In this episode, Jim Perretty, former CEO of Children of America, shares his 24-year journey in early childhood education and reveals how proactive compliance management and digital solutions can transform operational efficiency while protecting brand reputation.
Our Expert Jim Perretty
Jim Perretty is the former CEO of Children of America, where he led the organization to manage 60 schools over his 24-year tenure. Jim’s entry into early childhood education was unexpected-he transitioned from funding tech startups in the late 1990s to childcare operations, starting in finance before moving into operations despite having no prior childcare experience. Throughout his career, Jim learned firsthand the complexities of multi-state compliance, the critical importance of training, and how digital tools can revolutionize safety management. His practical, straightforward approach emphasizes that successful childcare operations begin with investing in people and maintaining proactive compliance systems.
About Jim’s Approach to Operations
Jim built his operational philosophy on the foundation that early childhood education is a people first business requiring constant attention to training, compliance, and relationship-building. Under his leadership, Children of America expanded across multiple states, navigating the complexities of varying regulations while maintaining quality standards. Jim advocates for proactive compliance management through digital solutions that provide reminders, track expiration dates, and identify trends across multiple locations. He emphasizes that successful childcare operations require infrastructure that allows leaders to monitor compliance across regions, build positive relationships with licensing agencies, and most importantly, invest continuously in staff training to prevent issues before they arise.
In this episode, we cover:
– Evolution from daycare to educational childcare
– Digital compliance management solutions
– Proactive training as violation prevention
– Building relationships with licensing agencies
A sneak peek inside the episode:
“It starts with one, and I don’t care whether you’re talking about just a random act of kindness or whatever you’re doing, not only in this business but life. You have to start with one thing, and you can have a thousand things to do, but you can’t do them all at once. So just start doing one at a time and picking them off and you’ll find success.”
Watch the conversation:
