We've Been in This Industry for 24 Years. We Built the Framework Everyone Else is Working Around.
In 2002, we asked a question that nobody in early childhood education was asking: what does it actually take to develop a childcare director?
Not train them. Not certify them. Develop them — into leaders who can run a program, build a culture, develop a team, and make the call you would have made even when you're not in the building.
We didn't find the answer in a corporate leadership model. We built it inside real programs, alongside real directors, over two decades of iteration. In 2007, we formalized it as the Childcare Leadership Infrastructure Framework™ — and everything we do has been built on that foundation since.
More than 4,500 administrators have now completed our programs. The directors we credential stay in their roles four or more years on average. That number isn't a marketing claim. It's what happens when a leader has a framework instead of just a job description.
We started in Texas. We went national. And we're still here — because the industry still needs what we built.
Who We Are
Kate Woodward Young, M.Ed., PCC — Co-Founder
Kate has spent 24 years building the frameworks, training systems, and credentialing pathways that define how childcare directors lead.
She holds a Master's in Education and is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation. She is the co-host of the Childcare Conversations podcast — one of the most-followed professional development resources in early childhood education — and has co-authored more than 11 books, including university-adopted texts on childcare leadership.
Kate works directly with multi-location owners and enterprise clients to build the leadership infrastructure that makes scaling possible without culture breaking down.
Carrie Casey, MBA — Co-Founder
Carrie is Kate's co-founder, co-author, and the architect of the CLIF™ curriculum. Together, Kate and Carrie built TexasDirector.org — the longest-running director credentialing program in the United States — and pioneered the first online Director Credential program in the country.
Carrie leads content development and course creation, and co-facilitates cohort and enterprise programs alongside Kate.
By The Numbers
2002 · Founded in Texas
2005 · First online Director Credential program in the US
2007 · CLIF™ Framework introduced
4,500+ · Administrators credentialed
24 Years · Longest-running director development system in the US
4+ Years · Average tenure of directors we credential (vs. industry norm of under 2)
11+ · Books co-authored, including 2 university textbooks
21,000+ · Childcare Conversations podcast/newsletter subscribers
55 → 127 · Locations a single franchise client scaled our framework to — without us
Providing trusted course materials for Childcare Directors and Administrators in the US.
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