Upwards

Upwards is a technology-driven child care solutions company headquartered in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2017 by Jessica Chang (CEO), Jesse Forrest (CTO), and Matt Reilly (CPO). Originally launched as WeeCare, Upwards rebranded in September 2023 to reflect its expanded mission and growing suite of family care services.

Upwards operates at the intersection of family care, workforce benefits, and government administration. The platform serves three core customer segments: (1) families seeking affordable, quality child care; (2) employers offering child care as a workplace benefit; and (3) government agencies administering child care programs and subsidies.

For families, Upwards provides a marketplace to search, discover, and connect with licensed home-based and center-based child care providers.

For employers and HR teams, Upwards delivers a child care benefits administration solution that enables companies to offer sponsored or subsidized child care as part of their employee benefits package, helping organizations attract and retain talent by addressing one of the top pain points for working parents.

For state and local governments, Upwards provides a child care subsidy management platform that streamlines eligibility determination, provider payments, and program administration. In partnership with over 30 municipalities and counties across the country, Upwards' Boost program provides no-cost technical assistance and business support initiatives designed to stabilize and expand in-home daycare providers.

Key platform capabilities include child care provider search and matching, child care subsidy program administration, employer benefits integration, real-time provider capacity tracking, family enrollment management, caregiver payments, and data analytics for care system planning. Upwards' mission is to make care accessible to all families and empower the caregivers who provide it.