BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NeighborSchools, a startup that’s reinventing child care for children, parents and providers, today announced it has raised $3.5 million in seed funding. Accomplice led the round, with Tuhaye Venture Partners and World Within also participating.
Massachusetts is one of 28 states in which annual child care costs exceed college tuition. Yet child care professionals struggle to make a living, with many earning below minimum wage. Using an innovative model, NeighborSchools tackles this problem by helping experienced caregivers launch and sustainably operate licensed home daycares.
“As a parent, I know the struggle to find child care is real and universal,” said Bridget Garsh, Co-Founder and COO of NeighborSchools. “Some can't find care, others don't earn enough to afford it, and no one likes to think about how little preschool teachers make. We created NeighborSchools to empower people passionate about working with children to become small business owners. By supporting them we are increasing access to affordable, high-quality child care for parents everywhere. Children get the individualized care they deserve, parents pay a lot less than they would at a large, corporate center, and Providers can earn a living wage doing what they love. It's a win-win-win."
NeighborSchools connects parents to thousands of licensed home daycares throughout Massachusetts, and the funding round will allow the company to expand throughout the region. “We’re on a mission to bring quality, affordable child care to every block in America and we believe that starts with deeply understanding our customers, both Providers and parents, and building a community and platform that meets their unique needs,” added Brian Swartz, Co-Founder and CEO of NeighborSchools. “This funding will help us accelerate this vision and make NeighborSchools the go-to platform for parents to discover, research and connect with licensed home daycares near them.”
“We’re thrilled to support NeighborSchools in their mission,” said Sam Clemens, General Partner at Accomplice. “The founding team has extensive experience building world-class technology platforms and the company’s advisors have decades of experience working at every level of early childhood education. Together they have a timely opportunity to tackle a massive industry that’s in desperate need of reinvention.”
To discover a NeighborSchools daycare near you, click here. To inquire about starting a licensed home daycare via NeighborSchools, click here. To review and apply for open career opportunities at NeighborSchools, click here.
About NeighborSchools
Founded in 2018, NeighborSchools is a software company on a mission to create a better, more equitable child care system. By empowering people with a passion for early childhood development to launch and sustainably operate licensed home daycares and helping parents identify trusted home daycare providers in their neighborhood, NeighborSchools increases access to affordable, quality child care. Providers who partner with NeighborSchools are able to double their income while offering individualized child care for families that’s 30% more affordable than large, center-based programs. The NeighborSchools platform assists home daycare providers with licensing, set-up and business operations, freeing them to do what they do best: nurture and care for young children.
