Great Starts Birth & Family Education

What Great Starts Birth & Family Education does

Great Starts Birth & Family Education is a childbirth and new-parent education program operated by Parent Trust for Washington Children, a nonprofit founded in 1984 and headquartered in the Seattle, Washington area. The program delivers a portfolio of instructor-led classes covering childbirth preparation, baby care, newborn safety and infant CPR (BabySafe™), father-focused parenting (Conscious Fathering™), birth refresher courses (Better Birth Refresher), and labor techniques (Working with Labor). Classes are offered both in-person and online via Zoom Meetings, with online participation requiring no account or membership. The core curriculum is presented as evidence-based and designed to support diverse learning styles and family structures.

The business model is direct-to-consumer, with revenue generated through one-time per-class and per-series registration fees processed via the Active Network platform, supplemented by Apple Health (Washington State Medicaid) insurance reimbursement for one birth series per pregnant beneficiary plus a partner/support person, need-based scholarships, a 5% military discount, and donations. The organization employs approximately 11 staff and primarily serves expectant and new parents in Washington State, with the online channel extending effective reach across the state.

Name

Great Starts Birth & Family Education

Legal name

Parent Trust for Washington Children

Website

https://greatstarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Great Starts Birth & Family Education is a 40-year-old Seattle-based nonprofit program under Parent Trust for Washington Children offering evidence-based childbirth and new-parent classes online and in-person across Washington State, paid via per-class fees, Apple Health insurance, or scholarships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Childbirth & Parenting Education

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Parenting Skills & Child Development Education (EDACALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Postpartum Newborn Care & Parent Education (NCS) (HSAAACAA)

Keywords

• Childbirth education
• Prenatal classes
• Parenting education
• Infant CPR training
• New parent support

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle area (implied from 206 area code)

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Class Registration Fees: One-time fees charged per class or series enrollment. Individual classes (BabySafe, Conscious Fathering, Better Birth Refresher) and multi-session birth series are available for purchase. Need-based scholarships are provided at no cost to qualifying families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Great Starts Birth & Family Education is a program of the nonprofit Parent Trust for Washington Children that delivers childbirth and new parent education classes. It offers a multi-session Birth Series as well as individual classes on baby care, infant CPR (BabySafe), father-specific preparation (Conscious Fathering), refresher courses, and labor techniques, delivered in-person and online via Zoom to expectant and new parents primarily in Washington State.

Product overview

Great Starts Birth & Family Education is a comprehensive childbirth and new parent education program under Parent Trust for Washington Children, offering a portfolio of in-person and online classes. The core offering is the Great Starts™ Series (Birth Series), a multi-session childbirth education course. This is complemented by individual classes including Baby Care classes, Better Birth Refresher, Conscious Fathering™, BabySafe™ (infant CPR), and Working with Labor. The program provides expectant and new parents with research-based knowledge, practical skills, and community support, delivered through both in-person and online formats via Zoom Meetings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Great Starts™: Childbirth and new parent classes including Birth Series, Baby Care Individual Classes, Better Birth Refresher, Conscious Fathering™, and BabySafe™

Products and services

• Great Starts™ Series (Birth Series) Comprehensive multi-session childbirth education course covering birth preparation, labor techniques, and newborn care for first-time expectant parents and their partners. Based on the latest research with diverse learning styles in mind.
• Baby Care Individual Classes Individual classes focused on newborn care skills and techniques, including tummy time and other hands-on caregiving skills, for expectant and new parents.
• Better Birth Refresher Refresher course for parents who have previously experienced childbirth, providing updated techniques, evidence-based information, and renewed preparation.
• Conscious Fathering™ Specialized class designed specifically for fathers and partners, focusing on infant care, bonding, and parenting skills from a father's perspective.
• BabySafe™ (Infant CPR) Infant safety and CPR class teaching parents and caregivers essential skills to keep babies safe and respond to emergencies.
• Working with Labor Single session class focused on labor techniques and working with labor contractions for expectant parents seeking focused preparation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Parents report increased confidence in handling birth and baby care after completing classes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Apple Health (Washington State Medicaid)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerApple Health (Washington state health insurance/Medicaid) covers one birth series for the pregnant person and their partner or support person. Families can register online using their Provider One card number. This partnership removes financial barriers and creates a referral pipeline for eligible families.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA): Professional association that trains and certifies childbirth educators worldwide; broader remit than Great Starts but operates in the same parent-education category with overlapping class content.
• The Bump: Wedding/parenting media brand offering online birth classes, baby care content, and registries; competes with Great Starts for expectant parents' attention via a much broader content portfolio.
• BabyCenter: Large digital parent-content platform offering online birth and parenting classes, articles, and trackers; broader parenting footprint but directly comparable online childbirth education offerings.

Direct peers

• Lamaze International: National nonprofit that promotes and delivers childbirth education classes through certified instructors; competes directly with Great Starts for expectant-parent enrollment with a similar in-person + online class model.
• La Leche League USA: Peer-support and education organization for new and expectant parents, focused on breastfeeding but covering broader newborn care topics; comparable class/series model and parent community building.
• Hypnobirthing (Mongan Method): A branded childbirth preparation method taught through certified practitioner classes; comparable to Great Starts in serving expectant parents seeking structured birth education, with a competing curriculum philosophy.
• Birthing From Within: Offers holistic childbirth preparation classes and mentor certifications; directly comparable curriculum depth and parent-focused methodology, with a similar partial-shift to online delivery.
• Centering Healthcare Institute (CenteringPregnancy): Operates group-based prenatal care and education programs in clinical settings; comparable cohort-based, multi-session format and overlaps with Great Starts' birth series content for Medicaid-insured mothers.

Emerging players

• Tinyhood: Online marketplace for live and on-demand prenatal and parenting classes (birth, baby care, CPR, sleep); competes with Great Starts in the same online class format with a more scalable digital-native model.
• Bundoo: Digital parenting platform offering expert-authored pregnancy, newborn, and parenting content; overlaps with Great Starts on expectant/new-parent education but delivered through a content/media model rather than live classes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-starts-birth-&-family-education

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Starts Birth & Family Education