Preston Early Learning Centre

What Preston Early Learning Centre does

Preston Early Learning Centre is a non-profit early childhood education organization headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Incorporated on July 9, 1980, the organization currently operates five licensed early learning centres serving infants through pre-school-aged children, with a combined capacity of approximately 284 enrollment spaces and a workforce of approximately 90 staff. Its executive director, Lisa Leibel, has held continuous leadership of the organization since 1995.

The organization delivers its programming under a Reggio Emilia-inspired pedagogical approach, an inquiry-based educational model originating in post-war Italy that emphasizes child-led exploration, documentation, and the role of the physical learning environment as a "third teacher." Programming is delivered across five physical Saskatoon locations, and a sixth centre (the Cornerstone facility) is currently scheduled to open in late 2027, which would represent a meaningful incremental expansion of licensed capacity and geographic footprint within the city.

As a registered Canadian non-profit, Preston Early Learning Centre funds its operations primarily through parent tuition fees, provincial and federal government childcare subsidies (including the national $10/day childcare framework), and donations. The organization's 2024 operating budget targets approximately $5.2 million CAD in revenue. The organization currently maintains a waitlist of approximately 3,000 prospective families—an order-of-magnitude gap between demonstrated demand and available supply that points to physical and staffing capacity, rather than demand generation, as the binding constraint on growth.

Name

Preston Early Learning Centre

Legal name

Preston Early Learning Centre Inc.

Website

https://prestonearlylearning.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Preston Early Learning Centre is a Saskatoon-based non-profit operating five licensed early learning centres under a Reggio Emilia-inspired approach, serving approximately 284 children with 90 staff and a 3,000-family waitlist.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Childcare and Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (6244), Child Care Services (62441)

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

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA), Full-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAD), Center-Based Toddler Care (18–36 months) (EDACAGAB)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Childcare services
• Preschool programs
• Before after school care
• Infant toddler care

Headquarters

HQ city

Saskatoon

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Childcare Tuition Fees: Monthly tuition fees for infant, toddler, preschool/kindergarten, and school-age care programs. Fees range from $217.50/month for base childcare to $785/month for school-age kindergarten children.
2. Before & After School Care Fees: Hourly fees for before and after school care at Holy Family School, Holliston, and Chief Whitecap School. Priced at $6.30/hour per child plus $30 annual registration fee.
3. Government Grants & Summer Employment Grants: Received $38,290 in Summer Employment grants in 2024. Community fundraising through bingos generated $42,459 in 2024.
4. Professional Development Investment: $44,275 invested in professional development for staff in 2024, indicating investment in human capital.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Preston Early Learning Centre (PELC) is a non-profit early learning organization that operates five licensed childcare centres across Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, providing full-time early learning and care for children aged 6 weeks to 12 years. The centres deliver a unified Reggio Emilia-inspired Play & Exploration curriculum and also operate Before & After School Care programs at three partnered elementary schools. Services are sold directly to families via monthly tuition subscriptions and hourly before/after school fees, with all locations operating at full capacity.

Product overview

Preston Early Learning Centre (PELC) is a non-profit early learning organization operating five childcare centres in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The organization offers a unified early childhood education program based on the Reggio Emilia philosophy called the 'Play & Exploration' curriculum. PELC's core products include five physical centre locations (Fairhaven, Holliston, Preston, Stonebridge, and Willowgrove) serving children from 6 weeks to 12 years, along with Before & After School Care programs at three elementary schools. The centres are complemented by the HiMama digital parent communication app integration for daily reports and an online waiting list application service. PELC also offers a Parent Handbook, summer camp programs, and parent resources and forms. All centres operate at full capacity with extensive waitlists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fairhaven Centre Early learning centre located inside Fairhaven School, providing year-round care for children from 18 months to 12 years. Features 45 spaces with a warm, inviting environment serving diverse backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities.
• Holliston Centre Early learning centre providing year-round care for children from 4 to 12 years. Features 38 spaces and operates a before and after school program for school-age children (Grades 1-6).
• Preston Centre Original PELC location (formerly Preston Ave Daycare) operating since 1980, serving 35 families with children ages 18 months to 5 years. Located in a house that provides a home-away-from-home feeling with Reggio philosophy-inspired programming.
• Stonebridge Centre Early learning centre opened September 2017, offering 90 spaces for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Also operates the Before & After School Care program for Chief Whitecap School.
• Willowgrove Centre Early learning centre operating since March 2015, licensed for 55 children (6 infants, 10 toddlers, 39 preschoolers). Ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Also operates Before & After School Care program for Holy Family School.
• Before & After School Care Program Before and after school care program offered at Holy Family School, Chief Whitecap School, and Holliston School. Provides flexible care for school-age children requiring part-time or casual care during the school day, priced at $6.30/hour per child plus a $30 annual registration fee.
• Summer Camp Program Summer camp program offered for school-age children during July and August, priced at $640/month, providing full-day care during school break periods.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children spend an average of 47.5 hours per week in PELC care
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HiMama (Lillio)coreTechnology or IntegrationPELC partners with Canadian-made HiMama (Lillio) app to provide daily reports to parents' smartphones. The app enables real-time communication about children's activities, meals, naps, and development milestones.
• Fairhaven SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPELC centre is located inside Fairhaven School. Preston Early Learning Centre and school staff have a cooperative and engaging relationship, working together for the benefit of the children.
• Holy Family SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPELC's Willowgrove centre operates the Before & After School Care program for Holy Family School, providing childcare services for school-age children.
• Chief Whitecap SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPELC's Stonebridge centre operates the Before & After School Care program for Chief Whitecap School. Stonebridge centre is situated at Chief Whitecap/St. Kateri Schools.
• Whitecap Dakota First Nation / Charles Red Hawk Elementary SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPELC operates at Charles Red Hawk Elementary School located on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation. Staff developed trusting relationships with children, staff members, and families of the Whitecap Dakota First Nation.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Lillio (formerly HiMama): Canadian-made parent communication and child care management platform already integrated with PELC. Comparable as an enabling technology partner in PELC's daily operations rather than a competitor, but useful as a peer reference for technology-enabled child care operators.
• Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) – Child Care Now: Canadian non-profit policy and research organization focused on early childhood education and care systems. Related to PELC through sector advocacy and as a stakeholder shaping Saskatchewan licensing/funding policy that affects PELC's operating environment.

Direct peers

• Kids & Company: Canadian chain of corporate-partnered childcare centres offering infant, toddler, preschool, and before/after school programs. Closely mirrors PELC's age-cohort coverage, multi-site model, and tuition-based recurring revenue, although for-profit and corporate-sponsored.
• Compass Early Learning and Care: Canadian non-profit licensed childcare provider operating licensed infant, toddler, preschool, and school-age programs across multiple sites. Closely comparable to PELC in mission, non-profit structure, and multi-program age-cohort coverage.
• Andrew Fleck Children's Services: Ottawa-based non-profit multi-program children's services organization offering licensed childcare, early learning, and before/after school programs. Directly comparable to PELC as a Canadian non-profit operating multiple centres with similar programming and parent-board governance.
• YMCA of Saskatoon (Child Care Programs): Local Saskatoon YMCA operates licensed childcare and before/after school programs in the same market. Direct regional competitor for families choosing between non-profit childcare providers in Saskatoon.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Global childcare and early education provider with centre-based and employer-sponsored models. Comparable to PELC as a multi-site licensed childcare operator, though significantly larger, for-profit, and not non-profit focused.
• KinderCare Learning Companies: One of the largest North American for-profit early childhood education providers, operating thousands of centres across infant, toddler, preschool, and school-age segments. Comparable in product mix and age-cohort breadth to PELC, though much larger and commercial.

Regional players

• Today's Family: Ontario-based non-profit early learning and childcare provider operating licensed centres and home child care across multiple age groups. Comparable in non-profit mission and programming to PELC but operates in a different province.

Emerging players

• Guidepost Montessori: Growing North American Montessori-inspired early education network offering infant through kindergarten programs with a defined curriculum. Comparable to PELC in philosophy-driven, multi-site centre model, though for-profit and expanding primarily via corporate sites.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pelcfairhaven
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/preston-early-learning-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Preston Early Learning Centre