Wonderschool Raises $2 Million to Make High-Quality Preschool Education Widely Available

SAN FRANCISCO, June 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Wonderschool, a network of boutique early childhood programs that combine the quality standards of the best child care facilities in the world with the personal touch of an in-home program, announced today a $2 million seed round of financing led by First Round Capital, and including Cross Culture Ventures, SoftTech VC, Lerer Ventures, FundersClub, and Edelweiss. Funds will be used to build the initial product and team.

"The first five years of a child's life are a critical period of learning and development, when a child needs opportunities to explore and socialize," said Chris Bennett, co-founder and CEO of Wonderschool. "By providing online tools and a community of support for educators, we simplify the process of starting and growing an in-home childcare or preschool program so our partners can focus on what they do best -- the quality of their curriculum and teaching. Parents benefit from having their child at a program with the quality standards of some of the best centers in the world."

Wonderschool partners with experienced educators and child care providers ("Directors"), assisting them with licensing, program setup, marketing, and much more. Its software allows program directors to manage their students, parents, and their program from one dashboard. All programs set up nurturing, developmentally appropriate in-home environments, and all must define program philosophy and curriculum for parents. Mentors provide Wonderschool Directors with coaching, support, professional development, and trainings.

Wonderschool's program quality and oversight is guided by Mia Pritts, a childhood education expert who hails from Children's Creative Learning Center, the early childhood education providers that started the campus preschool system at Google, Stanford, Pixar, and many others.

For parents, Wonderschool provides a marketplace to search for child care education programs, schedule visits, enroll their children, and make payments, given the struggle they often experience around childcare.

The network currently has more than 50 programs in its network in California and plans to expand to other states.

"There is a true crisis around 'child care deserts' where for every one slot at a child care center, there are three or more kids vying for the spot," said Mia Pritts, Wonderschool's Head of Early Care & Education. "Wonderschool provides one solution to this issue by giving parents more options, while combining the quality of a commercial program with the soul of a neighborhood one."

About Wonderschool
Based in San Francisco, California, Wonderschool is a network of boutique early childhood programs that combine the quality standards of the best centers in the world with the warmth of an in-home program. The company makes it easy for educators and child care providers to start and operate their own programs and for families to easily find them. Working with Wonderschool, educators can focus on what they do best -- teaching, and parents can have peace of mind knowing their children's early care and education are in good hands.  Founded by a team of successful entrepreneurs with a background in edtech and SaaS technologies, Wonderschool is funded by First Round Capital, Cross Culture Ventures, SoftTech VC, Lerer Ventures, FundersClub, and Edelweiss. To find out more, please visit www.wonderschool.com.

SOURCE Wonderschool

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https://www.wonderschool.com/