HOME OF LIFE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP.

What HOME OF LIFE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP. does

HOME OF LIFE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP. operates the Chicago Early Learning program in partnership with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), delivering free, publicly funded early childhood education to Chicago families with children from birth to age 5. The portfolio spans two core product lines: CPS Pre-K Programs serving 3- and 4-year-olds in CPS schools, and Community-Based Preschool and Early Learning Programs (including Head Start, Early Head Start, infant-toddler, home-visiting, and doula programs) delivered through community-based organizations and licensed home-based child-care centers. Distribution is geographic, covering every Chicago neighborhood, with multi-channel enrollment support including Family Resource Centers, a Family Support Hotline (312-229-1690), and a centralized online application portal built on Banyan (360works) and SchoolMint that now includes a live chat staffed by dedicated Application Help Specialists.

The business model is non-commercial: programs are free to families and funded through CPS allocations, DFSS contracts, and federal Head Start/Early Head Start grants, with no pricing disclosed for end users. The entity has only 7 employees, operates as a program-delivery vehicle rather than an independent revenue-generating business, and reports no funding rounds, M&A activity, or proprietary technology. Adjacent initiatives include the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library free book delivery program (expanded to select South and West Side ZIP codes in partnership with Share Our Spare), the Every Child Ready Chicago ecosystem effort, and a Workforce Scholarship program for the early-childhood education workforce. Customer-facing technology is limited to standard third-party SaaS enrollment tooling plus human-assisted chat, with multi-language support (English/Spanish application walkthrough video, translation widget, bilingual press releases) targeting immigrant families as a priority segment.

Name

HOME OF LIFE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP.

Legal name

Chicago Early Learning

Website

https://chicagoearlylearning.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HOME OF LIFE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP. operates the Chicago Early Learning program in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, delivering free public preschool and early childhood education services to Chicago families with children from birth to age 5 across CPS schools and community-based organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA), Early Head Start & Publicly Funded Infant/Toddler Programs (EDACAGAH)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Public preschool programs
• Head Start services
• Pre-K enrollment
• Community-based learning

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chicago Early Learning provides free, publicly-funded early childhood education programs for children ages 0–5 across Chicago, including full-day CPS Pre-K for 4-year-olds (with limited half-day seats for 3-year-olds) and Community-Based Head Start / Early Head Start programs serving children from prenatal through age 5. Families apply through a centralized online application portal (with live chat support) or in-person at Family Resource Centers, and are routed to CPS schools or community-based partner organizations; supplementary services include nutritious meals, free medical and dental care, and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library book delivery on the South and West Sides.

Product overview

Chicago Early Learning is a unified early childhood education platform administered by Chicago Public Schools (CPS) in partnership with community-based organizations. The portfolio includes CPS Pre-K programs for children ages 3-4, and Community-Based Preschool and Early Learning Programs (including Head Start and Early Head Start) serving children from prenatal to age 5. The core offering centers on the Chicago Early Learning Application Portal, which enables families to apply to programs across the city. Additional support services include Family Resource Centers, the Family Support Hotline (312-229-1690), and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library for literacy support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CPS Pre-K Programs Full-day preschool programs for children age 4 (turning 4 on or before September 1, 2026), with limited half-day seats available for 3-year-olds, delivered in CPS schools within designated attendance areas. Attendees in their designated attendance area school are automatically enrolled in Kindergarten without reapplying.
• Community-Based Preschool and Early Learning Programs Early childhood programs for children prenatal to age 5 offered through Community-Based Organizations, including Head Start and Early Head Start programs that provide quality early learning, school readiness, nutritious meals, and access to free medical and dental services. Full-day Early Head Start programs are located in both Community-Based Organizations and licensed child-care home-based centers, with prenatal services and home-visiting programs also available.
• Chicago Early Learning Application Portal Online enrollment application system that allows Chicago families to apply to CPS Pre-K and Community-Based Programs through a single portal, featuring a live chat function for real-time support from Application Help Specialists and placement notifications delivered to the guardian email within two business days.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (Chicago South and West Sides) Free book delivery program for children from birth to age five, available on Chicago's South and West Sides in select ZIP codes, designed to support early literacy for young children.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Learning Care Group: Operates multiple early-learning brands (Childtime, Tutor Time, La Petite Academy, Montessori). Comparable as a multi-brand early childhood operator, though primarily private-pay and for-profit across U.S. markets.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: National operator of early education and child care, including employer-sponsored programs. Overlaps with HOME OF LIFE on the early-childhood education category but operates primarily through employer-sponsored and tuition-funded centers rather than publicly funded Pre-K/Head Start.
• KinderCare Learning Centers: Largest private U.S. provider of early childhood education and daycare across hundreds of centers. Comparable as a citywide early-learning delivery model, though KinderCare is tuition-based and for-profit versus HOME OF LIFE's publicly funded, equity-focused CDC model.
• Primrose Schools: Accredited private preschool franchise network serving infants through Pre-K. Comparable on curriculum-led early-learning delivery, though tuition-based and franchise-operated versus HOME OF LIFE's publicly funded community-based delivery.

Regional players

• YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago: Regional nonprofit operator offering early learning, before/after-school care, and youth programs across Chicago. Comparable as a nonprofit, community-based early-childhood and out-of-school-time provider in the same Chicago footprint.
• Kids First Industries (Children's Home & Aid): Illinois-based child and family services nonprofit operating early childhood, Head Start, and family support programs. Comparable as a nonprofit Head Start operator with similar wraparound services and Illinois geography.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago: Regional nonprofit providing early childhood education, Head Start, and family support services across Chicago. Comparable as a community-based Head Start and early-learning operator serving low-income families in the same geography.

Direct peers

• Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Pre-K Program: The host school-district program itself, which HOME OF LIFE CDC administers as a coordinating body. Directly comparable as a free, public Pre-K delivery model for 3–4 year olds in Chicago.
• Start Early (formerly Ounce of Prevention Fund): Chicago-based nonprofit focused on high-quality early learning for children from birth to age 5, including direct program operation, advocacy, and Head Start support. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and birth-to-five service model.
• Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS): Co-funding and coordinating city agency for Head Start and community-based early childhood programs in Chicago. Directly comparable as a public-sector administrator of early childhood services in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chicagolearning
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChicagoEarlyLearning
• Instagraminstagram.com/chicagoearlylearning
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/home-of-life-community-development-corp.

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 HOME OF LIFE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP.