Early Connections Learning Centers

What Early Connections Learning Centers does

Early Connections Learning Centers (legal entity: Day Nursery Association) is a private nonprofit early childhood education organization headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, founded in 1897 by 14 women led by Alice Bemis Taylor. The organization provides NAEYC-accredited early care and education for children aged 6 weeks to 16 years across multiple licensed centers (Historic Day Nursery, Antlers, Chelton, Sand Creek) and a network of family child care homes in El Paso County, serving 439 children in 2025.

The core program combines the Creative Storybook Journey literacy-focused curriculum with a whole-child service model that includes daily nutrition exceeding USDA guidelines, an on-staff RN, and a nationally recognized behavioral health integration built on the Pyramid Model with a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Behavioral Health Interventionist, and Family Advocate on staff. Technology is limited to third-party systems, notably Procare for parent communication, with no proprietary platform. The Home Network, an affiliated program, extends the organization's reach by coaching and training family child care providers across the Pikes Peak Region.

The business model is hybrid nonprofit: tuition and program fees (sliding scale by household income), government subsidies and contracts (CCCAP serving 60% of families, Head Start, military fee assistance, Universal Pre-K), and philanthropic donations structured through multiple giving vehicles (Champions for Children, Legacy & Vision Women's Giving Circle, Brighter Futures monthly giving, Alice Bemis Taylor Society legacy giving). With 99% of children receiving tuition assistance and 62% of families being single parents or non-birth guardians, the organization is mission-driven rather than margin-driven. The organization is currently executing a major capital expansion — the Alice Bemis Taylor Center for Early Education at 415 Sahwatch, which broke ground in August 2025 and is expected to open in May 2026, increasing capacity by 57% and financed in part by nearly $2 million in New Markets Tax Credits.

Name

Early Connections Learning Centers

Legal name

Day Nursery Association

Website

https://earlyconnections.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Early Connections Learning Centers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Colorado Springs providing NAEYC-accredited early care and education for 439 children aged 6 weeks to 16 years, funded through tuition, state subsidies, and philanthropy, with a 57% capacity expansion underway via the Alice Bemis Taylor Center opening May 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (624410), Educational Services (61), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Infant-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAF), Toddler-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAG), Mental Health & Infant/Early Childhood Consultation (0–5) (EDACAFAO), Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Childcare services
• Preschool programs
• Family child care
• Early learning centers

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Program Fees: Revenue from tuition fees charged to families for child care and early education services. The organization uses a sliding scale fee structure based on household income to ensure access for families who do not qualify for public funding.
2. Government Subsidies and Contracts: Revenue from state and federal programs including Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) which serves 60% of families, Head Start, and military fee assistance. 99% of children received support through tuition assistance.
3. Philanthropic Donations and Grants: 85% of all organization revenue is invested back into programs supporting children and families. Includes donations from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundation grants. Major donors include Champions for Children ($5,000+ annually), Legacy & Vision Women's Giving Circle ($1,000+ annually), and event sponsors.
4. Special Events: Annual fundraising events including Gingerbread & Jazz Gala (generating critical funding for programs), wine tasting events, and building tours that raise funds for the Building Futures capital campaign.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Early Connections Learning Centers operates nonprofit early care and education programs for children ages 6 weeks through 16 years across multiple Colorado Springs centers, providing infant, toddler, preschool, before- and after-school, and summer programs. Services are delivered directly at four centers and through a contracted Home Network of 37 family child care providers, supplemented by Universal Pre-K (UPK) and the Positive Solutions for Families social-emotional support program.

Product overview

Early Connections Learning Centers is a nonprofit early childhood education organization offering a comprehensive suite of programs and services for children aged 6 weeks to 16 years across Colorado Springs. The organization operates as a unified platform of coordinated services built around its NAEYC-accredited early care and education core, supported by the Creative Storybook Journey curriculum, behavioral health integration, and comprehensive health services. Beyond its direct service delivery, the organization extends its reach through The Home Network supporting family child care providers, Positive Solutions for Families parenting workshops, and multiple donor programs (Champions for Children, Legacy & Vision Women's Giving Circle, Brighter Futures monthly giving, and the Alice Bemis Taylor Society for legacy giving). A significant capital expansion — the Alice Bemis Taylor Center for Early Education — is underway, projected to increase capacity by 57% when it opens in May 2026. The organization also hosts the annual Gingerbread & Jazz Gala as its flagship fundraiser.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brighter Futures: Monthly giving program that provides scholarships to children for high quality early education, nourishing food, books and school supplies, safe place to learn and grow, and medical and behavioral health support.
• Legacy & Vision
• Champions for Children
• Alice Bemis Taylor (ABT) Society
• Positive Solutions for Families
• Alice Bemis Taylor Center for Early Education

Products and services

• Early Care and Education Programs Center-based early care and education for children ages 6 weeks through 16 years, including infant, toddler, preschool, before- and after-school, and summer programs delivered across the Day Nursery, Antlers, Chelton, and Sand Creek centers in Colorado Springs.
• Universal Pre-K (UPK) Pre-kindergarten program designed to prepare children for kindergarten, delivered through Early Connections centers as part of its early learning continuum.
• The Home Network Network of 37 contracted family child care providers in the Pikes Peak region delivering licensed home-based early care and education under Early Connections' programmatic oversight, training, and referral pipeline.
• Positive Solutions for Families Social-emotional and behavioral support program built on the Pyramid Model framework, providing coaching and resources to families and providers to address children's social-emotional development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of revenue reinvested into programs supporting children and families
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor, platinum and gold.

• Colorado Department of Early Childhood (UPK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly Connections serves as a Universal Preschool Colorado (UPK) provider, administering UPK services at all locations for children in the year before kindergarten eligibility and qualifying 3-year-olds. This partnership allows families to access state-funded early education through Early Connections.
• Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe organization accepts and manages state subsidies through CCCAP, serving 60% of families who receive state subsidy support for child care. This partnership enables access to affordable child care for lower-income families.
• Head StartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly Connections integrates with Head Start programs to provide comprehensive early education services, layering available subsidies and support for qualifying families.
• Flying W RanchminorOthersVenue partner for the annual Gingerbread & Jazz Gala, hosting the event at the Saddle Ballroom. Complimentary parking provided for gala attendees.
• ENT Credit UnionplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of Gingerbread & Jazz Gala, supporting early education fundraising events.
• KKTVgoldGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of Gingerbread & Jazz Gala, providing media sponsorship for the annual fundraising event.
• Sugarplum Cake ShoppeminorOthersBaker contributor for the Gingerbread Showcase at the annual Gingerbread & Jazz Gala.
• Boonzaaijer's Dutch BakeryminorOthersBaker contributor for the Gingerbread Showcase at the annual Gingerbread & Jazz Gala.
• Icing on the CakeminorOthersBaker contributor for the Gingerbread Showcase at the annual Gingerbread & Jazz Gala.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• KinderCare Learning Companies: One of the largest U.S. for-profit early childhood education providers operating accredited centers nationwide. Directly comparable delivery model (center-based ECE for infants through school-age), although KinderCare serves primarily fee-paying families while Early Connections serves a heavily subsidized demographic.
• Primrose Schools: National franchise network of accredited private early childhood education schools serving infants through pre-K and after-school programs. Comparable accreditation standards, curriculum-led delivery model, and similar age range coverage.
• The Learning Experience: National for-profit early childhood education franchise operating hundreds of centers. Directly comparable center-based model serving infants through pre-K with proprietary curriculum, similar to Early Connections' Creative Storybook Journey approach.

Regional players

• Mile High Early Learning: Denver-area nonprofit early childhood education provider operating NAEYC-accredited centers serving primarily low-income families with CCCAP, Head Start, and UPK funding. Near-identical funding mix and target demographic to Early Connections.
• Clayton Early Learning: Denver-based nonprofit early childhood education organization with NAEYC-accredited programs, Head Start and Early Head Start partnerships, behavioral health integration, and a professional development institute. Closely comparable nonprofit ECE operating model with integrated family support services.
• YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region: Regional nonprofit operating licensed child care, before/after-school care, and youth development programs in the same Colorado Springs geography. Comparable community-based nonprofit model serving families with subsidized care options.
• Boys & Girls Club of Colorado Springs: Regional nonprofit providing before/after-school care, youth development, and family services in Colorado Springs. Comparable community-anchored nonprofit delivery model with overlapping after-school and youth programming for the same families.
• Catholic Charities of Central Colorado: Regional nonprofit social services organization operating child care, early education, and family support programs in Colorado Springs and surrounding counties. Comparable community-based nonprofit delivery and target demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: National leader in employer-sponsored child care and early education with a portfolio of NAEYC-accredited centers. Comparable core service (early care and education) but operates at much larger scale and primarily serves corporate-sponsored employer clients rather than community-subsidized families.

Others

• Children's Literacy Initiative: National nonprofit focused on early literacy professional development for early childhood educators. Comparable nonprofit sector adjacency and curriculum/literacy focus area, though CLI is a capacity-building organization rather than a direct ECE operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EarlyConnectionsLearningCenters

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Early Connections Learning Centers