Our Story

It all began in January 2016 with one parent’s frustration at the high cost and mediocre quality of child care and early education. That parent knew the experience of the co-founders in designing custom insurance products and employee benefit plans. She came to us seeking help in developing a plan that could reduce the cost and improve availability and quality of early care and education for herself and other working parents. That parent’s frustration launched the Co-Founders on a 2 year mission (obsession) to understand the problem of high costs – and their determination to find a solution.

Our Culture

Because it takes a village, is more than a cutsie saying – it is the heart and soul of Our Village Children’s Academy. When parents entrust their children to someone else for the majority a child’s waking hours, those caregivers and educators should be much more than simply “paid providers” that are “doing their job”.

Young children thrive best and reach higher when the transition from parent to caregiver is akin to a transition from one village member to another. At OVCA, parents, children, staff, our board and other community members are equals, contributing their unique wisdom and skills to the education and development of our newest generation. Our Village is Your Village.

Social Responsibility

After all, isn’t that what it’s really all about. Being a good corporate citizen is about practicing stewardship of all that we have
and leading by example. As early childhood educators we believe that we have even greater responsibility to preserve the
greater environment and protect the greater community in order to leave our youngest generation a legacy that is truly worthy of inheriting.

In your Educational Village the three R’s (reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmatic) are not just about academics, they are how we practice social responsibility.

Recycling, practiced by all staff and introduced to children in age appropriate ways;

Rejuvenating, through our organic garden and composting program with introduction begin at age 2;

Reinvesting, all OVCA staff are provided 5 paid days off each year in order to give back to the community – whether through church, volunteering or activism – the choice is theirs. Reinvesting is an excellent way for parent and staff village members to discover common interests and share unique educational opportunities with the youngest village members while benefiting the larger community we all share.

People & Principles Before Profits

OVCA is organized as a Public Benefit Corporation. This means that although we are a for-profit company we choose to be held to a higher standard of transparency, public focus and community benefit. Unlike most for-profit child care centers, our Board of Directors and executive management have committed themselves to placing People and Principles Before Profits. Our members should understand that OVCA continues to have a dual responsibility to return profits to its shareholders, however, profits are not at the front of our decision making. Our commitment is first, to the people we serve, and second, to the principles we believe in.

Our Mission

At OVCA, our MISSION is to…
Recognize – Parents as the primary educational force in a child’s life;
Prioritize – We accept our role in providing early care and education as a public trust requiring Cost Containment with Quality Attainment;
Democratize – Receive and Honor parents as our partners in establishing and maintaining quality standards in each center;
Revolutionize – Be a model of innovation in guiding a reactive industry toward a more proactive approach;
Localize – By forging relationships between parents, staff, community businesses and local investors to establish Educational Villages that are responsive to local needs drawing upon their collective, experience, wisdom and vision.

Our Vision

At OVCA, our VISION is that parents, children, caregivers and communities, partner with one another, drawing upon their collective, experience, wisdom and vision, to form an Educational Village that creates an unparalleled early care and educational opportunity for our newest generation

Our Values

As a Public Benefit Corporation, we aspire to Be The Change We Want To See In The World.

We believe it takes a community, a “village,” to accomplish this enormous calling.

We believe in listening.

We believe in using work to get people done.

• A child’s work is to play, learn and socialize. Their holistic development literally grows exponentially through properly structured engagement.
• OVCA’s work, from our directors to teachers, and support staff is to create the environment for a child’s work. We embrace our work as a public duty to create a lasting force for good.

We believe in putting people and principles before profits.

We believe in being intentional. Early childhood development is too vital to regard it as a spectator sport (by parents, administrators, teachers or the community). Best outcomes don’t “just happen”; they require all of us to be conscious, intentional in all that we do.

We believe directors, teachers and staff matter and for too long these noble professionals have been underpaid and underappreciated. Thus, we are launching the first Employee Stock Ownership Plan within a childcare context in the country.

We believe the industry as a whole charges too much and delivers too little. OVCA will intentionally strive to set new industry standards, be an industry thought leader and be the voice of parents, children and their communities. We will Be The Change We Want To See In The World.

Who are we?

First, we are parents but we are also sons and daughters, siblings, aunts, uncles and grandparents. We are all of these as well as being early childhood educators, ministers, attorneys, technology, real estate and business professionals. Collectively we have 12 children, 6 grandchildren, 4 dogs and 2 cats. We were raised by intact marriages and single parents, we were raised by grandparents and siblings – some lost one or both parents early in life. We are you – the collective experience of the parents and children of Our Village Children’s Academy.