Imagine Is 100% Employee-Owned

Today is one of the most meaningful days in Imagine’s history and, we believe, in the history of childcare. 

We are proud to share that Imagine Early Learning Centers is now 100% employee owned, making us the nation’s first and only fully employee-owned childcare organization operating under an ESOP.

This milestone is not simply a structural shift. It is a statement of our values.

We believe that early childhood educators are not only the backbone of Imagine, but they are also the heart, the soul, and the future of this organization.

This field has operated under a reality where educators are undervalued and under-compensated for too long. Low wages, high turnover, and limited voice have shaped the industry for decades. But at Imagine, we believe deeply that great childcare starts with giving educators a great place to work. Employee ownership is a clear reflection of that belief.

Through the ESOP, every Imagine educator and staff member now has a real financial stake in this company’s growth, a no-cost retirement benefit that builds year after year. Just as importantly, it gives each of our educators a meaningful voice in shaping the future of our centers.

This commitment to our new owners will be born out in several ways:

• Classroom-level autonomy 
• Clear and responsive feedback channels
• Ongoing focus groups to continuously strengthen curriculum and culture
• The Ownership Association, which sets its own agenda
• An Ownership Representative who will participate directly in leadership and board-level discussions.

We are not just giving voice. We are giving power. We are sharing decision-making because we believe decisions should be shaped by the people closest to children and families.

Today is about honoring the work, knowledge, and expertise of educators. It is about building a future where early childhood educators are valued as the highly skilled professionals they are.

We hope Imagine can serve as a blueprint not only for our own centers, but for the early childhood field as a whole. A model that shows what is possible when ownership, dignity, and respect are at the center of childcare.

This ownership belongs to all of us, and together we are building something truly extraordinary.