Association of Christian Early Educators

What Association of Christian Early Educators does

Association of Christian Early Educators (ACEE), doing business as CDEA (legal name: Child Development Education Alliance), is a 501c3 non-profit corporation founded in 1993 and headquartered in Winter Haven, Florida. The organization operates as a national membership association serving faith-based early childhood education programs and the directors, administrators, and teachers who staff them. Its mission is to equip the Christian early learning community through professional development, advocacy, and curriculum grounded in Biblical principles, with operations primarily located in the Southeastern and broader United States.

ACEE's revenue model is a mix of recurring and transactional streams: (1) annual membership dues ranging from $25 individual to $300 for centers with 21+ employees, (2) one-time credential training fees including CDA Credential Training ($269), CDA Renewal ($149), and the Florida Child Care Professional Credential ($1,199), (3) proprietary WEE Learn Curriculum sales with age-specific guides priced $49-$399 and a complete bundle at $946, (4) segment-based WEE Learn Training courses at $85 per segment, and (5) tax-deductible donations. The go-to-market is community-led: awareness driven through the website (cdealliance.org), a Facebook page with roughly 199,000 followers, free leadership webinars (capped at 100 registrants), annual conferences, and the National Christian Director of the Year Award.

The product surface centers on the proprietary WEE Learn curriculum (sub-brand of CDEA), which provides developmentally appropriate, faith-integrated guides for children birth through Pre-K. Core operational assets include Florida Commission for Independent Education License No. 4002, DCF-approved FCCPC credentialing, and a strategic alignment with the Council for Professional Recognition for CDA training. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors led by President Susan Cyr and Vice President Gabriel Smith, with a staff headcount of 1-10.

Name

Association of Christian Early Educators

Legal name

Child Development Education Alliance (CDEA)

Website

https://cdealliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Association of Christian Early Educators (CDEA) is a 501c3 non-profit founded in 1993 that delivers faith-based curriculum (WEE Learn), credential training (CDA, FCCPC), and professional development to over 500 Christian preschool and early education programs across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses) (EDACAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Comprehensive ECE Curriculum Frameworks (Birth–5) (EDACAJAA), Pre-Service ECE Credential Programs (Certificates/Diplomas/Degrees) (EDACAIAA), ECE Leadership & Administration Training (Directors/Owners/Supervisors) (EDACAIAD), Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping Resources (State/NAEYC/Head Start) (EDACAJAN), Domain-Specific Curriculum (Literacy, Numeracy, Science, SEL, Motor, Arts) (EDACAJAB)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Christian education curriculum
• Credential training programs
• Professional development
• Faith-based preschool

Headquarters

HQ city

Winter Haven

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees ranging from $25 for individual Go Green members to $300 for centers with 21+ employees, providing access to training discounts, networking, and member benefits.
2. Credential Training Programs: CDA Credential Training ($269), CDA Renewal programs ($149), and Florida Child Care Professional Credential ($1,199) providing 120 hours of professional development.
3. Curriculum Sales: Sale of WEE Learn curriculum guides ranging from $49 (teaching guides) to $946 (full set), including age-specific guides for infants/toddlers, two-year-olds, three-year-olds, and Pre-K.
4. WEE Learn Training: Segment-based training courses ($85 per segment) providing 6 hours of training each for curriculum implementation and coaching strategies.
5. Donations: Tax-deductible donations supporting the mission to unite Christian early care and education community and preserve faith-based teaching programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ACEE delivers credential training programs (CDA, FCCPC/CDE, and CDA Renewals), the proprietary WEE Learn Curriculum guides for children birth through Pre-K, and tiered membership services for Christian preschools and child care centers. It also offers segment-based WEE Learn Training, professional development webinars, and supporting guides such as the WEE Administrative Guide and the Teaching in Christian Weekday Early Education manual, all grounded in Biblical principles and evidence-based early childhood practices.

Product overview

Association of Christian Early Educators (ACEE) offers a unified portfolio of Christian early childhood education products and services. The core offering is the WEE Learn Curriculum—a developmentally appropriate curriculum for children birth through Pre-K in Christian settings, available as age-specific guides (Infants/Toddlers, Two-Year-Olds, Three-Year-Olds, Pre-K) and a bundled Full Set. Supporting products include the WEE Administrative Guide and Teaching in Christian Weekday Early Education training guide. ACEE also provides credential training and renewal programs including CDA Credential Training (Preschool/Family Child Care, Infant/Toddler), CDA Renewals (Infant/Toddler, Preschool, Family Child Care), Florida Staff and Director Credential Renewals, and School-Age FCCPC Renewal Training. Training is delivered through three WEE Learn Training Segments. The organization connects members to the Council for Professional Recognition for National CDA credentials and offers evidence-based research resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WEE Learn: Weekday Early Education (WEE) Learn curriculum - a developmentally appropriate weekday curriculum for Christian settings designed for young children ages birth through Pre-K, grounded in evidence-based practices.

Products and services

• WEE Learn Curriculum (full product line) A developmentally appropriate, evidence-based weekday curriculum designed for Christian early education settings serving children from birth through Pre-K. Sold as age-specific guides, a full bundled set, and supporting manuals for Christian preschool and child care programs.
• Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential Training – Preschool/Family Child Care 120 hours of professional development fulfilling the Council for Professional Recognition's requirement for the CDA Credential in a Preschool or Family Child Care setting. Targeted at individual early educators seeking national CDA certification.
• Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential Training – Infant/Toddler 120 hours of professional development fulfilling the Council for Professional Recognition's requirement for the CDA Credential in an Infant/Toddler setting, for individual early educators.
• CDA Renewal Programs (Infant/Toddler, Preschool, Family Child Care) 45 hours of professional development for renewing an existing CDA Credential in Infant/Toddler, Preschool, or Family Child Care settings. Sold as separate tracks by specialty area.
• Florida Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC / CDE) Florida's DCF-approved Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC), delivered as an annual subscription at $1,199 covering credential training, the credentialing process, and registration fee. Licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education.
• Child Development Education (CDE) Credential A birth-to-5 educational equivalency to the National CDA, designed for educators implementing a comprehensive character development curriculum, with 120 hours of professional training and the accompanying CDE Credential Manual.
• Florida Staff Credential Renewal Training Annual subscription providing 45 hours of professional development meeting the training requirements for Florida Staff Credential Renewal.
• Florida Director's Credential Renewal Training Annual subscription providing 45 hours of professional development meeting the training requirements for the Florida Director's Credential Renewal.
• School-Age FCCPC Renewal Training Annual subscription providing 45 hours of professional development meeting the training requirements for the School-Age FCCPC Renewal.
• WEE Learn Training (Segments I, II, III) Three-part virtual training course ($85 per segment, 6 hours each) preparing instructors, directors, and instructional coaches to implement the WEE Learn Curriculum, with Segment III serving as the advanced coaching track.
• WEE Administrative Guide A printed administrative guide for directors and owners of Christian child care programs, covering day-to-day operations, expansion planning, and start-up activities.
• Teaching in Christian Weekday Early Education A teaching guide helping Christian weekday early educators understand preschoolers and build the skills needed to provide positive learning environments.
• ACEE Membership Program (Individual and Center tiers) Annual membership program offered at four price points ($25 individual; $100, $200, $300 for centers based on employee count), providing member discounts on training and curriculum, conference discounts, networking access to over 500 faith-based programs, and an annual subscription to member benefits.
• CDE Credential Manual Required printed manual supporting the Child Development Education (CDE) Credential, sold at $80 per copy as the birth-to-5 educational equivalency to the National CDA.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ACSI - Association of Christian Schools InternationalminorOthersReferenced as a recognized accreditation agency for Christian early learning programs. ACEE recommends requesting the faith-based version when pursuing APPLE and NAC accreditation.
• ACTS - Association of Christian Teachers and SchoolsminorOthersReferenced as a recognized accreditation agency for Christian early learning programs.
• APPLE - Accredited Professional Preschool Learning EnvironmentminorOthersAccreditation program recommended by ACEE with faith-based version available upon request.
• NAC - National Accreditation CommissionminorOthersAccreditation program recommended by ACEE with faith-based version available upon request.
• UMAP - United Methodist Association of PreschoolsminorOthersAccreditation program recommended by ACEE for faith-based early education programs.
• Council for Professional RecognitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization that awards the CDA Credential. ACEE's CDA training programs are designed to fulfill the 120 hours of professional development required by the Council and aligned to their competencies and content areas.
• TEACH Scholarship ProgramminorOthersScholarship program for Florida residents providing financial assistance for early childhood education training. ACEE promotes TEACH scholarships as available funding for credential programs.
• Inner Banks InnminorOthersAward venue partner providing a weekend getaway prize for the National Christian Director of the Year Award winner in Edenton, NC.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI): A larger faith-based K-12 and early learning accreditation and membership organization referenced by ACEE as a recognized accreditation partner. Operates in the same faith-based early education ecosystem but with much broader Christian-school scope than ACEE's early childhood focus.
• Teaching Strategies: Publisher of The Creative Curriculum and a broad suite of assessment, family engagement, and PD tools for early childhood programs. A larger incumbent in the ECE curriculum space directly comparable to WEE Learn, with broader state standards alignment.
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): The largest U.S. membership association for early childhood educators, with state standards alignment, accreditation, and PD offerings. A broad incumbent in the same ECE professional-development space, though secular rather than faith-based.
• HighScope: Research-based ECE curriculum and professional development organization with a comprehensive birth-to-Pre-K curriculum framework and teacher training. Comparable to WEE Learn on curriculum structure and evidence-based positioning, though secular.

Direct peers

• Smart Horizons: An online professional development provider that is currently a delivery partner of ACEE (ACEE resells Smart Horizons online training via cdealliance.org). Operates in the same online CDA and ECE PD category with which ACEE competes.
• ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI): A leading online distance-learning provider of CDA training, ECE credential renewal, and director credentials for child care professionals. Directly competes with ACEE's CDA, FCCPC, and renewal training programs, especially in the self-paced online channel.
• Frog Street: A major publisher of birth-to-Pre-K ECE curricula with comprehensive, age-specific curriculum frameworks and training. Most directly comparable to ACEE on the WEE Learn Curriculum side as a birth-to-Pre-K curriculum publisher with associated training.
• ProSolutions Training: An online provider of CDA training, ECE professional development, and director credentials. Comparable to ACEE in offering the 120-hour CDA training and renewal programs required by the Council for Professional Recognition, with broader state coverage.
• Council for Professional Recognition: The national body that awards the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential. ACEE's CDA training programs are explicitly designed to fulfill the 120 hours of professional development required by this Council, making it the credentialing partner and closest functional peer for ACEE's credentialing portfolio.
• Association of Early Learning Leaders: A national membership association for early childhood program directors and owners providing leadership training, credentials, and professional development. Directly comparable — and historically connected — to ACEE: ACEE Treasurer Donna Thornton-Roberts is the Founder/President Emeritus of this association.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Child-Development-Education-Alliance-CDEA/199037191996
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/child-development-education-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Association of Christian Early Educators