Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Centers

What Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Centers does

Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Centers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, founded in 1888 and operating 11 neighborhood centers across five metro Atlanta counties. The organization delivers early childhood education and two-generation family services to roughly 2,100-2,300 children and families annually through Head Start, Early Head Start, Georgia Pre-K, the Educare Atlanta site, broader family services, and a STEAM Summer enrichment program.

Instructional delivery runs on the Creative Curriculum paired with the Teaching Strategies GOLD assessment system, alongside wraparound family case management that targets adult outcomes alongside child development. The organization is NAEYC-accredited and was designated a National Head Start Center of Excellence, reflecting regulatory standing built over 25+ years as a federal Head Start/Early Head Start grantee.

Revenue is composed of federal Head Start and Early Head Start grants, state-funded Georgia Pre-K slots, sliding-scale tuition and parent fees, charitable donations, and event sponsorships. With 319 employees and concentrated exposure to federal appropriations, the cost structure is dominated by credentialed teaching staff, facilities across 11 sites, and family-services personnel. Funding is diversified across multiple income tiers of families but materially dependent on a single federal funding stream, which became visible during the 2025-2026 federal funding disruption, prompting bridge financing from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.

Name

Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Centers

Legal name

Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Centers

Website

https://shelteringarmsforkids.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Sheltering Arms is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating 11 early education centers across five metro Atlanta counties, serving 2,100-2,300 children and families annually through Head Start, Early Head Start, Georgia Pre-K, Educare Atlanta, and two-generation family services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (611710)

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

Infant & Toddler Classrooms within Childcare Centers (EDACAGAC), General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA), Inclusion, Special Needs & Early Intervention Training (IEPs/IFSPs, Neurodiversity) (EDACAIAF)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Head Start programs
• Pre-kindergarten education
• Family support services
• Early learning centers

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants (Head Start/Early Head Start): Sheltering Arms receives federal Head Start grants (Grant Number 04CH011659 from the Office of Head Start) as a Head Start grantee for over 25 years, providing full-day, full-year early learning programs.
2. Tuition and Fees: Sheltering Arms serves mixed-income working families and charges tuition for early education and childcare services.
3. Donations and Fundraising: The organization conducts fundraising events including the annual Embrace Early & Create the Future Garden Party and accepts donations through various methods including cryptocurrency, stocks, DAF, and credit card.
4. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support the organization at various levels (Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, Patron) through event sponsorships and partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Centers operates 11 NAEYC-accredited neighborhood centers across metro Atlanta, delivering full-day, full-year early childhood education to children from 6 weeks to 5 years old through Head Start, Early Head Start, Georgia Pre-K, and Educare Atlanta programs. The organization supplements classroom instruction with a two-generation family services model that addresses parents' economic stability, leadership, and advocacy skills alongside children's developmental outcomes. It also offers a STEAM Summer Enrichment Program and serves as a Head Start training and technical assistance provider for other programs in Georgia.

Product overview

Sheltering Arms provides high-quality early childhood education services through a multi-program portfolio operating at 11 metro Atlanta centers in Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties. The organization offers Head Start and Early Head Start programs (serving children from six weeks to age 5), Georgia Pre-K, and the Educare Atlanta partnership program. These core programs are delivered using The Creative Curriculum with Teaching Strategies GOLD assessment tools. The organization complements its education services with comprehensive Family Services utilizing a two-generation approach, and offers STEAM-focused summer enrichment. The portfolio serves up to 2,300 children daily and emphasizes play-based learning, family engagement, and holistic child development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Head Start Full-day, full-year federally funded Head Start program serving children from birth to age 5 with blended classrooms integrating children from diverse socio-economic backgrounds and comprehensive early learning experiences.
• Early Head Start Federal early childhood program serving infants, toddlers, and children up to age 3, providing early learning experiences and family support services.
• Georgia Pre-K State-funded pre-kindergarten program for children age 4, aligned with Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS).
• Educare Atlanta Innovative school readiness program operated in partnership with Atlanta Public Schools and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, located within Dunbar Elementary School, providing research-based early education and comprehensive family engagement.
• Family Services Two-generation family engagement programs including Parent Café gatherings, Parent Leadership Organization (PLO), PLO Boot Camp, transition meetings, and workshops covering leadership skills, economic success, and advocacy training.
• STEAM Summer Enrichment Program Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics focused summer enrichment program for enrolled children.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children score in the 90th percentile for language and literacy, exceeding developmental milestones for kindergarten readiness
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, platinum sponsor, diamond sponsor and gold sponsor.

• Atlanta Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Atlanta Public Schools to operate Educare Atlanta center within Dunbar Elementary School, creating a seamless connection to elementary school success and serving as one of the nation's most innovative school readiness programs.
• Annie E. Casey FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Annie E. Casey Foundation as part of the Family Economic Success - Early Childhood Initiative Action Learning Network, supporting high-quality early childhood education and family support services.
• Educare Learning NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the national Educare Network connected to a community of early learning leaders dedicated to advancing quality, innovation, and excellence in early childhood education through collaboration and shared learning.
• GEEARS (Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEEARS leads advocacy initiatives including Strolling Thunder at the Georgia State Capitol, connecting parents and communities with legislators to drive policy change for early childhood education.
• Cartier's Charitable Foundationplatinum sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor for Embrace Early & Create the Future fundraising event supporting high-quality early child care programs.
• Delta Air Linesdiamond sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond sponsor supporting Sheltering Arms fundraising events and programs.
• PNC Financial Servicesgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor supporting Sheltering Arms events and programs.
• WME (William Morris Endeavor)diamond sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond sponsor for Sheltering Arms events and programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Primrose Schools: Atlanta-area headquartered private preschool franchise with ~500+ U.S. schools serving infants through Pre-K. Comparable as a play-based, high-quality early education operator in the same geographic market with overlapping services for working families.
• Childcare Network: Large regional Head Start and Tuition-based early childhood provider with ~200+ centers across the U.S. Southeast. Comparable as a non-profit/multi-program operator serving Head Start-eligible and tuition-paying families, with major Atlanta-area presence.
• Goddard School: Premier private preschool franchise with ~600+ locations focused on play-based, developmentally appropriate early education. Comparable curriculum philosophy and target customer (working families seeking Pre-K) though operating under a franchise model.
• The Learning Experience: National early childhood education franchise with ~600 locations serving infants through Pre-K. Comparable as a multi-site preschool operator with a similar family-focused, curriculum-based approach targeting working families.
• La Petite Academy: National early childhood education provider with multiple centers serving infants through Pre-K and school-age children. Comparable as a multi-site operator targeting working families, though operates as a tuition-based for-profit.

Regional players

• Atlanta Public Schools (Early Learning): Operates Pre-K and early learning programs within the same metro Atlanta service area and is a direct partner via the Educare Atlanta program at Dunbar Elementary. Functions as both collaborator and potential competitor for similar families.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: National operator of early education and child care centers serving ~110,000 children across the U.S. Comparable as a scaled early-education provider, but publicly traded and corporate-sponsored, with a much broader footprint and tuition-based model.
• KinderCare Learning Centers: One of the largest private U.S. early childhood education providers with ~1,500 centers serving infants through school-age. Comparable as a multi-site early education operator but operates as a tuition-driven, for-profit entity without Sheltering Arms' Head Start/Pre-K non-profit mission.

Emerging players

• Educare Learning Network (national network): National network of high-quality early childhood schools serving high-needs children and families; Sheltering Arms is a member via Educare Atlanta. Direct peer in program model and target population (low-income/at-risk children), with shared advocacy and TA infrastructure.

Others

• Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning: State agency administering Georgia's Pre-K Program and licensing childcare providers. Not a peer operationally, but a primary regulator and funding source for Sheltering Arms' Pre-K and licensed early learning programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Sheltering_Arms
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHUNxm7-lwlyFxewIqpwdlw
• Facebookfacebook.com/SAatl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sheltering-arms-early-education-and-family-centers
• Instagraminstagram.com/sheltering_arms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Centers