Educare Arizona

What Educare Arizona does

Educare Arizona is a single-site 501(c)(3) nonprofit early childhood education center headquartered at 1300 N. 48th Street in Phoenix, Arizona, operating as the 13th school in the national Educare Learning Network and the first in the Southwest. The organization delivers a full-day, year-round early childhood education program for up to 191 children from birth to age five whose families reside within the Balsz School District and meet federal Head Start eligibility guidelines. Programming is delivered through a partnership with Southwest Human Development (Arizona's largest early childhood provider), Mountain Park Health Center operates the on-site BEACH clinic providing medical, dental, and WIC services, and Arizona State University serves as the local evaluation partner. The academic model features low teacher-to-child ratios, a Continuity of Care model (same teaching team from birth to age three, then a preschool team for ages three to five), integrated STEAM learning, and a LEED Silver certified facility with observation rooms that support teacher training and university research.

The integrated service bundle includes the core early childhood education program, family support services (Family Support Specialists, intake, goal setting, health screenings, a parent resource library), the BEACH on-site healthcare clinic, and a Child Development Associate (CDA) certification program that has trained 330+ candidates since 2012 with a 99% success rate. Revenue is generated through a braided funding model that combines federal Head Start and Early Head Start grant funding (Grant Number 09CH012388), state and local education funding, child care reimbursements, parent co-payments, and philanthropic contributions from founding collaborators including Buffett Early Childhood Fund, Ibis Foundation of Arizona, Steve Nash Foundation, Whiteman Foundation, and Helios Education Foundation. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors with no parent company, and its service area is geographically restricted to the Balsz School District.

Operationally, the center has served more than 1,000 cumulative children and trained 400+ teachers since opening in September 2011, with documented outcomes including children exceeding national school-readiness averages by 9 points and average vocabulary scores of 96.9. The organization's distinctive strategic positioning is its role as a Center of Excellence within the Educare Learning Network, validated through national evaluation by the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, which supports both direct service delivery and broader workforce development through the Professional Development Institute partnership with Helios Education Foundation.

Name

Educare Arizona

Legal name

Educare Arizona

Website

https://educarearizona.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Educare Arizona is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit early childhood education center in Phoenix serving ~191 children from birth to age five from low-income families in the Balsz School District through evidence-based education, family support, and on-site healthcare.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive ECE Curriculum Frameworks (Birth–5) (EDACAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Extended Day Programs at Preschools & Childcare Centers (EDACAHAB), Teacher Guides, Lesson Plans & Scope-and-Sequence Resources (EDACAJAF), Assessment, Observation & Documentation Training (Portfolios, DRDP/CLASS/ECERS) (EDACAIAK)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Head Start programs
• Family support services
• STEAM preschool learning
• Childcare health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Head Start and Early Head Start Funding: Primary funding from federal Head Start and Early Head Start funds administered through the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Grant Number 09CH012388 from Office of Head Start.
2. State and Local Education Funding: State and local education funding braided with other sources.
3. Foundation and Philanthropic Support: Financial and in-kind support from individual donors, foundations, and corporations including Buffett Early Childhood Fund, Steve Nash Foundation, Ibis Foundation of Arizona, Whiteman Foundation, and Thunderbird Charities.
4. Parent Co-payments: Parent co-payments as part of the funding model, with donations eligible for up to $800 Arizona state tax credit.
5. Child Care Reimbursements: Child care reimbursements as part of the braided funding approach.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Educare Arizona provides a full-day, year-round early childhood education program for 191 children from birth through age five, delivered at a LEED Silver-certified Phoenix facility. The offering combines an evidence-based curriculum with social-emotional and STEAM learning, a Continuity of Care teaching model, family support services, on-site healthcare via the BEACH (Balsz Educare Arizona Center for Health) clinic, and a Child Development Associate teacher training program. Programming is operated by partner Southwest Human Development and is reserved for income-eligible families residing within the Balsz School District.

Product overview

Educare Arizona is a single-site early childhood education center offering a comprehensive, integrated program for children from birth to age five. The core offering is the Early Childhood Education Program, which combines with Family Engagement Services, STEAM Learning Integration, and an Onsite Healthcare clinic (BEACH). The organization also provides Teacher Training and CDA Certification as a workforce development component. The Continuity of Care Program ensures children have stable teacher relationships throughout their enrollment. All programs are delivered through a partnership with Southwest Human Development at a LEED Silver-certified facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Childhood Education Program Full-day, year-round early childhood education program serving 191 children from birth to age five, featuring evidence-based strategies, STEAM learning, and low teacher-child ratios. Open to income-eligible families residing in the Balsz School District.
• Family Engagement Services Comprehensive family support services including Family Support Specialists, intake and screening, goal setting, health screenings, language support, and a parent resource library for enrolled families.
• Onsite Healthcare (BEACH Clinic) Balsz Educare Arizona Center for Health (BEACH) providing medical, dental, and behavioral health services through partnership with Mountain Park Health Center; available to enrolled families and the surrounding Balsz community.
• Teacher Training and CDA Certification Program Professional development program providing Child Development Associate (CDA) certification, the Live and Learn Career Training Program, and tuition assistance for degree pursuit, with 99% success rate and 330+ candidates trained since 2012.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children exceed national average for school readiness by 9 points
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Southwest Human DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary program provider for Educare Arizona, ensuring highly trained teaching and family support staff. One of the country's premier providers of early childhood services with 35+ years of experience and 900 staff serving 135,000 children and families annually.
• Balsz School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost school district partner whose mission is 'to provide a culture of high expectations and continuous learning.' Educare Arizona is located adjacent to Brunson Lee Elementary School. Consists of four elementary schools and one junior high school in east Phoenix.
• Mountain Park Health CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing the Balsz Pediatric Clinic at Educare Arizona offering pediatrics, dental, and WIC services. One of 27 health centers nationally and only one in Arizona to receive HRSA funding for a school-based health center.
• NOAH (Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with BEACH to provide quality medical, dental, and behavioral health services to Educare Arizona children and families as well as the surrounding Balsz community.
• Arizona State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServes as the local evaluation partner for Educare Arizona, documenting Educare's core features and assessing the program's impact on children and families.
• Frank Porter Graham Child Development InstitutestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1966 at the University of North Carolina, oversees the national evaluation of Educare schools across the nation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KinderCare Learning Companies: One of the largest U.S. providers of early childhood education and childcare, with national reach across infant care, preschool, and before/after-school programs. Comparable as a scaled ECE operator with similar age-group and curriculum offerings.
• Primrose Schools: National franchise network of private early childhood education centers serving infants through pre-kindergarten with a proprietary Balanced Learning curriculum. Comparable as a multi-site operator of full-day ECE programs with strong brand standards.
• KIPP Foundation: National network of public charter schools primarily serving low-income K-12 students, with growing pre-K programming. Comparable as a public-private, mission-driven, results-focused education network addressing achievement gaps for low-income children.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Large publicly-traded operator of high-quality early childhood education centers with employer-sponsored and family tuition models. Comparable as a scaled ECE incumbent, though operating on a commercial rather than Head Start/blended-funding model.

Direct peers

• Southwest Human Development: Arizona's largest early childhood provider (900 staff, 135,000 children/families annually) and the primary program provider for Educare Arizona. Direct peer because it shares the same service population, evidence-based curriculum, and staff-development pipelines in the same geography.
• National Head Start Association: National membership organization representing the 1,600+ Head Start and Early Head Start grantees — including Educare Arizona — that deliver federally-funded ECE to low-income families. Direct peer as the umbrella for the same funding stream, population, and accountability framework.
• Educare of Omaha: Sister school in the Educare Learning Network operating the same comprehensive birth-to-five ECE model with federal Head Start funding and integrated family support. Direct peer because it implements the identical Educare framework for a similar low-income population.
• Educare Chicago (Ounce of Prevention Fund): The original 2000 Educare school and network anchor, operating the same comprehensive birth-to-five ECE framework with research, family support, and teacher training. Direct peer as the founding site of the shared Educare model that Educare Arizona implements.

Others

• Childcare Aware of America: National nonprofit that supports working families and the ECE workforce through research, training, and advocacy. Comparable as a sector stakeholder in the same Head Start / early-childhood ecosystem, though operating as an enabling support organization rather than a direct provider.

Regional players

• Stratford School: Private preschool through middle school operator in California with a STEAM-focused curriculum and before/after-school care. Comparable as a private-sector ECE provider with STEAM emphasis and extended-day programming, though operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/educarearizona
• Facebookfacebook.com/educarearizona

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Educare Arizona