If you have been searching for no joke childcare alternatives, note where the brand went: nojokechildcare.com now redirects to Child Care Marketing Group at childcare.marketing/us, and the old localchildcaremarketing.com address redirects to the same place (checked October 2026).
The page explains what Child Care Marketing Group is now, compares eight alternatives on services, pricing and terms from each company's own site, narrows the best child care marketing companies to the usual names, and points anyone unsure about hiring to what a child care marketing agency does.
What happened to No Joke Childcare marketing?
If you were mid-evaluation of the old offer, what you would buy today is whatever Child Care Marketing Group sells now.
The local child care marketing name lands in the same spot; for map-pack visibility rather than a vendor, the mechanics are on local SEO for daycares.
Child Care Marketing Group: what its own site says
Its about page says the group was founded "when two of the sector's most respected child care business support companies came together under Ben Rolfe and Michael Tasner (CEO)", and that "Michael is a daycare owner himself in the USA"; its pages differ on their own founding story.
Its FAQ calls the focus exclusive: "Every team member, template, ad strategy and CRM workflow is built specifically for early years and child care".
Services span website design, SEO, Google and Meta ads, social, retargeting, AI search, CRM and automation, reporting, reviews, recruiting, video and photo, from a "40 specialists" team.
Pricing is not published: the about page frames the cost against a "~$50.8k/year" marketing manager and asks for "one monthly commitment".
Its pages differ on contracts: "Commit Like You Would an Employee" and "We don't do one-off projects" (about) against "a one-off website build, brand refresh or campaign" (FAQ), with no term length.
Proof is self-reported and differs by page: "600+ child care businesses supported" (homepage) against "We've supported 500+ child care settings" (FAQ), plus "+38% avg. inquiry growth in 90 days".
Its pages disagree on where it is based, so this page states no location.
Childcare.marketing reviews: what you can verify
No review scores appear on this page: none were verified, so a star rating a company shows is its own claim.
Google's Maps policy treats reviews from employees, relatives, contractors or competitors as conflict-of-interest content it removes, and "unusual volumes or patterns" as rating manipulation (Google, as of October 2026).
The FTC's Endorsement Guides add that agencies, reputation management companies and review brokers may be liable for deceptive endorsements they help create or spread (16 CFR 255.1(f), as of October 2026); ask any agency offering review generation how reviews are collected, and confirm your practices with your state licensing agency or a lawyer.
How the eight alternatives were picked
The bar: a child care focus stated on the company's own site.
Services, prices, terms and proof claims were read on each company's own pages in October 2026; where a company's pages disagree, the entry says so.
Nothing here ranks one company above another; More Booked Enrollments, the author, is included on the same terms.
The alternatives at a glance
The table was compiled as of October 2026, checked on each company's own website.
| Company | Services | Published pricing | Contract terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| More Booked Enrollments | CRO tests, local SEO, managed Meta ads | On the pricing page | 6-month minimum (3 for ads), then month to month |
| Child Care Marketing Group (ex-No Joke) | Website, SEO, Google and Meta ads, social, CRM | Not published | Its pages differ: no one-off projects vs one-off builds |
| Grow Your Center | Website, Google Ads, SEO, social, email, 3D tours | Not published | 12 installments, SOW renewal, 45 days' notice |
| ChildcareDM | Google Ads, Meta, local SEO, site optimization | Flat fee, amount not published | 90 days, then no long-term contract |
| BCP Digital Marketing | Google Ads, GBP, landing pages, A/B tests, Meta ads | $1,750 to $3,500 by tier | Not published; you own your assets |
| Childcare Marketing Services | Websites, local SEO, Google and Meta ads | $797 or $1,497 a month; sites $2,500+ | Month to month, cancel anytime |
| Kidnection | Website, SEO, CRM, Facebook, Google and TikTok ads | $1,000 setup plus $250 a month; $750 and $1,500 tiers | Not published |
| First Steps | Google and Meta ads, SEO and AEO, websites, CRO | Not published | Not published |
| ChildCareClicks | Websites, SEO, social ads, Google Ads, reviews | Not published; flat rate, no setup fees | Month to month |
Focus and price transparency, by each company's site
- More Booked Enrollments
- Child Care Marketing Group
- Grow Your Center
- ChildcareDM
- BCP Digital Marketing
- Childcare Marketing Services
- Kidnection
- First Steps
- ChildCareClicks
Grow Your Center
Best for: one vendor for website, Google Ads, SEO, social and email.
Grow Your Center says it is "100% dedicated to childcare", names Bruce W. Spurr and Kris Murray as co-founders, and counts "over 850 locations" (self-reported).
Its fulfillment policy, last updated September 10, 2025, splits the total into "12 equal monthly installments", renews at the rate in your SOW, and cancels with "45 days written notice"; its pages differ on results promises: "Guaranteed Google Ads Results!" against "no implied guarantee of success."
The line-by-line is on Grow Your Center vs Child Care Marketing Group.
ChildcareDM
Best for: a named strategist and funnel reporting on a flat fee.
ChildcareDM says "Every ChildcareDM engagement is led by Cory Gabel", reports "tour rate, enrollment rate" among its metrics, and prices as a "flat monthly fee" with "no long-term contracts after the first 90 days", amount not published.
Its pages differ on history ("15+ years" against "a decade"); 250+ centers and $8.5 million in ad spend are self-reported; the line-by-line with us sits on More Booked Enrollments vs ChildcareDM.
BCP Digital Marketing
Best for: published tiers and a tested tour request landing page.
BCP Digital Marketing, based in Jacksonville, Florida, also serves manufacturing, plumbing, senior living and industrial marketers, so child care is one vertical among several.
Tiers run "Get Found" from $1,750, "Fill Seats" at $2,500 (a dedicated tour request landing page with A/B testing and call tracking), and "Get Ahead" at $3,500, management fees only, ad spend "billed separately and paid directly to Google or Meta."
Its about page says "you will always own your assets"; other contract terms are not published.
Childcare Marketing Services
Best for: month-to-month budgets, and Florida VPK fluency.
Childcare Marketing Services says "We work exclusively with childcare businesses", naming "enrollment cycles, VPK deadlines, School Readiness programs" across the US.
Prices are $797 a month for local SEO and Google Business Profile, $1,497 for full service with paid ads management, and websites from $2,500+ one-time, all "month-to-month" with no contracts.
No company or founder name appears on its site; ownership terms are not published; its "100+ centers served" claim is self-reported.
Kidnection
Best for: smallest budgets wanting website, SEO and lead tooling.
Kidnection says it serves "both childcare centers and businesses across various industries", so it is not child-care-only.
Essentials is a $1,000 setup plus $250 a month for a templated website with hosting and on-page SEO; Growth at $750 adds a four-page custom website and Facebook lead generation; Premium at $1,500 adds Facebook, Google and TikTok ads.
Setup beyond Essentials, ad spend handling, contract terms and ownership are not stated; its proof is a self-reported testimonial: "a 30% increase in enrollments within the first three months."
First Steps
Best for: a boutique roster and an application, not a sales call.
First Steps calls itself "a boutique digital marketing agency for childcare centers and K-12 schools dedicated to driving student enrollment", founded per its site by "Jasmine, Founder & Head of Marketing".
Its pages state the roster cap differently: "15 partner schools per year" on the homepage against "no more than 15 organizations at a time" on the about page.
Services span paid search and social, SEO and AEO, websites, CRO, email and branding; pricing and terms are not published.
ChildCareClicks
Best for: month-to-month, social-led marketing with no setup fees.
ChildCareClicks says "We generate exclusive, top-tier leads for daycares of all sizes", also serving private and micro-schools and after-school programs, from Toronto per its footer.
Its FAQ promises "No setup fees at all", a flat monthly rate, no long-term contracts ("We work on a month to month basis"), plus its own 30-day money-back line.
Ownership terms are not published and no founder is named.
More Booked Enrollments
Best for: the tour path tested and measured instead of another bundle.
More Booked Enrollments wrote this page, so its entry is last.
It is one person, Gabe Meierotto, Director of CRO at LaserAway from 2018 to 2023, where sitewide conversion went from 3% → 11% with a 210x ROI: his record in booking conversion, not a child care result.
The services: CRO (one controlled test a month on your site and landing pages), local SEO, the two together, and managed Meta ads (8–12 static ads a month) on landing pages Gabe builds, your center paying Meta directly for spend.
CRO is judged on inquiry-to-tour and tour-to-enrollment rates from your CRM or waitlist numbers; Gabe does not answer inquiries, give tours or staff your front desk.
Terms: a 6-month minimum (3 for ads), then month to month, cancelled by email with 30 days' notice; your center owns its ad account, website, domain and analytics; prices are on the pricing page.
Child-care-only, or child care among several?
Child-care-only firms
- Child Care Marketing Group ("built specifically for early years and child care"), Grow Your Center ("100% dedicated to childcare"), Childcare Marketing Services ("exclusively with childcare businesses").
- The pitch: fluency in enrollment cycles, VPK deadlines, subsidy programs.
- Child Care Marketing Group and Grow Your Center publish no prices; Childcare Marketing Services does.
Child care among several industries
- BCP (also manufacturing, plumbing, senior living, industrial), Kidnection ("businesses across various industries"), First Steps (also K-12 schools, ABA therapy, pediatric practices), ChildCareClicks (also private and micro-schools).
- Ask each: how much of the roster is child care centers, and what changed for them?
- BCP and Kidnection publish prices; First Steps and ChildCareClicks do not.
To compare these firms against your own numbers, the free audit gives you a prioritized plan within 3 business days, no call required.
Frequently asked questions
What happened to No Joke Childcare?
Its web address no longer hosts the old agency: as of October 2026, nojokechildcare.com redirects to Child Care Marketing Group at childcare.marketing/us, and the old Local Child Care Marketing address redirects there too. Judge the company on its current site.
How much does Child Care Marketing Group cost?
Child Care Marketing Group publishes no prices on its site as of October 2026. Its about page compares the commitment to hiring a marketing manager at about $50.8k a year, so the first real number arrives in a sales conversation.
Which No Joke Childcare alternatives publish prices?
As of October 2026: BCP Digital Marketing publishes tiers from $1,750 to $3,500, Childcare Marketing Services lists $797 and $1,497 monthly plans plus websites from $2,500+, and Kidnection lists packages from $250 a month plus a $1,000 setup. Child Care Marketing Group, Grow Your Center, ChildcareDM, First Steps and ChildCareClicks do not publish full prices.
Why is More Booked Enrollments on this page?
More Booked Enrollments wrote this page and is one of the options compared, which is a conflict stated in the note at the top. It fits centers that want conversion tests, local SEO and managed Meta ads, not a full-service team.
Do any of these companies guarantee enrollments?
No comparison can promise that: enrollment happens in your tours and follow-up, not on an agency dashboard. Grow Your Center's own policy page says there is no implied guarantee of success, and ChildCareClicks posts a 30-day money-back promise in its own words.