Child Development Centers

What Child Development Centers does

Child Development Inc. (DBA Child Development Centers, CDI/CDC) is a California-based, non-profit early care and education organization founded in 1969, operating 166 licensed early care and education centers across the state and serving more than 15,000 children from birth through age twelve. Operations are organized around four regional offices in San Jose, Sacramento, Oxnard, and Irvine, with additional Choices for Children (CFC) offices in South Lake Tahoe, Cameron Park, and Markleeville. The portfolio spans infant/toddler care (full-day and half-day), preschool (full-day and half-day), kindergarten enrichment, school-age before/after care, summer camps, the School Age Revitalization Program (S.A.R.P.), and ARC (Afterschool Recreation & Classes) on school campuses. Curriculum is built on proprietary programs including Growing Readers (literacy) and Numbers Plus (math), aligned with California Preschool Learning Foundations, Common Core State Standards, and NAEYC/NAA Developmentally Appropriate Practice guidelines.

The revenue model is a dual stream: (1) parent fees for direct-enrollment child care and education programs, and (2) California Department of Education funding for subsidized early care and education services. Distribution is hybrid: direct-to-consumer through center-based enrollment (sign-up via cdicdc.org inquiry forms) and a B2B/government channel via contracted relationships with 36 California K-12 school districts spanning Northern California, the Bay Area, the Oxnard/Ventura area, and South Counties (Orange/Riverside). The competitive positioning rests on 55+ years of operating history, the scale of 166 centers across four regions, the breadth of the age-cohort product line (infants through preteens), and a research-grounded developmental curriculum differentiated by inclusive practices and community-specific emergent programming.

No AI/ML, app, API, or proprietary technology platform is disclosed. The organization appears to operate on a low-digital-marketing profile — primarily website-based inquiry capture, district referrals, and word-of-mouth — with no documented funding rounds, M&A, ownership changes, leadership turnover, or regulatory actions in the available record. Most operating scale evidence (166 centers, 15,000+ children, 36 districts) is sourced from 2013-era material, which is the principal data freshness caveat for any forward-looking assessment.

Name

Child Development Centers

Legal name

Child Development Inc.

Website

https://cdicdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Child Development Inc. (DBA Child Development Centers) is a California non-profit founded in 1969 that operates 166 early care and education centers serving over 15,000 children from birth through age twelve, funded by parent fees and California Department of Education funding and delivered through 36 school district partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Infant-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAF), Toddler-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAG), Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK), Center-Based Infant Care (0–18 months) (EDACAGAA), Center-Based Toddler Care (18–36 months) (EDACAGAB)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Child care services
• Before and after school programs
• Preschool programs
• Summer camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Morgan Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Parent Fees: Families pay fees for child care and education programs including infant, toddler, preschool, and school age programs. Programs include before/after school care, full-day, and half-day options.
2. California Department of Education Funding: CDI receives funding from the California Department of Education for early care and education programs, particularly for subsidized child care services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Child Development Centers (CDI/CDC) operates 166 center-based early care and education programs throughout California serving children from birth through 12 years of age. Core offerings include infant/toddler care, preschool programs, kindergarten enrichment, school-age before/after school care, summer camps, and after-school enrichment classes, funded primarily through parent fees and California Department of Education support and supplemented by contracts with 36 California school districts.

Product overview

Child Development Centers operates a portfolio of early care and education programs across California, built around a center-based model spanning infant/toddler care, preschool, kindergarten enrichment, and school-age programs. The core offering includes Before/After School Programs (before/after care, homework help, clubs), Preschool Programs (using Growing Readers and Numbers Plus curricula), Summer Camps (Preschool Camp, School-Age Camp, and Specialty Weeks), and the School Age Revitalization Program (S.A.R.P.) featuring leadership development and technology. Additional offerings include ARC (Afterschool Recreation & Classes) with enrichment activities such as language classes, science programs, and intramural sports. The company serves over 15,000 children across 166 centers in California, operating in partnership with 36 school districts across four regions (Bay Area, Sacramento/Northern California, Oxnard/Ventura, and South Counties).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Infant/Toddler Programs Full-day and half-day early childhood care programs for infants and toddlers, providing a safe, nurturing environment with age-appropriate activities and developmental support. Targeted at families with infants and toddlers across California.
• Preschool Programs School readiness preschool programs using research-based Growing Readers literacy curriculum and Numbers Plus math curriculum, offered in full-day and half-day formats, aligned with California Preschool Learning Foundations and K-12 content standards. Targeted at families with preschool-age children.
• Kindergarten Enrichment Programs Before/after care structured enrichment programs for kindergarteners blending current trends with classic philosophies and academics, available at over 100 locations across more than 30 California cities. Targeted at families with kindergarten-age children.
• School Age Programs (Before/After School Care) Before/after school care for school-age children, including homework help and club-based enrichment with specialized academies and open recreation time. Delivered both directly through CDI centers and via contracts with 36 California school districts providing homework assistance and kindergarten readiness programs to families.
• Summer Camps Summer camp programs including Preschool Camp (ages 3-5), School-Age Camp (ages 5-12), and Specialty Weeks covering art, technology/coding, music, nature, and cooking, with field trips and flexible scheduling. Includes traditional recreation camps, enrichment-based camps (1-2 weeks in Art, Cooking, Drama, Science, Sports), and specialty focused camps with progressive programming.
• ARC (Afterschool Recreation & Classes) After-school enrichment classes offered on school campuses including Homework Hub, tutoring, Play 60 fitness, Future Leaders of Tomorrow, Everyday Einsteins science, Language Classes, Intramural Sports, and Home Economics. Targeted at school-age children enrolled in partner districts.
• School Age Revitalization Program (S.A.R.P.) Program featuring leadership opportunities for older children with Leadership Portfolios, up-to-date technology, interest-based clubs, homework support, and a dedicated club house for 4th-6th grade youth, developed collaboratively with teachers, children, parents, and school partners.
• Fall Programs After school and preschool programs offered during the fall school year, including holiday break camps and enrichment activities. Targeted at families seeking fall-term child care and enrichment for infants through school-age children.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves over 15,000 children birth through twelve years of age

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

Scale indicators6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cadence Education: Private for-profit operator of ~200+ early childhood education centers across multiple U.S. states. Comparable to CDI in center-based infant/preschool/school-age delivery and PE-backed scaling playbook.
• KinderCare Learning Companies: Largest private for-profit early childhood education provider in the U.S., operating ~1,500+ centers across multiple states. Comparable to CDI in core offering (infant through school-age care, kindergarten readiness, before/after school) but at greater national scale and with a corporate/employer-sponsored care overlay.
• Primrose Schools: Franchise-based private early education provider operating ~450+ centers in 17 states with proprietary Balanced Learning curriculum. Comparable to CDI's proprietary curriculum approach (Growing Readers, Numbers Plus) and center-based infant-to-after-school delivery.
• Learning Care Group: Operates multiple center-based ECE brands including Childtime, La Petite Academy, Tutor Time, and Montessori Unlimited. Comparable to CDI in multi-brand, center-based infant-through-school-age delivery model, though at greater national scale.
• Childcare Network: Private for-profit operator of ~200+ early childhood education centers across the U.S. Southeast. Comparable to CDI in center-based infant-through-school-age delivery model and mid-market scale.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National nonprofit operating after-school programs, summer camps, and youth development at thousands of sites. Comparable to CDI's before/after-school and school-age enrichment programs and youth development orientation.
• YMCA of the USA: National nonprofit operating licensed child care, before/after-school programs, and summer camps across hundreds of locations. Comparable to CDI as a nonprofit ECE/after-school operator with government and parent-fee revenue mix and district partnerships.
• The Goddard School: Franchise-based private early childhood education provider with ~600+ schools nationwide, focused on preschool through pre-kindergarten. Comparable to CDI in center-based delivery, curriculum-driven differentiation, and franchise-style growth.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Public company (BFAM) operating employer-sponsored child care centers and back-up care, plus early education centers. Comparable to CDI in center-based ECE delivery, but differentiated by employer-sponsored care model and larger international footprint.

Regional players

• Kinderprep Preschools: Regional operator of preschool and childcare centers. Comparable to CDI in center-based preschool delivery, though operating in a different geography and without CDI's scale or school-district partnership layer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/catalyst_kids

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Child Development Centers