A Child's Place

What A Child's Place does

A Child's Place Extended Care, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned childcare and early education operator based in Devon, Pennsylvania, founded in 2012 by Tracie Costello as the successor to her mother Donna Parisi's Tot Time Child Development Centers (1994) and a home daycare that dates to 1984. The company runs two integrated service lines: (i) Early Learning Centers in Blue Bell, Devon, and Villanova (Ithan Montessori partner) serving infants age six weeks through pre-kindergarten on a year-round, full- and part-time basis, and (ii) School District Programs providing on-site before-care, after-care, and kindergarten enrichment in 40+ elementary and middle schools across six partner Pennsylvania districts (Centennial, Coatesville Area, Downingtown Area, Owen J. Roberts, Tredyffrin/Easttown, West Chester Area). Programmatic differentiation is anchored in Pennsylvania's Creative Curriculum and Early Childhood Standards, Keystone STARS quality compliance, and supplemental services including summer camp and Day Off Programs.

The company's commercial model is fundamentally recurring-revenue tuition billed monthly, with pricing tiered by program type, part-time vs. full-time enrollment, and district (before care ranges from $113-$178/month part-time to $173-$268/month full-time; combined before-and-after full-time reaches $389-$425/month; kindergarten enrichment runs $330-$512/month). Annual registration fees ($75-$150 per child or family) layer a one-time charge on top. ACP accepts Pennsylvania Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) state-subsidized childcare funding across five counties and contributes roughly $550,000 annually of its own tuition assistance to expand access. The technology stack is lean: registration, billing, and payment are run through the third-party My ProCare platform, with the company website serving as the primary online enrollment funnel and phone outreach supporting district-level demand capture.

The business is family-controlled with no external investors or PE ownership disclosed. Leadership is concentrated in a four-person C-suite (CEO/President Tracie Costello, CFO/Controller Anne Dougherty, COO Catie Garofalo, Executive Director Allison Barrett) supported by per-district Directors. The company serves more than 3,400 students and families across Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, and Delaware counties, with no disclosed revenue, headcount, or multi-year financial benchmarks; growth is executed almost entirely through new or expanded school district partnerships rather than M&A or external capital.

Name

A Child's Place

Legal name

A Child's Place

Website

https://acpkids.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

A Child's Place is a privately held, founder-owned childcare and early education operator in southeastern Pennsylvania, running three Early Learning Centers (infants to pre-K) and on-site before/after school programs at 40+ schools across six partner districts, serving more than 3,400 families on a recurring monthly tuition model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Childcare Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (6244), Child Care Services (624410)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDACABAL

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers

Education/Early Childhood Education/Preschools & Pre-K Programs

SECONDARYEDACAGAC

Infant & Toddler Classrooms within Childcare Centers

Education/Early Childhood Education/Infant & Toddler Care Programs

SECONDARYEDACABAA

General Preschools (Play-Based)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Preschools & Pre-K Programs

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Before and after school care
• Childcare services
• Kindergarten enrichment
• Summer camp programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Devon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices46 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Childcare Tuition: Monthly tuition payments for early learning center programs and before/after school care. Programs offered include full-time and part-time enrollment options. Pricing varies by program type (before care, after care, combined, kindergarten enrichment) and district.
2. Annual Registration Fees: One-time registration fees charged each school year per child and per family. $100 per child / $150 per family for new students; $75 per child / $125 per family for returning students.
3. State Subsidized Childcare (ELRC): Accepts Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) state subsidized childcare funding for eligible families in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

A Child's Place operates licensed early learning centers for infants through pre-kindergarten and provides school-age before-care, after-care, kindergarten enrichment, summer camp, and day-off programs. Services are delivered both at company-owned centers and inside partner public elementary schools across Pennsylvania. Programs emphasize literacy, math, science, art, music, and physical activity under Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards.

Product overview

A Child's Place is a childcare and early education organization offering two primary service lines: Early Learning Centers serving children ages 6 weeks to 5 years (Blue Bell, Devon, and Ithan Montessori locations), and School Age Programs serving students in grades K-8 across six Pennsylvania school districts (Centennial, Coatesville, Downingtown, Owen J. Roberts, Tredyffrin/Easttown, and West Chester Area). The School Age Programs include Before Care, After Care, and Kindergarten Enrichment services operated on-site within elementary and middle schools. The company also offers Summer Camp and Day Off Programs. Founded in 2012, the organization has grown from a predecessor childcare business founded in 1984 and serves over 3,400 students and families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ithan Montessori: Montessori program located in Villanova, PA, operated as a separate program under A Child's Place.

Products and services

• A Child's Place at Blue Bell Early learning center serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with full-day childcare in the Blue Bell, PA area.
• A Child's Place at Devon
• Ithan Montessori School Montessori-method early learning center operated by A Child's Place, serving preschool-age children.
• School-Age Before and After Care On-site before-school and after-school care programs delivered inside partner elementary schools for children in kindergarten through grade 8.
• Kindergarten Enrichment
• Summer Camp Multi-week summer day camp programs for school-age children combining activities, field trips, and themed programming.
• Day Off Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,400 students and families served
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Owen J. Roberts School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Since 2017, partnered to provide extended-day child care in all five elementary schools (East Coventry, East Vincent, French Creek, North Coventry, West Vincent). Before care: 6:30am-8:30am, After care: 3:10pm-6:00pm.
• Downingtown Area School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Since 2015, partnered to provide extended-day child care in all ten elementary schools as well as the Marsh Creek Sixth Grade Center. Before care: 7:00am-8:50am, After care: 3:30pm-6:00pm.
• West Chester Area School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Since 2012, partnered to provide extended-day child care in all ten elementary schools. In 2021, added Greystone Elementary. Before care: 7:00am-start of school day. After care: end of school day-6:00pm.
• Tredyffrin/Easttown School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Since 2007, partnered to provide extended-day child care in all five elementary schools and two middle schools. Before care: 7:00-8:45 AM (elementary), 7:00-8:27 AM (middle school). After care: 3:45-6:00 PM (elementary), 3:10-6:00 PM (middle school). Also provides Kindergarten Enrichment Program.
• Centennial School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Since 2003, in connection with Tot-Time, partnered to provide extended-day child care in all three elementary schools (Davis, McDonald, Willow Dale). Programs operate 3:25pm-6:00pm before care and 7:00am-6pm.
• Coatesville Area School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBefore and after care programs at all five elementary schools (Caln, East Fallowfield, Kings Highway, Rainbow, Reeceville). Before care operates 7:00am to start of school day.
• Ithan MontessoriminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontessori program located in Villanova, PA operated as a partner location. For more information, families directed to visit www.ithanmontessori.com. Director: Melanie McGinn.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Right At School: Provider of before, after, and on-site enrichment programs embedded in partner elementary schools nationwide. Directly comparable to A Child's Place's School Age Programs across multiple partner districts on the district-embedded delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• KinderCare Learning Companies: National center-based early childhood education and school-age care provider (including the Champions before/after-school program). Comparable to A Child's Place on the early learning and before/after school care products, though at vastly greater scale.
• Learning Care Group: Operator of multiple center-based childcare brands (Childtime, Tutor Time, La Petite Academy, Montessori Unlimited). Comparable to A Child's Place on the full-service center-based early learning and school-age care model, though operating at national scale across multiple brands.
• Cadence Education: Large US private operator of early childhood education centers serving infants through pre-K. Closely comparable to A Child's Place's Early Learning Centers on age range and tuition model, including Montessori and traditional curricula.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Largest publicly-traded US provider of center-based childcare, early education, and before/after-school care with employer-sponsored and district partnerships. Operates at national scale and overlaps with A Child's Place across both product lines (early learning + school-age enrichment).

Direct peers

• The Malvern School: Pennsylvania-headquartered private early learning and childcare operator with multiple centers across the state, directly comparable to A Child's Place in geography, age range served (infant through pre-K), and tuition-based center model.
• The Goddard School: Franchised private preschool system serving infants through pre-K with play-based, accredited curriculum. Closely comparable to A Child's Place's Early Learning Centers on age range, tuition model, and curriculum philosophy, including local-owner-operated units in the Mid-Atlantic.
• Primrose Schools: National franchised early education provider for infants through pre-K and after-school age, offering accredited, balanced-learning curriculum. Comparable to A Child's Place's center-based infant-to-pre-K and after-school programs with similar tuition-based enrollment model.

Others

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National nonprofit network providing after-school and summer programming for school-age children. Comparable to A Child's Place's School Age Programs (before/after care, summer camp, enrichment) on target demographic, though non-tuition-funded rather than tuition-driven.

Regional players

• Montessori Schools of Pennsylvania / local Montessori independents: Independent and small-chain Montessori schools serving similar infant-to-pre-K age range in the Greater Philadelphia region. Comparable to A Child's Place's Ithan Montessori partner location on curriculum type and local market overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/a-child-s-place

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 A Child's Place