Child Care Purchasing Alliance

What Child Care Purchasing Alliance does

Child Care Purchasing Alliance (CCPA) is a privately held Sole Proprietorship, formed in Illinois and operationally headquartered in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, that operates as a group purchasing organization (GPO) for the U.S. child care and youth-services sector. CCPA aggregates the buying power of thousands of child care centers, day care centers, preschools, charter schools, Head Start/Early Head Start programs, YMCAs, Boys & Girls Clubs, children's hospitals, pediatric facilities, nonprofits, and state/national associations to negotiate preferential pricing with a curated set of vendor partners. The portfolio spans 14 service categories including food and nutrition, group health/dental/vision insurance, liability and workers' compensation insurance, educational materials and classroom furniture, office and cleaning supplies, payroll and HR services, waste removal, credit card processing, signage, web/graphic design, and employee advantage packages.

The company runs on a non-technological operating model: there is no proprietary software platform or AI component, and value is delivered through vendor negotiations, purchasing consultants who respond to inquiries within 24 hours, side-by-side savings analyses, and association referrals. Revenue is generated almost entirely through affiliate-style commissions paid by vendor partners on member purchases routed through CCPA, supplemented indirectly by a transaction-fee mechanism in which a percentage of member purchases is donated back to child care and education programs. Membership is free with no fees, with minimum-order thresholds on certain categories (e.g., $500 per food order; insurance requires 5+ employees). Distribution is direct-to-member via the company website and consultant outreach, with fulfillment handled by vendor partners such as Lakeshore, Office Depot, Staples, DD&A, Alper Services, Triton HR, FASTSIGNS, Olive Street Design, Restaurant.com, and US Advantage Plans.

CCPA is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, investors, or M&A activity, and no quantitative revenue, headcount, or growth metrics are publicly available. The company's stated competitive positioning rests on being the first child-care-focused purchasing alliance, the breadth of vendor partnerships, 80+ years of combined founder experience in purchasing and operations, and association-driven distribution across NAEYC, WECA, NCCA, WCCAA, and Association for Early Learning Leaders.

Name

Child Care Purchasing Alliance

Legal name

Childcare Purchasing Alliance

Website

https://childcarepurchasing.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Child Care Purchasing Alliance is a U.S. group purchasing organization that aggregates buying power across thousands of child care centers, preschools, and nonprofits to negotiate discounted pricing with vendor partners, earning revenue through vendor commissions on free memberships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fitchburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vendor Partner Commissions: CCPA earns commissions from vendor partners for directing member purchases. The company acts as a group purchasing organization (GPO), negotiating collective buying power for thousands of child care centers and nonprofits.
2. Percentage Donation from Purchases: The company donates a percentage of every purchase made by members back to child care and education programs, funded by vendor partner commissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Child Care Purchasing Alliance (CCPA) is a free-membership group purchasing organization that aggregates buying power across thousands of child care centers, day care centers, schools, preschools, and nonprofits to negotiate discounted pricing on the operational products and services they use most, including food, insurance, office and cleaning supplies, educational materials, payroll, and waste removal. CCPA generates revenue through commissions paid by its vendor partners and donates a percentage of every member purchase back to child care and education programs.

Product overview

Child Care Purchasing Alliance is a group purchasing organization (not a single unified software product) that offers a portfolio of cost-saving programs and services specifically designed for child care centers, day care centers, schools, preschools, and other child education organizations. The CCPA serves as an aggregator enabling collective buying power across 14 distinct service categories: Food and Nutrition Program, Health/Dental/Vision Insurance, Liability Insurance & Worker's Compensation, Employee Advantage Packages, Waste Removal, Educational Materials & K-12 Furniture (via Lakeshore), Classroom Furniture (via Lakeshore), Credit Card Processing, Graphic & Web Design (via Olive Street Design), Signs & Graphics (via FASTSIGNS), Payroll & HR Services (via Triton HR), Office Supplies & Art/School Supplies (via Office Depot and Staples), and Cleaning & Janitorial Supplies. All services are provided free of membership fees to qualifying organizations, with CCPA generating revenue through negotiated vendor partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food and Nutrition Program A food and nutrition purchasing program that helps child care centers save 10-35% on food purchases from a network of vendors, including nutritional analysis, custom menu creation, and compliance support for CACFP, NSLP, and SBP guidelines.
• Health, Dental & Vision Insurance Group health insurance programs for nonprofits and child care centers offering access to major insurers (Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Humana, United Healthcare) with dedicated account management and ancillary benefits.
• Liability Insurance & Worker's Compensation Child care insurance coverage including general liability, professional liability, sexual misconduct coverage, workers' compensation, and additional protections such as child care accident insurance and crisis management expenses.
• Employee Advantage Packages Monthly subscription benefit packages providing employee discounts, travel benefits, legal services, prescription savings cards, and identity theft protection.
• Waste Removal Waste removal services providing cost analysis and competitive pricing from national vendors with no upfront costs, including review of pricing, pickup frequency, container sizes, and waste stream optimization.
• Educational Materials & K-12 Furniture Educational materials and K-12 furniture from Lakeshore, offering a 7% discount and free shipping on all orders, including Design, Delivery & Installation services and eProcurement Services with custom ordering websites.
• Office Supplies & Art/School Supplies Nationwide contract pricing through Office Depot and Staples offering reduced pricing on 25,000+ products with flexible purchasing options including online, catalog, phone, or in-store, plus a Retail Connect card for contract pricing at retail locations.
• Cleaning & Janitorial Supplies Cost-effective cleaning and janitorial supplies including toilet paper, disposable gloves, paper towels, hand soap, sanitizers, cleaners, disinfectants, and garbage bags delivered directly to child care centers.
• Payroll & HR Services Payroll and HR solutions through Triton HR providing payroll services, tax filing, HRIS, performance management, benefits administration, time and attendance, and background checks with a 20% member discount.
• Credit Card Processing Credit and debit card transaction processing services helping businesses navigate fees and plans to avoid overpaying for basic processing needs.
• Graphic & Web Design Web and graphic design services through partner Olive Street Design including website design, mobile web design, WordPress/Joomla development, e-commerce, SEO, branding, logo design, and printing services.
• Signs & Graphics Signage solutions through FASTSIGNS of Menomonee Falls featuring the 'My Catalog' online ordering program with high-quality signs and graphics at special CCPA prices, shipping direct to locations nationwide.
• Classroom Furniture Classroom furniture from Lakeshore, a leading developer and retailer of educational materials for early childhood programs since 1954, with products distinguished by quality, educational merit, and safety.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-35% average savings on food purchases from wide array of vendors
• +4 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• DD&A (Insurance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDD&A is an industry insurance leader providing health, dental, and vision insurance specifically tailored to the child care industry and nonprofits. They offer group major medical plans and group limited plans with access to major insurers including Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Humana, and United Healthcare. DD&A provides dedicated account managers and comprehensive regulatory compliance review including ACA, ERISA, HIPAA, and COBRA.
• Alper ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlper Services provides child care insurance coverage including general liability, professional liability, sexual misconduct coverage, workers compensation, and child care accident insurance. Named Best Retail Broker by Business Insurance magazine for two consecutive years. Programs start at $500 annual premium with 24/7 claims service.
• Lakeshore Learning MaterialscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLakeshore provides educational materials and K-12 furniture with 7% discount and free shipping on all orders. Services include Design, Delivery & Installation for new or remodeled learning spaces, and cost-saving eProcurement Services with custom ordering websites. Leading developer of hands-on learning materials since 1954.
• Lakeshore (Classroom Furniture)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLakeshore provides classroom furniture as a leading developer and retailer of educational materials for early childhood programs. Products are distinguished by quality, educational merit, and safety.
• Office Depot and StaplesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNationwide contract pricing negotiated with both Office Depot and Staples for office supplies, art supplies, and school supplies. Member benefits include reduced pricing on 25,000+ products and 4,000 environmentally preferable products. Retail Connect card allows contract pricing at all retail locations.
• Olive Street DesignsupportingTechnology or IntegrationOlive Street Design provides web design, mobile web design, graphic design, eCommerce development, and social media marketing. Offices in Elmhurst/Villa Park (Chicago area), Milwaukee, and Lake Geneva, WI. Featured promotions include 5-page website for $999 and 15% off websites over $2,500.
• FASTSIGNS of Menomonee FallssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFASTSIGNS specializes in managing national signage programs with state-of-the-art equipment. Using My Catalog program website designed for CCPA, members can order high-quality signs and graphics at special CCPA prices. Ships direct to locations nationwide.
• Triton HRmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTriton HR provides payroll and HR services with 20% discount for CCPA members. Services include payroll, tax filing, HRIS application, performance management, benefits administration, time & attendance, background checks, and retirement plan administration. Single-database technology platform.
• Restaurant.comsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRestaurant.com provides $25 gift certificates included in Employee Advantage Packages at all subscription tiers.
• US Advantage PlanssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS Advantage Plans provides prescription savings cards accepted at 55,000+ participating pharmacies. Prescriptions available for $5, $10, $15, $20, and $30 for 30-day supply. Free Rx card available for employers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Brightwheel: Child care management platform providing attendance, billing, family communication, and learning documentation to child care centers and preschools. Shares CCPA's core customer base and represents a potential tech-enabled aggregator competitor.
• Procare Solutions: Leading cloud-based child care management software serving child care centers, day care centers, and preschools with attendance, billing, and family engagement tools. Directly comparable target customer base to CCPA and increasingly a platform where purchasing/marketplace features could be added.

Broad incumbents

• Avendra: Hospitality-focused group purchasing organization serving hotels, restaurants, and casinos with negotiated supply contracts. Same GPO aggregation model as CCPA, applied to a different fragmented SMB vertical.
• Vizient: Largest healthcare-focused group purchasing organization in the US, aggregating purchasing for hospitals and health systems. Same core GPO business model as CCPA, applied at scale in a different vertical.
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): Largest professional association for early childhood educators, offering member benefits including purchasing discounts. Comparable distribution channel to CCPA and could expand into direct purchasing aggregation services.
• Premier Inc. Healthcare GPO and performance improvement company providing group purchasing, supply chain, and consulting services to hospitals and providers. Mirrors CCPA's GPO model in a larger, more mature vertical.

Emerging players

• Kangarootime: Child care management software for day care centers, preschools, and early learning programs offering billing, parent communication, and operational tools. Overlaps with CCPA's customer base and could evolve into a purchasing/marketplace layer.
• HiMama: Child care communication and documentation app used by day care centers and preschools for parent engagement and daily reporting. Comparable customer segment and potential platform competitor if it expands into operational purchasing tools.
• Wonderschool: Child care marketplace and operating platform connecting families with child care providers while offering providers business tools. Targets overlapping SMB child care operators and represents an aggregator-style competitor.

Others

• ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI): Online training and professional development provider for early childhood educators, serving the same child care center audience. Adjacent service to CCPA's offerings and potential bundle/partner opportunity rather than a direct GPO competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Child Care Purchasing Alliance