Since launching in 2016, Bay Area-based Wonderschool has helped run more than 140 early-childhood development in-home preschools or day-care centers across California and New York City.
The company recently announced that it has tapped Denver as its fourth market, identifying an opportunity to provide an early-child care solution to a region in need.
A 2017 Center for American Progress report, which analyzed about 7,000 ZIP codes across the country, found that around 2.4 million Coloradans live in child care deserts. Of the 175,900 children under the age of five in Colorado's child care deserts, roughly half live in the Denver metro area.
Wonderschool said it's leaned on data like this to determine its expansion options and sees an opportunity to fill a need in Denver.
"There is a nationwide shortage of child care options. High-quality programs that meet a family's philosophy, location and schedule are even harder to find," Chris Bennett, co-founder and CEO of Wonderschool, said in a statement. "We are thoughtfully expanding into markets where we feel we can quickly have a positive impact and are thrilled to expand our services to the Denver area. We look forward to working alongside directors and families in the area to bring forth an innovative solution to today's early childhood care crisis."
Wonderschool provides guidance and framework to those interested in opening or growing in-home schooling or day-care programs. The company offers marketing and technology support to manage enrollment, operations, licensing and accounting.
In exchange for the support and guidance, the company takes a 10 percent fee out of the payments collected from enrolled families.
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Parents are able to see available programs in their neighborhood by searching the Wonderschool website, scheduling tours and applying directly online. Wonderschool offers a variety of programs, including language immersion, Montessori or play-based schooling.
This is the company's first major market expansion since it raised a $20 million Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz last year. That round brought the startup to $24.1 million in total funding.
The model mirrors that of Boulder-based startup MyVillage, which launched in 2017. With MyVillage, educators receive front- and back-office tools like accounting, marketing and scheduling to make it easy to launch and run an in-home child care program. MyVillage also offers professional photography, a program website and a marketing toolkit to help caretakers maximize their program.
Like Wonderschool, MyVillage takes a 10 percent cut for providing its services. The company, which raised nearly $6 million in April, currently operates in Colorado and Montana. MyVillage currently lists 12 available child care centers across the state.
Following its launch, Wonderschool currently has eight available programs in the metro-Denver area.
