Protect and enhance what makes your school special.
Little Wonders is a family-owned group of childcare centers. We partner with owners who care about what happens next, while giving families continuity and teachers the support they need to keep doing their best work.
A simple promise
A family-owned childcare group built around people.
Our story
Little Wonders began as a partnership between Grant Urken and Grace & Grant McClure, shaped by a shared respect for the role that early childhood schools play in a family’s daily life. As parents, operators, and long-term owners, we understand the trust families place in a school’s teachers, routines, classrooms, and leadership.
That trust is built through small moments that matter. A confident goodbye at the classroom door. A teacher who knows when a child needs extra comfort. The quiet pride on a child’s face when they try something for the first time. These little wonders can be easy to miss, but are what thoughtful ownership should protect.
We started Little Wonders because we wanted more schools to have the kind of steady, caring ownership that families and teachers deserve. Many schools are built by owners who have poured decades into their communities and are beginning to think about retirement, succession, or the next chapter for their school. We give those owners a way to step back while preserving the school’s name, culture, relationships, and sense of community.
When a school joins Little Wonders, we spend time learning from the families, teachers, school leaders, routines, and traditions that make it feel like itself. Our job is to protect what families already love and add support where it helps. We believe every child deserves a safe, nurturing, fun, and educationally rich environment that prepares them for school and supports the whole child socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually.
Selling your school should not mean losing what made it special.
If you have spent years building a school, you want to know it will be cared for after you sell. You want families to feel steady, teachers to feel respected, and the school's name, culture, and routines to keep meaning something. That is the kind of transition we try to create.
Your school keeps its identity
Each school keeps its name and operates locally. We respect the reputation, relationships, and routines that families already trust.
Your team is supported
Teachers and school leaders are central to what makes a school work. We listen first, give the team clarity through the transition, and add practical support where it helps.
Your families feel continuity
Parents should feel that the school they trust is still familiar, steady, and focused on their children.
Your legacy has a long-term home
We work with owners on a careful handoff and build for long-term stewardship, not quick resale or a one-size-fits-all model.
Local schools stay local, with stronger support behind them.
We do not believe every school should look the same. The best schools have local relationships, familiar routines, and a culture families can feel. Our approach is to preserve what already works, then add practical support behind the scenes.
Identity and trust
Name, culture, teacher relationships, classroom routines, parent confidence, and local reputation.
Systems and support
Director support, teacher support, payroll, benefits, compliance routines, parent communication, and facility planning.
Unnecessary disruption
We do not rush visible changes, erase local identity, or treat teachers like interchangeable labor.
A clear process for a personal decision.
Selling a business may be new for you, and it should not have to feel adversarial. We help you understand each step, protect confidentiality, and work toward a fair, thoughtful handoff without pressure or gamesmanship.
Confidential introduction
We listen to your goals, timing, concerns, and what a good outcome would look like before asking for sensitive information.
Fit and goals
We explain how we think, learn about your school, and answer questions so the process feels clear rather than mysterious.
Thoughtful proposal
If there is fit, we discuss value, structure, seller involvement, and transition planning in plain language.
Careful handoff
We manage the handoff carefully so owners, teachers, and families know what to expect after closing.
A transition should feel steady for the people who matter most.
After a center joins Little Wonders, each group should know what we are trying to protect, what we are trying to improve, and how we will communicate along the way.
Stability
Children should experience familiar classrooms, trusted adults, consistent routines, and the same sense of safety and belonging.
Trust
Families should feel continuity in the teachers, routines, communication, and care they already rely on.
Support
Teachers should feel heard, respected, and supported by clearer systems and directors with more capacity to lead.
Succession
Owners should have a thoughtful transition that protects what they built, respects confidentiality, and keeps the school steady.
Your child continues to feel cared for, supported, and free to flourish in the school they know and love.
We know families may worry when ownership changes. You care about the teachers your child trusts, the routines that make school feel safe, the quality of care, and communication you can count on. We care about those same things.
Our focus is continuity:
Questions owners often ask.
A thoughtful process should answer the questions sellers may be hesitant to ask directly.
Do I need to be ready to sell right away?+
No. Many conversations start before an owner is ready for a transaction. We are glad to talk confidentially about goals, timing, fit, and what a thoughtful transition could look like.
Will Little Wonders change the school name?+
No. In almost all cases, we do not change a school's name. Local identity matters, and families should continue to recognize the school they know and trust.
What happens to teachers and directors after closing?+
Continuity with teachers and directors is central to a successful transition. We start by listening, stabilizing the school, and supporting the team with practical systems and resources.
Can an owner stay involved after a sale?+
Sometimes. We are open to discussing a transition plan that fits the owner's goals, the school's needs, and the role of the existing director and team.
Considering the next chapter for your school?
We would welcome a confidential conversation about your goals, your school, and whether Little Wonders could be a good long-term group.
Send a confidential inquiry
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