Waypoint Maine Inc., a nonprofit serving children and adults with intellectual disabilities and autism headquartered at 5 Dunaway Drive in Sanford, acquired the Little Dolphin School, an early childhood education provider with locations in Westbrook and Scarborough, as well as Little Dolphin Marketplace, a retail plaza in Scarborough.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“By bringing our organizations together, we can expand access to services that help children thrive during the most important years of development while providing families with continuity, stability and confidence in the care their children receive,” said Jennifer Putnam, Waypoint’s CEO.
The partnership expands access to Waypoint’s services while retaining Little Dolphin’s caregivers, classrooms and day-to-day operations.
Diversified funding
Waypoint’s broader strategy aims to strengthen long-term financial sustainability while expanding its mission impact. Integrating a mix of payers is expected to support the financial sustainability of both entities.
As a nonprofit with significant program funding tied to Medicaid reimbursement, where rates and policy priorities can shift over time, Waypoint said it will invest in business and real estate assets that can generate diversified, unrestricted income and reduce dependence on any single funding stream.
The strategy allows Waypoint to test new service models, explore technologies and build on its strategy to develop pioneering housing and workforce solutions, the organization said.
Little Dolphin’s Westbrook campus is at 101 County Road. Its Scarborough campus is at 183 U.S. Route 1 and is part of the Little Dolphin Marketplace, which Waypoint also purchased.
While it shares the Little Dolphin name, Little Dolphin Marketplace is a commercial shopping plaza and is separate from the operations of the Little Dolphin School, which is one of the tenants in the plaza.
Waypoint funded the acquisition through a combination of funds, including a private loan, an investment draw and cash reserved for capital expenditures.
Leadership transition
The acquisition came about when Waypoint was seeking to expand its services in Greater Portland in order to provide more young children and families with access to special education services.
Steven Brier, Little Dolphin School’s executive director, was seeking to ensure that Little Dolphin School continued to provide high-quality child care when he moved on to other ventures, a spokesperson told Mainebiz.
Negotiations took a year.
Waypoint has over 1,000 clients and 350 employees. Little Dolphin in Westbrook has 102 clients and 30 employees. Little Dolphin in Scarborough enrolls 80 infants and children and has 20 employees.
The acquisition brings Waypoint’s total employee count to 400. Little Dolphin will keep its name.
The organizations share a commitment to early childhood education, early intervention and family-centered support.
“Waypoint’s experience, resources and mission alignment will strengthen our ability to recruit and retain exceptional early childhood educators, support our staff at a new level and continue delivering the high-quality learning environment families have come to know and trust,” said Brier.
Training investment
The acquisition will not disrupt Little Dolphin’s day-to-day operations, according to a news release. It positions Waypoint to invest in staff training, strengthen program support and maximize the collective experience of both organizations. Waypoint will be able to expand children’s access to special education services in Greater Portland and support Little Dolphin staff with additional training.
Waypoint began 60 years ago as a summer camp for people with developmental disabilities and other special needs.
Today, the organization provides comprehensive services including a special purpose private school for children, residential options for adults, case management services and clinical supports for adults and children.
