Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral
Right Steps Child Development Centers is an Indiana-based nonprofit operating six licensed child care centers across Tippecanoe, Jasper, and Newton Counties for children ages 6 weeks to 6 years. It also administers the federal CACFP nutrition program across 31 counties and runs Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Tippecanoe County.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersLafayette, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral does
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral, legally Right Steps Child Development Centers, is an Indiana-based nonprofit organization headquartered in Lafayette, Indiana, operating a multi-program portfolio centered on early childhood education and child development. Founded in 1969 (firmographic data cites 1985) and reorganized through a 2013 rebrand, the organization operates six licensed child care centers across Tippecanoe, Jasper, and Newton Counties — Appletree (Rensselaer), Central, Creasy, North, Goodland, and Wabash Landing (West Lafayette) — serving children from 6 weeks to 6 years old. Beyond direct child care, Right Steps administers the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) across 31 counties in northern and central Indiana in partnership with the Indiana Department of Education, reimbursing 80+ licensed child care providers for meals and snacks. The organization also runs Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Tippecanoe County, distributing approximately 48,000 free books annually to 4,000+ children under five.
The organization's technology stack is operationally oriented rather than technology-led. It uses Playground, a third-party child care management software, for enrollment and waitlist management, and implements the Creative Curriculum, a play-based pedagogical framework. Blackbaud is used for donation processing, and Golden Volunteer manages volunteer coordination. The organization's workforce of 18 employees is led by CEO Tammey Lindblom and includes a dedicated management team across ECE program direction, fund development, accounting, and individual center directors. Right Steps previously operated Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) services under contract with Indiana's Office of Early Childhood and Out of School Learning, but as of October 1, 2025, the State of Indiana sunset the CCRR network statewide and redirected family and provider support to a centralized help desk, removing a significant program and revenue line.
Right Steps' revenue is generated through three streams: child care tuition and fees from enrolled families, government contracts and reimbursements (principally CACFP, previously CCRR), and donations and philanthropy via partnerships with United Way of Greater Lafayette and the Dolly Parton Foundation. The organization pursues Paths to QUALITY Level 4 certification and NAEYC national accreditation across its centers. With 300+ families served and 450+ children annually, the organization operates at a regional nonprofit scale with no publicly disclosed financial figures and no parent company, private equity, or institutional investment.
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral
- Legal name
- Right Steps Child Development Centers
- Website
- https://thechildcareresourcenetwork.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Right Steps Child Development Centers is an Indiana-based nonprofit operating six licensed child care centers across Tippecanoe, Jasper, and Newton Counties for children ages 6 weeks to 6 years. It also administers the federal CACFP nutrition program across 31 counties and runs Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Tippecanoe County.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early Childhood Education and Child Care Services
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (624410), Child Care Services (62441), Educational Services (61)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro industry
- Infant & Toddler Classrooms within Childcare CentersPreschool Programs within Childcare Centers
Keywords
Where Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lafayette
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Child Care Tuition and Fees: Revenue from families enrolling children in early learning centers. Parents pay tuition for child care services across multiple age groups from infants through preschool.
- Government Contracts and Reimbursements: CACFP reimburses child care providers for meals and snacks served to children. The organization also partners with Indiana's Office of Early Childhood and Out of School Learning for Resource and Referral services.
- Donations and Philanthropy: Donations from community members supporting early childhood education programs including the Imagination Library book program.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Right Steps operates state-licensed child care and early education centers for children from 6 weeks to 6 years old across Tippecanoe, Jasper, and Newton Counties in Indiana. Beyond direct center operations, the agency administers the Imagination Library early literacy book program in Tippecanoe County and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) nutrition reimbursement program across 31 counties in northern and central Indiana. A Child Care Resource and Referral program previously operated in partnership with the State of Indiana was sunset on October 1, 2025.
Product overview
Right Steps is a multi-program child care and early education agency, not a technology product company. The organization operates a portfolio of services including licensed early learning centers across Indiana (Appletree, Central, Creasy, North, Goodland, Growing Patch, and Wabash Landing), the Imagination Library literacy program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). These programs work together to provide comprehensive child development support: the early learning centers offer direct child care services, Imagination Library promotes early literacy through free books, and CACFP provides nutritional support to child care providers. The organization previously administered Child Care Resource and Referral services but this program was sunset by the State of Indiana as of October 1, 2025.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Early Learning Centers A portfolio of state-licensed child care centers operating in Tippecanoe, Jasper, and Newton Counties in Indiana, delivering early care and education for children from 6 weeks to 6 years old using the Creative Curriculum play-based framework.
- Imagination Library Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program delivered in Tippecanoe County that provides free age-appropriate books monthly to all children under age five regardless of income, supporting early literacy development. Right Steps matches donations dollar-for-dollar to fund book purchases.
- Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Federal nutrition program administered in partnership with the Indiana Department of Education that reimburses child care providers for nutritious meals and snacks, provides nutrition education and food safety training, and operates across 31 counties in northern and central Indiana.
- Child Care Resource and Referral Program providing families with knowledge and resources to make informed child care decisions, supporting providers, and helping communities build quality early education infrastructure, operated in partnership with Indiana's Office of Early Childhood and Out of School Learning. Note: Sunset by the State of Indiana as of October 1, 2025; callers are directed to 1-800-299-1627.
- Appletree Learning Center Child care center at 1102 E. Grace Street, Rensselaer, IN 47978, next to Franciscan Health Rensselaer hospital, serving children from 6 weeks to five years old with designated rooms for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
- Central Learning Center Child care center in Downtown Lafayette, IN, located inside Central Presbyterian Education Building, serving children from 6 weeks to 5 years with a non-faith-based curriculum.
- Creasy Learning Center Child care center at 1170 South Creasy Lane, Lafayette, IN 47905, on Lafayette's east side surrounded by shopping centers, hospitals, and businesses, featuring a sensory/motor multipurpose room for social-emotional development.
- North Learning Center Child care center at 1904 Elmwood Avenue, Lafayette, IN 47904, located inside Paramount Schools of Excellence next to Northend Community Center, serving children from birth through five years old in multi-age and preschool classrooms.
- Goodland Learning Center Child care center at 110 North Benton Street, Goodland, IN 47948, located inside Goodland Town Hall with a multi-age classroom for infants/toddlers and a preschool classroom.
- Growing Patch Learning Center Child care center at 506 West Wilber Street, Remington, IN 47977, in a neighborhood setting with frequent walks and visits to local town park, serving ages 6 weeks to 6 years.
- Wabash Landing Learning Center Child care center at 385 Brown Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906, near Purdue University, on the bus line with proximity to Tapawingo Park, serving families of Purdue students and faculty with campus field trips.
Quantifiable outcome
- Serves 450+ children and 300+ families across multiple counties
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature1 record
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Dolly Parton FoundationcorePartnership to administer Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Tippecanoe County. The foundation provides the book delivery program while Right Steps helps buy and send books to enrolled children. Donations to the Imagination Library are matched dollar-for-dollar by Right Steps.
- Indiana's Office of Early Childhood and Out of School Learning (OECOSL)coreState agency partnership to equip families with knowledge and resources about child care and early learning, support child care providers, and help communities implement programs to build quality child care infrastructure.
- Indiana Department of EducationcoreFederal nutrition program (CACFP) administered through IDE. Reimburses child care providers for meals and snacks, provides nutrition education and food safety training across 31 counties in northern and central Indiana.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)minorRight Steps is an affiliate of NAEYC, the nation's leading organization dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children.
- United Way of Greater LafayettecoreLong-term partnership since 1999 when the Cool School After School Enrichment Program was founded as a United Way Priority Initiative.
- Indiana AEYC - T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood IndianaminorScholarship program linking education, compensation, and commitment to improve quality of early care. Provides education assistance for Right Steps employees.
- Homestead ResourcesminorCommunity Loan Program partnership offering short-term, small-dollar loans up to $1,000 to help employees access funding without high-interest payday loans.
- Paramount Schools of ExcellenceminorHost location for Right Steps North center, situated inside Paramount Schools of Excellence campus near Northend Community Center.
- Franciscan Health RensselaerminorAppletree center is located adjacent to Franciscan Health Rensselaer hospital, providing convenient access for families of hospital employees.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- KinderCare Learning Companies: One of the largest private child care and early education providers in the U.S., operating thousands of centers nationwide. Comparable in core offering of center-based early learning for infants through pre-kindergarten, though for-profit and national in scope.
- Cadence Education: Large private operator of early childhood education centers across the U.S. Comparable in delivering center-based care for infants through pre-K with structured curricula for working families, though at significantly greater national scale.
- Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Large publicly traded operator of employer-sponsored child care and early education centers nationwide. Comparable as a multi-site child care provider serving working families, though at vastly greater scale and with a corporate (for-profit) structure versus Right Steps' nonprofit model.
- Goddard School: Franchise system of year-round child care and preschool programs focused on play-based learning. Comparable to Right Steps in target market (infants through pre-K) and curriculum philosophy, though operated as a national franchise.
- Childcare Network: Operator of licensed child care centers across multiple U.S. states, serving infants through school-age children. Comparable in multi-site, center-based child care delivery and family-focused service model.
- Primrose Schools: Franchise-based national chain of accredited private preschools and child care centers. Comparable to Right Steps in providing play-based, accredited early learning (similar Creative Curriculum-style approach) for working families.
- La Petite Academy: Multi-state operator of child care centers serving infants through pre-kindergarten with structured curriculum. Comparable in center-based care delivery model for working families, though at larger national scale.
Regional players
- YMCA of Greater Lafayette: Local YMCA in the same Tippecanoe County market that operates licensed child care, after-school, and summer programming for working families. Comparable as a nonprofit, community-based child care provider serving overlapping demographics in the Lafayette area.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lafayette: Local nonprofit providing after-school and youth development programs in Tippecanoe County. Comparable as a community-based nonprofit serving overlapping youth and family segments in the Lafayette area.
- Early Learning Indiana: Indiana-focused nonprofit that supports early childhood education through quality initiatives, provider resources, and advocacy. Comparable to Right Steps' resource and referral work and its mission-driven approach to building child care infrastructure in Indiana.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral social profiles
Digital presenceRight Steps Child Care Resource and Referral financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral
What does Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral do?
Right Steps operates state-licensed child care and early education centers for children from 6 weeks to 6 years old across Tippecanoe, Jasper, and Newton Counties in Indiana. Beyond direct center operations, the agency administers the Imagination Library early literacy book program in Tippecanoe County and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) nutrition reimbursement program across 31 counties in northern and central Indiana. A Child Care Resource and Referral program previously operated in partnership with the State of Indiana was sunset on October 1, 2025.
Is Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral a public or private company?
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral founded?
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral was founded in 1969. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral based?
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral is headquartered in Lafayette, United States, in the North America region.
How does Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Child Care Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are government Contracts and Reimbursements and donations and Philanthropy.
Who are Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are KinderCare Learning Companies, Cadence Education, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Goddard School, Childcare Network, Primrose Schools and La Petite Academy. Regional players are YMCA of Greater Lafayette, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lafayette and Early Learning Indiana.
Does Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral have an API?
No public API is recorded for Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral.
What industry is Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral in?
Right Steps Child Care Resource and Referral's product category is Early Childhood Education and Child Care Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACAGAC, Infant & Toddler Classrooms within Childcare Centers, with a secondary code of EDACABAL, Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers. Its NAICS code is 624410 and its SIC code is 8351.