BBMA expands child care access through TOOTRiS partnership

Big Blue Marble Academy is joining TOOTRiS to help thousands of working families find employer-sponsored child care across nearly 100 schools in nine states. The move connects BBMA’s early education network with TOOTRiS benefits, giving parents a faster way to use child care stipends and enroll in care.

Why it matters: - The partnership widens access to early childhood education for working families who struggle to find affordable child care. - BBMA can reach employees whose employers already offer TOOTRiS Child Care Benefits. - Employers using TOOTRiS can direct more families into a broader set of vetted child care options. - The arrangement may also help BBMA fill seats across its school network.

What happened: - Big Blue Marble Academy expanded its partnership with TOOTRiS, the nation’s largest Child Care platform. - The partnership connects BBMA schools with families through employer-sponsored Child Care Benefits. - Nearly 100 BBMA schools across nine states will now be available through the platform. - BBMA operates in states including Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and Texas.

The details: - BBMA serves infants through school-age children with early care, preschool, after-school and summer programs. - The school network spans the Southeast and beyond. - BBMA’s Passport to Learning™ curriculum covers eight learning domains. - The curriculum is designed to build confidence, curiosity and creativity, while supporting academic, social and emotional development from infancy through kindergarten and beyond. - TOOTRiS gives parents one place to find and pay for care from more than 270,000 vetted options nationwide. - Eligible employees can apply employer-provided child care stipends toward enrollment costs. - BBMA says the partnership will bring working parents directly to its doors and let its teams stay focused on educating children. - A June 2026 Pew Research Center report found 48% of working parents with a child age 5 or younger say it is difficult to find care that meets their cost expectations. - Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, a TOOTRiS employer partner, said the platform has expanded child care options for workers over four years and has already helped team members enroll at BBMA.

Between the lines: - The deal reflects growing pressure on employers to help workers solve child care challenges. - It also shows how child care benefits are becoming a workforce tool, not just a family perk. - TOOTRiS positions the model as a three-way win for providers, employers and parents. - BBMA gains a new distribution channel without changing its core education offering.

What's next: - Families whose employers offer TOOTRiS Benefits can begin discovering BBMA locations through the platform. - BBMA may use the partnership to increase enrollment across its nearly 100 schools. - TOOTRiS is likely to continue adding providers and employer partners as demand for child care support grows.

The bottom line: - BBMA is betting that employer-sponsored child care benefits can turn a national workforce problem into a direct pipeline of new families.