Great Kids

What Great Kids does

Great Kids, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Columbus, Georgia, that develops and distributes evidence-based parenting curricula and professional training programs for family-serving organizations. The company sells primarily to program leaders and frontline professionals in home visiting, Head Start, child welfare, healthcare, schools, substance use recovery, and corporate wellness, with an installed base of 50,000+ certified professionals, 480+ partner organizations, and reach across 43 U.S. states/territories and 6 Canadian provinces. Its offering portfolio spans the Growing Great Kids (GGK) Next Generation Curriculum (prenatal through preschool), Growing Great Families, Nest (trauma-informed crisis response), Empowered Parenting (digital micro-learning), Hope at Home and Circle of Hope (substance use recovery), Play With Me!, GK Together, Nurturing Sprouts, and the Great Kids Academy LMS hosting RISE, ELEVATE, and SOAR professional development courses. Seven independent evaluations support the core curriculum, which holds the highest Evidence-Based ranking from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and endorsement from Healthy Families America.

The business model combines one-time/perpetual curriculum sales (e.g., $300 per team member for GGK Prenatal) with no licensing fees or annual re-certification costs, supplemented by professional development training revenue, digital product subscriptions via the GK Store (greatkidsportal.com), and charitable donations and grants (Candid Gold Seal of Transparency recognized). Great Kids operates a sales-led B2B go-to-market: program administrators schedule consultations, organizations purchase through the e-commerce portal or direct engagement, and professionals must be certified to deliver the curricula. Marketing channels include the company website, blog, email newsletter, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), conference participation, free product samples, and direct consultation.

In late 2024, David Bird was appointed CEO succeeding a 20-year predecessor, and 2025-2026 has seen the launch of Nest, Empowered Parenting, and Circle of Hope, signaling continued product and segment expansion. The organization has no disclosed venture funding, parent company, or public ticker; it operates as an independent charitable entity under Georgia governing law.

Name

Great Kids

Legal name

Great Kids, Inc.

Website

https://greatkidsinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Great Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops evidence-based parenting curricula and professional training programs for family-serving organizations, home visitors, healthcare providers, schools, and corporate wellness programs across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education & Family Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Home Visiting & Parent Coaching Programs (EDACALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parenting Skills & Child Development Education (EDACALAA), Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services (EDAJAKAK), Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

Keywords

• Early childhood curricula
• Parenting education programs
• Home visiting training
• Professional development training
• Trauma-informed family services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wausau

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Curriculum Sales: Sale of physical and digital curriculum materials, manuals, and training guides to organizations and professionals. One-time purchase model with no licensing fees or annual re-certification costs.
2. Professional Development Training: Certification and training programs for professionals implementing Great Kids curricula, including seminars and online courses
3. Donations and Grants: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations, with Candid Gold Seal of Transparency recognition. Also pursues grant-funded partnerships with organizations for research and pilot programs.
4. Digital Products and Subscriptions: Digital versions of curricula and self-paced online learning modules available for purchase or deployment to organizations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Great Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops and sells evidence-based parenting curricula and professional development training for organizations serving families and young children. Its offerings include the Growing Great Kids (GGK) prenatal-to-preschool curriculum series, Growing Great Families (GGF) modules, specialized curricula for substance use recovery and crisis response (Nest, Hope at Home, Circle of Hope), the Empowered Parenting digital micro-learning platform, and an LMS-based Great Kids Academy for professional certification. The organization sells one-time curriculum licenses and certification training to home visiting programs, Head Start agencies, healthcare providers, schools, and family service organizations across North America.

Product overview

Great Kids provides a comprehensive portfolio of evidence-based parenting curricula and professional development tools organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings include the Growing Great Kids (GGK) and Growing Great Families (GGF) curriculum series, which span prenatal through preschool age children with specialized curricula like Nest (crisis response), Empowered Parenting (digital micro-learning), Hope at Home (substance use recovery), Circle of Hope (group-based recovery), Play With Me! (activity books), and the Prenatal Curriculum. Professional development is delivered through the Great Kids Academy LMS featuring RISE, ELEVATE, and SOAR courses. The products work together to provide professionals with research-based tools to strengthen family relationships and child development outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Growing Great Kids (GGK): Core evidence-based curriculum for prenatal to 36 months and preschoolers
• Growing Great Families (GGF)
• Empowered Parenting
• Nest
• Play With Me!
• Hope at Home
• Circle of Hope
• RISE
• ELEVATE
• SOAR
• GK Together

Products and services

• Growing Great Kids (GGK) Next Generation Curriculum Research and evidence-based training curriculum designed to help parents and caregivers become confident in nurturing children, featuring conversation guides and interactive activities for parent-child engagement.
• GGK Prenatal to 36 Months Curriculum Comprehensive home visiting curriculum series supporting child development from prenatal stage through 36 months, aligned with Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework.
• GGK Next Generation for Preschoolers Curriculum for preschool-age children (3-5 years) designed for home-based delivery, earning the highest Evidence-Based ranking from HHS/Head Start.
• Growing Great Families (GGF) Family-strengthening curriculum designed to promote protective factors and support families across multiple generations.
• Growing Great Kids Prenatal Curriculum Prenatal curriculum supporting attachment relationships during pregnancy with 26 play-based activities, conversation guides, and research-based topics for expecting families.
• Empowered Parenting Self-paced digital micro-learning series offering 10-minute practical lessons for caregivers to strengthen family connections and build Positive and Compensatory Experiences (PACEs) that promote healthy child development.
• Nest Portable crisis response resource providing trauma-informed framework (Notice, Empathize, Support, Transition) with 18 scenario responses to help adults support children's emotional safety during high-stress situations.
• Play With Me! Family activity books featuring 400+ developmentally-aligned activities for 3-4 year olds organized across seven learning domains, using everyday household materials.
• Hope at Home Trauma-informed parenting and recovery curriculum for families affected by substance use disorder, featuring 20+ conversation topics, 20+ play-based activities, and 2 hours of self-paced online learning.
• Circle of Hope Group-based recovery curriculum for families in substance use recovery, offering sessions on recognizing and reducing unhealthy stress and supporting family healing.
• RISE (Recovery, Impact, Support, Empower) Interactive self-paced online course providing enhanced understanding of substance use disorder (SUD), the opioid crisis, and how to support families affected by SUD.
• ELEVATE (Advanced Practice Series) Mini-courses offering advanced training topics including deep dives into GGK GPS Tool, Fidelity and Core Competencies Assessment Tools, and other professional development offerings.
• SOAR (The Effective Home Visitor Series) Asynchronous e-learning series focusing on developing trusting, strength-based relationships with families and strategies for providing responsive, loving care for children.
• GK Together Play-based parenting and socialization group curriculum for facilitators to use with prenatal families and families with children birth through age five.
• Great Kids Academy TalentLMS-based learning management system platform hosting professional development courses including RISE, ELEVATE, and SOAR programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Measurable improvements in parent-child interactions, early literacy, and school readiness demonstrated through research and partner results
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Pre to 3 Program (Vanderburgh County, Indiana)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2023Weekly home visit program starting with pregnancy until the child turns three, using the Growing Great Kids curriculum to teach skills including coping strategies for stress, communication methods, developmental milestones, and the importance of being present. Program aims to lower Indiana's high infant mortality rate.
• Healthy Families America (HFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership focused on development and delivery of training and curriculum for HFA sites. Great Kids and HFA have worked together for many years ensuring that the GGK curriculum aligns with and builds upon the HFA model approach, which is trauma-informed, attachment/relationship focused, and grounded in reflective practice.
• Head StartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrowing Great Kids Next Generation curricula identified by Head Start as a promising research-based curriculum with clear alignment to the Early Learning Outcomes Framework and the Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework. Programs can use crosswalks to connect GGK curricula with Head Start frameworks.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HIPPY USA: Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters; offers a parent-led early childhood curriculum targeting 3-5 year olds, overlapping directly with Great Kids' preschool offerings and Head Start channel.
• Parents as Teachers National Center: National nonprofit providing evidence-based home visiting curriculum and certification for early childhood family support; competes directly with Great Kids in the home visiting program market serving prenatal-to-preschool families.
• Bright by Three (formerly Bright Beginnings): Nonprofit that develops and disseminates parenting support curricula and digital tools for families with young children, often distributed through home visiting and healthcare channels.
• ParentChild+: Early childhood home visiting program serving low-income families with children 16 months to 4 years; competes for the same evidence-based home visiting grants and Head Start program partnerships.
• Healthy Families America: Home visiting model operated by Prevent Child Abuse America; partners with Great Kids for curriculum but also competes for program funding and accreditations in the home visiting market.
• Nurse-Family Partnership: Evidence-based nurse home visiting program serving first-time moms; uses its own curriculum materials and competes with Great Kids for the same federal MIECHV and Medicaid home visiting funding.

Others

• Child Trends: Research organization that evaluates home visiting and parenting programs — not a direct competitor but a key influencer whose research and endorsements shape buyer decisions in Great Kids' market.

Broad incumbents

• Scholastic Education: Large publisher of educational content and family engagement materials that competes at the broader early childhood and family literacy layer where Great Kids' Play With Me! and Empowered Parenting operate.
• ZERO TO THREE: National nonprofit focused on infant and toddler development; offers training, publications, and policy advocacy overlapping with Great Kids' prenatal-to-36-months curriculum market.
• Save the Children US: Large international nonprofit operating early childhood and home visiting programs across many of the same geographies; overlaps with Great Kids' federal grant funding and partner channels.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3bwmHA6KCuJM8cbDIBpc3g
• Facebookfacebook.com/greatkidsinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greatkids
• Instagraminstagram.com/greatkidsinc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Great Kids