edWebinars
«Back to all edWebinars- This event has passed.
Growing Your Childcare Center in the Age of Change
Thursday, January 15, 2026 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EST
Presented by Marnie Forestieri Zettler, Founder and CEO, Young Innovators Schools
Moderated by Laura Wilhelm, Ed.D., VP of Professional Learning Services, Kaplan Early Learning Company
Sponsored by Kaplan Early Learning Company
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
The childcare industry is evolving faster than ever—shifting parent expectations, staffing challenges, rising costs, new regulations, and increased competition are redefining what it takes to grow and sustain a successful center.
This strategic, forward-thinking edWebinar is designed for childcare owners and leaders who want to move beyond survival mode and build resilient, profitable, and future-ready programs. In this session, viewers explore:
- How today’s economic, workforce, and family trends are reshaping early learning
- Why traditional growth strategies no longer work—and what replaces them
- Practical systems for enrollment growth, retention, and brand differentiation
- How innovation, curricula, and leadership mindset drive long-term success
This session blends real-world childcare case studies, actionable frameworks, and proven strategies to help leaders adapt with confidence, make smarter decisions, and position their centers for sustainable growth—no matter how much the industry continues to change. This recorded edWebinar is of interest to childcare owners as well as school leaders at the early childhood level.
About the Presenter
Marnie Forestieri Zettler is the CEO and Founder of Young Innovators Schools. She is an entrepreneur at heart with a passion for introducing innovative approaches and business models. As a successful operator of large childcare centers, she has been recognized nationally, presented at national conferences, and written books for parents, children, administrators, and educators. Marnie started her career as a CNN journalist, transitioned into the role of a VP of marketing for a telecommunications company, and launched a childcare franchise. Marnie is passionate about using research to develop content that introduces young learners across all market segments to the mindsets and skills that will help them become the fearless problem solvers of tomorrow. At Young Innovators Academy, Marnie leads a team of university professors, entrepreneurs, childcare professionals, marketing experts, and engineers. She holds a BS in business administration, a CDA, and a director’s credential.
About the Moderator
As the Vice President for Professional Learning at Kaplan, Laura Wilhelm, Ed.D., draws on decades of experience teaching young children and early childhood professionals, starting with toddlers in the 1980s, followed by PreK-third grade in urban and suburban schools, and as a university lab school director. Since earning her doctorate in ECE curriculum and instruction in 1999, she has served as a program director, full professor, national validator for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and a site visitor for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Programs (CAEP). She enjoys planning professional development, speaking at conferences, leading study tours, visiting early education programs around the world, and returning home to her family. She is the author of The Neglected Child: How to Recognize, Respond, and Prevent (2013); Treasure Baskets: Heuristic Learning for Infants and Toddlers (2017); Enticing Environments for People Under Three (2021); and Living Loose Parts: Creatures of Curiosity (2024), all from Gryphon House.
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
Join the Classroom Management for Early Learning community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.
For more than 50 years, Kaplan Early Learning Company has been a champion for play. From our research-based curricula to enriching classroom environments and innovative technology solutions, Kaplan’s products and services inspire a lifelong love of learning in children and educators. We are architects of learning good and defenders of the imagination. We live for inseparable bonds and open minds. We encourage the eager and inspire the inspirers. We transform lives through play.
