old Care and Education Full-day care for children ages two to three, featuring predictable routines, large and small group activities, outdoor time, meals, naptime, and early literacy and math skill development.
• Preschool Programs Full-day, five-day preschool programs for children three to five years old, preparing them for kindergarten through circle time, activity centers, small group learning, and outdoor/gross motor skills-building activities.
• School-Age Programs Before and after-school programs, School Days Out programs, and full-day summer programs for children up to 12 years old, including homework assistance, field trips, and community activities.
• Conscious Discipline Social-Emotional Learning Evidence-based classroom management practice focusing on the development of social-emotional and self-regulation skills of both adults and children, utilizing seven skills: Composure, Encouragement, Assertiveness, Choices, Empathy, Positive Intent, and Consequences. Includes on-site mental health therapists, unique in the Quad Cities area.
• Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Financial assistance programs through Illinois and Iowa Department of Human Services for income-eligible families, including children whose parents are employed, attending school, receiving TANF, or have children with special needs.
• Welcoming Center On-site services at the Rock Island campus serving immigrant and refugee families through crisis support and resource navigation.
• Early Head Start Early childhood development program offered at select centers for infants and toddlers from low-income families.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94.5 percent of Skip-a-Long children have been assessed as kindergarten-ready
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friendship ManorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Friendship Manor for the new Rock Island facility creates an intergenerational learning experience - the first of its kind in the Quad Cities and only the third in Illinois. The new center located at 11th Street and 21st Ave will be adjacent to Friendship Manor, enabling children and seniors to interact and learn together.
• Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIDHS works directly with Skip-a-Long through the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) to provide subsidized child care for income-eligible families. Skip-a-Long is an authorized provider accepting CCAP payments for families who qualify based on employment, school attendance, TANF receipt, special needs, or teen parent status.
• Iowa Department of Human ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIowa DHS provides Child Care Assistance to income-eligible families who are employed, participating in academic/vocational training, PROMISE JOBS activities, or have children in protective custody. Skip-a-Long Davenport is an authorized provider accepting Iowa DHS assistance.
• Illinois Preschool For All ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkip-a-Long participates in Illinois' Preschool For All Program, a state-funded early childhood education initiative. Programs give families access to high quality educational classrooms.
• Iowa Statewide Voluntary Preschool ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkip-a-Long participates in Iowa's Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for four-year-old children, providing high quality preschool education alongside wrap-around child care services.
• Local School DistrictsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkip-a-Long works with local school districts to provide transportation to and from schools (at Rock Island and Moline centers), coordinate before/after-school programs, and host field trips to regional attractions including museums, botanical gardens, wildlife preserves, and zoos.
• Assisted Living FacilitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool-age programs partner with assisted living facilities for community activities and intergenerational projects, building connections between children and seniors.
• Conscious Discipline (Dr. Becky Bailey)coreTechnology or IntegrationSkip-a-Long utilizes Conscious Discipline, an evidence-based self-regulation and classroom management model developed by Dr. Becky Bailey. This methodology forms a core part of their educational approach, focusing on social-emotional development.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: National for-profit child care and early education operator with employer-sponsored and family child care programs. Comparable in core offering (full-day infant through preschool care with curriculum) but at vastly larger scale and a profit-driven, publicly-traded model.
• KinderCare Learning Centers: One of the largest U.S. for-profit child care chains operating center-based programs from infancy through school-age. Directly comparable in core service (full-day, year-round center-based child care) and age range, though private-equity owned and nationally scaled.
• Cadence Education: Large PE-backed national operator of early childhood education centers serving infants through school-age. Comparable in core service, age range, and center-based model, but at much larger scale with private equity ownership.

Direct peers

• Primrose Schools: National franchised early childhood education operator emphasizing a proprietary balanced-learning curriculum for infants through Pre-K. Closely matches Skip-a-Long's evidence-based curriculum-led, center-based, multi-age model — a strong operational analog.
• Childcare Network: Multi-state for-profit child care chain with year-round, full-day care for infants through school-age, accepting state subsidy programs. Directly comparable in operating model (multi-center, full-day, subsidy-friendly).
• All Our Kin: Non-profit that trains, supports, and networks licensed family child care providers — directly parallel to Skip-a-Long's Home Child Care Network model. Highly comparable mission (quality family-based child care for underserved families) and operating structure.

Emerging players

• Bezos Academy: Philanthropically funded non-profit free preschool network with a focus on low-income and underserved children. Comparable in mission (high-quality early childhood education for at-risk families) and curriculum-led approach, though preschool-only and tuition-free.
• AppleTree Institute for Education Innovation: Non-profit early childhood education provider operating pre-K classrooms for at-risk three- and four-year-olds with an outcomes-focused, research-based model. Strong mission and methodology analog to Skip-a-Long's evidence-based approach.

Regional players

• YMCA of the Quad Cities: Regional non-profit offering before/after school care, child care, and youth programming in the same Quad Cities market. Directly comparable in geography, non-profit status, age range served, and community-mission orientation.

Others

• Community Coordinated Child Care (4C): Non-profit child care resource & referral agencies (e.g., SAL's own Child Care Resource & Referral of Midwestern Illinois) that connect families to subsidized care and train providers. Analogous to Skip-a-Long's Child Care Resource & Referral arm and HCCN coordinator function.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/skipalongchildhoodcenters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skip-a-long-child-development-services

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Skip-a-Long Child Development Services