Foundation ECE

What Foundation ECE does

Foundation for Early Childhood Education, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 3450 East Sierra Madre Boulevard in Pasadena, California, that has provided early childhood education services since 1965. It operates as a federally designated delegate agency under the Los Angeles County Office of Education and holds Head Start Grant #09CH012684 from the U.S. Administration for Children and Families. The organization delivers Head Start (ages 3-5), Early Head Start (18 months-3 years), and California Department of Education State Preschool programs at no cost to income-eligible families, serving approximately 500 children across 18 physical sites and 86 classrooms spanning Los Angeles County communities including Boyle Heights, Echo Park, Hollywood, Pomona, and Lincoln Heights.

The organization implements the Creative Curriculum, a research-based framework covering 11 learning areas (Blocks, Dramatic Play, Art, Library, Discovery, Music & Movement, Cooking, Computers, Outdoors, etc.), with a Reggio-inspired approach targeting social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Wraparound services extend the educational product into Nutrition (CACFP-funded family-style meals with Registered Dietitian assessment), Disabilities Services (reserving at least 10% of enrollment slots for children with special needs, with speech/occupational/physical therapy), Mental Health Services, Family Services (community referrals for housing, employment, legal, immigration), and Parent Involvement programs. Online enrollment is handled through the ChildPlus application portal.

The business model is entirely grant-funded managed services, with three principal revenue streams: federal Head Start via LACOE, California Department of Education (State Preschool and General Child Care & Development), and CACFP nutrition funding. A prior funding relationship with the Los Angeles City Community Development Department was discontinued. No tuition is charged to families; eligibility is governed by federal income guidelines, with waitlist prioritization for at-risk families, DCFS referrals, and families experiencing homelessness. Governance is provided by a volunteer Board of Directors including George Yeboah (Treasurer), Aissa Cano, Cindy Diaz, Kevin Kumar, and Fabiola Lara, with operational fiscal oversight by Qi Xu, Fiscal Officer.

Name

Foundation ECE

Legal name

Foundation for Early Childhood Education, Inc.

Website

https://foundationheadstart.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Foundation for Early Childhood Education, Inc. is a Pasadena, California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers no-cost Head Start, Early Head Start, and State Preschool programs to approximately 500 income-eligible children at 18 sites across Los Angeles County, funded by federal and California Department of Education grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Head Start & Publicly Funded Infant/Toddler Programs (EDACAGAH), Mental Health & Infant/Early Childhood Consultation (0–5) (EDACAFAO)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Head start programs
• State preschool services
• Early head start
• Child development centers

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants - Head Start/Early Head Start: Primary funding from Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) for Head Start & Early Head Start programs. Services provided at no cost to approximately 500 eligible children.
2. California Department of Education Funding: Direct funding from CDE Child Development Division for State Preschool program. CDE and CACFP fund Nutrition program providing no-cost meals (breakfast, lunch, snack) at school.
3. Los Angeles City Community Development: Former funding source for full-day child development centers (Eagle/Pico, Echo Park, Little Friends) providing infant/toddler and preschool care.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Foundation for Early Childhood Education, Inc. operates federally and state-funded Head Start (ages 3-5), Early Head Start (18 months-3 years), and State Preschool programs across 18+ sites in Los Angeles County. Programs are provided at no cost to income-eligible families and integrate the Creative Curriculum with wraparound support in nutrition, disabilities services, family services, mental health, and parent involvement. Approximately 500 children are served annually, with at least 10% of slots reserved for children with disabilities.

Product overview

Foundation for Early Childhood Education, Inc. is a nonprofit organization providing early childhood and family services through Head Start/Early Head Start and State Preschool programs. The organization operates as a single unified service model combining three core programs (Head Start for ages 3-5, Early Head Start for children 18 months-3 years, and State Preschool) with the Creative Curriculum as the educational framework. Support services include Nutrition Services, Family Services, Mental Health Services, Disabilities Services, and Education Services. The organization administers programs at multiple locations across Los Angeles County, serving approximately 500 children and their families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Head Start Program Federally funded early childhood education program serving children ages 3-5 from low-income families. Operates as a 7-hour full-day program, Monday through Friday, September through June, with comprehensive services in social, health, mental health, nutrition, and parent involvement.
• Early Head Start Program Program for children under 3 years of age, enrolling children 18 months until their 3rd birthday. Classrooms operate August to June, 7 hours a day, 5 days a week.
• State Preschool Program No-cost part-day program (at least 3.5 hours) funded by the California Department of Education for low-income and disabled preschool children.
• ChildPlus Online Enrollment Application Self-serve online enrollment portal allowing families to apply directly for Foundation ECE programs, with required documentation including birth certificates, immunization records, and proof of address within service areas.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves approximately 500 children ages 18 months to kindergarten entry
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, former and historical.

• Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE)coreOthersPrimary grantee/funding source for Head Start & Early Head Start programs. Foundation ECE operates as a delegate agency under the umbrella of LACOE, which serves as the official grantee of federal Head Start funds.
• California Department of Education (CDE)coreOthersDirect funding source for State Preschool program and General Child Care & Development program through CDE Child Development Division. CDE and CACFP fund the Nutrition program providing no-cost meals.
• Office of Head Start (Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)coreOthersPrimary federal funding authority for Head Start program. Grant Number #09CH012684 from Office of Head Start. The Administration for Children and Families operates, controls, and is responsible for federal Head Start program oversight.
• Los Angeles City Community Development DepartmentformerOthersFormer funder of full-day child development centers (Eagle/Pico, Echo Park, Little Friends). Funding was discontinued, resulting in conversion of some centers to Head Start-State Preschool sites.
• Office of Child DevelopmenthistoricalOthersFunded Parent Education Project. Selected Foundation to pioneer federal demonstration project - Head Start Continuation Learning Program in which Head Start assistant teachers accompanied children into elementary school classrooms through third grade.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Save the Children (U.S. Programs): Save the Children operates Head Start and Early Head Start programs in rural and underserved U.S. communities and provides early childhood education in the U.S. and globally. Comparable as a major nonprofit Head Start operator with similar funding model and mission.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Bright Horizons is the largest commercial early childhood education provider in the U.S., operating employer-sponsored childcare centers across the country. Comparable as an early childhood education provider, though serving a fundamentally different (corporate-subsidized) customer base.
• Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) - Early Childhood Education: LAUSD operates its own Head Start and State Preschool programs directly as a federal grantee and is the largest single provider in LA County. Comparable as a major Head Start operator in the same geography, though as a school district rather than a nonprofit delegate agency.

Direct peers

• Children's Institute: Children's Institute provides early childhood education, mental health, and family services in Los Angeles, including Head Start partnerships. Directly comparable as an LA-based nonprofit providing wraparound services to children and families.
• Para Los Niños: Para Los Niños runs Head Start, Early Head Start, and family services programs primarily in downtown and south Los Angeles, targeting low-income children and families with wraparound services. Directly comparable as a fellow LA-based Head Start delegate serving overlapping communities.
• Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE): PACE operates Head Start and Early Head Start programs across Los Angeles County, providing early childhood education, mental health, and family services to low-income families. Directly comparable as a fellow Head Start delegate agency under LACOE.
• Crystal Stairs, Inc. Crystal Stairs is one of the largest Head Start and Early Head Start delegate agencies in Los Angeles County, serving thousands of low-income children and families. Directly comparable as a fellow LA County Head Start delegate offering Head Start, Early Head Start, and family support services to the same population.
• Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF): MAOF operates Head Start, Early Head Start, and State Preschool programs across Los Angeles County and other California regions, providing early childhood education and family services to low-income families. Directly comparable as a fellow LACOE Head Start delegate agency.
• Child Development Associates (CDA) - Santa Ana: CDA operates Head Start, Early Head Start, and State Preschool programs across Southern California, providing early childhood education to low-income families. Directly comparable as a Head Start delegate agency with similar funding structure and service model.

Regional players

• ChildCareGroup: ChildCareGroup is a major Head Start and Early Head Start operator in North Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth) serving thousands of low-income children and families. Comparable as a similarly structured Head Start delegate agency with comparable service mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foundation-for-early-childhood-education-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Foundation ECE