Kid City USA
Kid City USA is expanding its Indiana footprint with a new preschool location opening in Kokomo, part of a broader push into communities seeing sustained family growth across the state. One of the more noticeable child care and early education networks expanding across the United States, including the Midwest region, Kid City was founded as a community-focused preschool that has grown substantially through franchising over the past two decades.
Its mission is to provide a nurturing environment tailored to the unique needs of children ages 6 weeks to 12 years. Emphasis is placed on the idea that it’s not just a daycare, it’s a community where every child thrives. The Kid City USA curriculum-based preschool prepares children to feel more confident when they enter kindergarten and elementary school. With extended before- and after-school care, parents and guardians can work without worry knowing their child is cared for from early morning to late afternoon.
The company, founded and led by Audrey Bruner, now operates roughly 130 locations across 10 states, with Indiana emerging as one of its fastest-growing markets.
Bruner, who grew up in Indiana and now oversees the company from its headquarters in Daytona Beach, Florida, says the state has remained central to Kid City USA’s expansion strategy.
“I’ve always felt connected to Indiana,” Bruner says. “We’ve had strong franchisees there for years, and the communities themselves value early education when it’s done well.”
The expansion into the Midwest reflects broader growth in the U.S. child care market and increased demand from families for reliable early learning and care options. This has encouraged franchising in suburban and growing communities where young families are a key demographic.
Kokomo, in particular, aligns with the company’s focus on central Indiana. The new location joins a cluster of Kid City USA schools opening throughout the greater Indianapolis area, including Westfield, Avon, McCordsville, Whitestown and Indianapolis. Bruner points to steady population growth and long-term planning as key reasons the area continues to attract families.
The city also reflects the type of development Kid City USA looks for when entering a new community. The area is experiencing residential growth, long-term investment and increasing demand for early education that goes beyond basic child care.
A major driver behind the residential and school district growth — and continued growth — is Stellantis. The global automaker announced it will invest more than $100M in Kokomo facilities and add more than 100 jobs as part of a record $13 billion U.S. expansion over the next four years. In addition, the city is focusing on enhancing quality of life for residents through plans for expanded recreational spaces and housing, upgraded public transit and continued investment in education.
Locally, Kokomo High School offers several programs aimed at supporting students’ career exploration and investing in personal development alongside traditional academics. Through the Kokomo Area Career Center, students can participate in career and technical education pathways that emphasize hands-on learning, industry experience and opportunities to earn college credit or certifications. The school also provides dual-credit coursework and specialized academies, including STEM-focused programs and International Baccalaureate options, designed to build critical thinking and transferable skills. Together, these initiatives give students exposure to potential career paths while helping them prepare for college, the workforce or other postsecondary opportunities.
Much of the company’s recent development in Indiana has been supported by longtime partner David Nash and his team, who have worked with Kid City USA on multiple facilities across the state. Their involvement has allowed schools to be designed specifically around the company’s operational and safety standards.
Indiana has become one of Kid City USA’s fastest-growing states, second only to Florida. Even as early childhood education faces funding freezes and reductions at the state and federal levels, Bruner says the company’s approach has allowed it to continue expanding.
“We’re being selective about where we grow,” she says. “We’re placing schools in communities that can support high-quality programs without relying entirely on subsidy.”
Kid City USA positions itself as a preschool rather than a daycare, a distinction Bruner says matters most during the birth-to-5-years stage.
“Anyone can watch children,” she says. “Educating them at this stage requires structure and intention.”
That approach is reflected in the company’s curriculum, which combines early academics with character development. In addition to classroom instruction, the company emphasizes nutrition through participation in the USDA food program and physical activity through structured movement initiatives.
Operational oversight is maintained through both state inspections and an internal quality assurance team. Staffing ratios remain another point of emphasis. While Indiana has adjusted required teacher-to-student ratios, Kid City USA plans to maintain its previous standards.
“Those ratios give teachers the ability to be present,” Bruner says. “Children benefit from that attention.”
Bruner says those decisions were not made lightly but reflect what has proven effective over time.
“If something is working for children, I’m not interested in changing it just because it’s easier,” she says.
The company’s approach to enrollment reflects a similar philosophy. Kid City USA does not interview children or screen families based on perceived fit. Instead, schools work with parents to support a wide range of developmental needs, and when a child requires services beyond what a particular location can provide, staff assist families in finding appropriate alternatives rather than simply turning them away.
Bruner describes this as part of a broader responsibility to families rather than a transactional relationship.
To ensure children are happy while away from home, Kid City provides a safe, secure and engaging environment they want to return to every day. Bruner’s own professional commitment to early education is reinforced by her role as a grandmother to three young children, all under age 5.
“You see very quickly how much those early years matter,” she says.
The preschool prides itself on allowing children to grow and develop in a hands-on, literacy-enriched environment. Use of television or video is limited to educational purposes only with proper authorization. At Kid City USA, curriculum is used to promote development at all stages of childhood. Most of all, the organization provides families with loving, trained caregivers who understand that all children develop differently. The program works diligently to develop the social, emotional, cognitive, physical and character development of each child while respecting the uniqueness of each family’s customs and beliefs.
As Kid City USA prepares for open houses and grand opening events in Westfield and Kokomo, Bruner says the company’s focus remains steady.
“We’ve had to adapt as an industry,” she says. “But we’re not willing to adapt at the expense of children.”
Kid City USA is committed to exceptional child care and early childhood education in a homelike environment, providing families with a safe, healthy and structured setting filled with love and encouragement.
For more information about Kid City USA, visit kidcityusa.com.
