McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership

What McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership does

The McCormick Institute for Early Childhood, formerly the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership and reorganized in 2024 as an institute within National Louis University, delivers professional development, credentialing, and quality assessment services to early childhood education and care (ECEC) leaders. Its core products include the Aim4Excellence National Director Credential (a self-paced nine-module online program with college credit through NLU, recognized in 28 states), the Ready to Lead academy for new center directors (22 contact hours, blended delivery), the Taking the Lead nine-month academy for family child care professionals (119 contact hours, includes a $300 quality improvement grant), and the Building Better Business academy. The portfolio is complemented by proprietary assessment instruments — the Program Administration Scale (PAS-3), the Business Administration Scale (BAS), and use of FCCERS-R — and by trainer-oriented content such as the Director's Toolbox Management Series.

Technology is built around a learning management system (mccormickcenterelearning.nl.edu) hosting self-paced modules, layered onto blended in-person cohort sessions delivered at NLU campuses in Chicago, Lisle, and Wheeling and at INCCRRA in Bloomington. The business model combines heavily state-subsidized cohort enrollment ($175 per Illinois participant for Ready to Lead and Taking the Lead, funded by the Illinois Department of Early Childhood and the FDC Foundation) with out-of-state market-rate tuition, optional NLU college credit fees, Aim4Excellence credential subscriptions with five-year renewals, and licensing/sales of assessment tools and trainer materials to technical assistance providers. The primary customer segments are early childhood center directors (under five years in role), family child care professionals, and a secondary segment of technical assistance providers and trainers; the organization serves individuals rather than enterprise accounts, with program demand driven almost entirely by Illinois state workforce development funding.

Name

McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership

Legal name

McCormick Institute for Early Childhood at National Louis University

Website

https://mccormickcenter.nl.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The McCormick Institute for Early Childhood, an institute within National Louis University, delivers state-funded leadership academies, an online national director credential, and proprietary quality assessment tools for early childhood center directors, family child care providers, and technical assistance professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Professional Development & Assessment

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

ECE Leadership & Administration Training (Directors/Owners/Supervisors) (EDACAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses) (EDACAIAB), Training & Credential Compliance Tracking (PD registry alignment) (EDACAKAH)

Keywords

• Early childhood leadership
• Child care director training
• Early childhood assessment tools
• Family child care support
• Early childhood professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State-Funded Professional Development Programs: Leadership academies and training programs funded by the Illinois Department of Early Childhood. Programs such as Ready to Lead and Taking the Lead charge a $175 registration fee for Illinois professionals, subsidized by government funding. Out-of-state participants pay market rates.
2. Aim4Excellence Online Credential Program: Self-paced online professional learning modules for the Aim4Excellence National Director Credential. College credit available through National Louis University for an additional tuition charge. Credential renewal required every five years.
3. Building Better Business Academy: 24-hour professional development academy for family child care professionals, with 4 virtual sessions over 4 months. Aligned with Illinois Family Child Care Credential.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

McCormick provides professional development, leadership training, and assessment services for early childhood program leaders. Its offerings include online credential-bearing courses (Aim4Excellence), mentoring programs (Ready to Lead), instructor-led courses (Taking the Lead), business and financial management training (Building Better Business), practitioner resources (Director's Toolbox), and validated program quality assessments (PAS-3 and BAS). Customers are early childhood center directors, assistant directors, family child care providers, and the technical assistance workforce serving them.

Product overview

The McCormick Institute offers a portfolio of professional development programs and assessment tools for early childhood education leaders. The core offerings include three leadership academies: Aim4Excellence (self-paced online National Director Credential with 9 modules), Ready to Lead (blended academy for new center directors), Taking the Lead (9-month program for family child care professionals), and Building Better Business (4-session FCC business training). These are complemented by the Director's Toolbox Management Series (trainer materials), PAS-3 Transformative TA Institute, and assessment tools including the Program Administration Scale (PAS) and Business Administration Scale (BAS). Online learning modules cover communication, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), and specific topic areas. The portfolio follows a Whole Leadership Framework addressing administrative leadership, pedagogical leadership, and leadership essentials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aim4Excellence Online credential-bearing course that builds foundational leadership knowledge for early childhood center directors and aspiring leaders, often used to meet state director credential requirements.
• Ready to Lead Mentoring program that supports new early childhood leaders through structured one-on-one guidance from experienced mentors in the field.
• Taking the Lead Instructor-led course for experienced early childhood program leaders seeking to deepen management, supervision, and program quality skills.
• Building Better Business Business and financial management training focused on the operational realities of running early childhood programs, including budgeting, pricing, and financial sustainability.
• Director's Toolbox Curated set of resources, tools, and materials designed to support day-to-day leadership in early childhood programs.
• Program Administration Scale (PAS-3) Third edition of a validated assessment instrument that measures leadership and administrative practices in early childhood programs and is used for program quality improvement.
• Business Administration Scale (BAS) Validated assessment instrument for measuring business and operations practices in family child care programs and supporting quality improvement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 83% of Taking the Lead participants updated their business's contracts after completing the program.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• National Louis University (NLU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe McCormick Institute for Early Childhood is housed within National Louis University. NLU's nearly one and a half centuries of leadership in early childhood education provides institutional backing and enables college credit pathways for McCormick programs. NLU's infrastructure (campuses in Chicago, Lisle, Wheeling) supports in-person program delivery.
• Illinois Department of Early ChildhoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government agency that funds McCormick's Ready to Lead and Taking the Lead programs, enabling the $175 registration fee for Illinois professionals. Programs are aligned with Illinois early childhood workforce development initiatives.
• Illinois Gateways to OpportunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllinois state professional development system that approves McCormick programs for contact hours. Credentials (Gateways Illinois Director Credential, Gateways Illinois Family Child Care Credential) are integrated into McCormick program pathways.
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAim4Excellence supports NAEYC program accreditation. The credential and modules align with NAEYC standards for early childhood program leadership.
• BUILD InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with BUILD Initiative on a webinar highlighting three state action plans for rebuilding early childhood leadership capacity post-pandemic. Demonstrates thought leadership and peer collaboration.
• INCCRRA (Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReady to Lead cohort sessions hosted at INCCRRA's Bloomington, IL location, extending program reach to central Illinois.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Penn State Better Kid Care: University-extension-based ECE professional development with online modules and credentials. Comparable as a university-affiliated ECE training program delivering self-paced content to directors and FCC providers.
• Council for Professional Recognition (CDA): National credentialing body that administers the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, the most widely held ECE professional credential. Directly comparable as an ECE-specific competency credential with state and federal recognition.
• First Children's Finance: Nonprofit focused on ECE business management, financial leadership, and director training. Comparable as a non-state provider of business and leadership training for ECE program owners and directors.
• Care Courses: Distance-learning provider of ECE training accepted in most states for licensing and credential renewal. Comparable as a state-approved asynchronous ECE training alternative to McCormick's cohort academies.
• ProSolutions Training: Online ECE training platform offering CDA, director credential, and state-approved coursework. Comparable as a self-paced ECE PD provider competing for the same director and FCC training budgets.
• ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI): Online provider of ECE professional development and director-approved training courses. Directly comparable as a digital ECE training and certification provider serving center directors and family child care providers.

Broad incumbents

• Child Care Aware of America: National ECE network providing CCR&R services, training, and policy advocacy. Comparable as a federally connected PD and resource broker but with a broader consumer-facing scope than McCormick.
• NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children): National membership and accreditation body setting ECE program standards. Comparable as the broader standards-setter whose accreditation framework McCormick's Aim4Excellence aligns to — but operates as a broad industry association rather than a direct training provider.

Regional players

• INCCRRA (Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies): Illinois CCR&R network that hosts McCormick's Bloomington cohort and runs statewide ECE PD. Comparable as a regional PD and referral intermediary operating in the same Illinois market and partner-channel relationship.

Others

• T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood National Center: National scholarship and workforce-development program funding ECE credentials and degrees. Comparable as an adjacent funder of the same director/FCC credential pathways that McCormick delivers, often underwriting enrollment in McCormick-style programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcecl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership