Ithaca Community Childcare Center

What Ithaca Community Childcare Center does

Ithaca Community Childcare Center (IC3) is a New York State-licensed, NAEYC-accredited non-profit childcare provider founded in 1976 and headquartered at 579 Warren Road in Ithaca, NY. The organization delivers early-childhood care and education for children from 8 weeks to 12 years old across two physical sites: the main campus (infant, toddler, pre-K, school-age, and summer camp programs) and IC3@ Kendal, an intergenerational facility co-located with the Kendal at Ithaca senior-living community. Service is built on a proprietary Continuity of Care model established in 2003, in which children and families stay with the same caregivers for approximately three years, and on a child-centered active learning approach using the Creative Curriculum by Teaching Strategies. Teacher-to-child ratios range from 1:3 in infant rooms to 1:10 in the school-age program and meet or exceed NYS requirements.

IC3's revenue model is overwhelmingly tuition-driven on a recurring monthly subscription basis, with charges varying by program and number of enrolled days (2, 3, or 5 days per week), supplemented by grants, fundraising (notably an annual Benefit Auction yielding upwards of $30,000), and donations to a scholarship fund that supports roughly 30% of families. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through two physical locations, a wait list managed by an Enrollment and Marketing Manager, and a transportation partnership with the Ithaca City School District that feeds the after-school program. Operational staffing is unusually stable for the sector, with 6% annual teacher turnover, a 16-year average tenure, and 71% of teachers staying ten or more years; the organization received Tompkins Chamber's Not-For-Profit of the Year award in 2023 and a Quality Stars NY 4-star rating in 2024.

Name

Ithaca Community Childcare Center

Legal name

Ithaca Community Childcare Center

Website

https://icthree.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ithaca Community Childcare Center (IC3) is a non-profit, NYS-licensed, NAEYC-accredited childcare provider in Ithaca, NY, delivering early-childhood education and care for children 8 weeks to 12 years across two sites, including an intergenerational program at Kendal at Ithaca.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Childcare Services

NAICS

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

Center-Based Infant Care (0–18 months) (EDACAGAA), Center-Based Toddler Care (18–36 months) (EDACAGAB)

Keywords

• Childcare services
• Early childhood education
• Preschool programs
• After school care
• Infant daycare

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Monthly Tuition: IC3's main source of revenue. Charges a monthly flat rate for tuition based on the number of days and program the child is enrolled in. Approximately 80% of expenses go toward staff salaries.
2. Grants and Fundraising: Non-profit revenue from grants, fundraising events, and donations supplements tuition. Major annual fundraiser is the Benefit Auction raising upwards of $30,000.
3. Scholarship Fund Donations: Donations to scholarship fund help create access to high-quality childcare for families meeting income and employment eligibility guidelines.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ithaca Community Childcare Center (IC3) provides licensed, NAEYC-accredited childcare and early education for children ages 8 weeks to 12 years across infant, toddler, pre-K, school-age, and summer-camp programs. The center is differentiated by its Continuity of Care (COC) model — established in 2003 — in which children remain with the same caregivers for approximately three years, and by an intergenerational program operated inside the Kendal at Ithaca senior living community.

Product overview

Ithaca Community Childcare Center (IC3) operates as a non-profit childcare and early education center offering a unified portfolio of age-specific programs for children from 8 weeks to 12 years old. The core offerings include the Infant, Toddler, Pre-K, and School Age Programs, supplemented by a Summer Camp and the specialized Continuity of Care Program for infants and toddlers. An additional site, IC3@ Kendal, provides intergenerational care at a separate facility. The center is NYS-licensed, NAEYC-accredited, and participates in Quality Stars NY with a 4-star rating.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Infant Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% of families receive scholarship or childcare assistance
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kendal at IthacacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntergenerational programming location where IC3 children ages 8 weeks to 3 years co-exist with elderly residents in a homelike environment. Children have guaranteed placement at main campus as they age out. Kendal daycare area provides unique cross-generational interaction opportunities.
• Family Reading PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit promoting early literacy in Ithaca. IC3 sponsors books through Books to Grow On program, distributing books to families at pediatric well visits. IC3 actively promotes early literacy daily in classrooms.
• Hangar TheatreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIC3 toddler, pre-K, and summer camp programs attend Kiddstuff performances. IC3 has sponsored or co-sponsored several Kiddstuff performances to help local theatres continue offering quality family performances.
• State TheatreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIC3 sponsors State Theatre Family Series performances. Children benefit from shows that foster imagination and promote love of books by bringing page to stage.
• United Way of Tompkins CountyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Stephen E. Garner Day of Caring food and personal care items drive. IC3 participates in community donation drives organized by United Way.
• Cornell University B.A.B.Y. LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBehavioral Analysis of Beginning Years research lab at Cornell University studying communication, cognition, and language development in young children. Families are referred to participate in research.
• Teaching StrategiescoreTechnology or IntegrationCreative Curriculum provider used by IC3 teachers in infant, toddler, and pre-K programs. Curriculum balances teacher-planned and child-initiated learning with emphasis on developmental appropriateness.
• Ithaca City School DistrictcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchool Age Program receives children transported directly from district elementary schools. Partnership enables after-school care for working families.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Goddard School: Franchised preschool system focused on children from 6 weeks to 6 years using a proprietary play-based curriculum. Comparable to IC3 on the infant-through-Pre-K service model and curriculum differentiation, but operates via a national franchise network.
• Chesterbrook Academy: Early childhood education provider for infants through Pre-K with accredited programs and a curriculum-driven approach. Comparable to IC3 in age range and educational positioning, though operated as part of a larger education network.
• KinderCare Learning Companies: National for-profit chain operating hundreds of NAEYC-accredited centers from infancy through school age. Comparable to IC3 in offering full-day, multi-age programming with curriculum-based learning, but operates nationally and serves corporate and family consumers across many markets.
• Primrose Schools: Franchised early childhood education network offering accredited, proprietary Balanced Learning curriculum for infants through Pre-K and after-schoolers. Comparable to IC3 on age range and curriculum-led model, though for-profit and franchise-distributed.
• Learning Care Group: Operates multiple well-known childcare brands (Childtime, La Petite Academy, Tutor Time) serving infants through school-age children. Comparable to IC3 across the full 6-weeks-to-12-years age range, but as a large for-profit multi-brand operator.
• The Learning Experience: National franchised childcare provider for infants through Pre-K with proprietary curriculum and character-education branding. Comparable to IC3 as a multi-age early childhood operator with curriculum-driven differentiation, though scaled nationally.
• Children of America: Regional NAEYC-accredited childcare operator offering infant through school-age programs with curriculum-based learning. Comparable to IC3 on accredited early-childhood programming and age range, with a multi-state for-profit footprint.
• Childcare Network: Multi-state for-profit operator of NAEYC-accredited early childhood centers offering infant, toddler, preschool, and school-age programs. Comparable to IC3 in program mix and accreditation focus, with broader geographic reach.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Largest U.S. operator of employer-sponsored early childhood care and education. Compares to IC3 as a multi-site, accredited childcare provider serving infants through school-age children with NAEYC-aligned curricula, but at vastly greater scale and with a corporate/for-profit structure.

Others

• New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute: NYC-based non-profit focused on early childhood workforce development and program quality across New York State. Relevant ecosystem peer to IC3 given overlapping geography (New York) and shared focus on raising quality standards in regulated childcare, though it does not operate centers directly.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/icthree.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ithaca-community-child-care

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Ithaca Community Childcare Center