Can AI improve your odds of finding good childcare?

Can AI improve your odds of finding good childcare?

From Marketplace Tech by Marketplace

May 5, 2026 · 9 min

About this episode

The episode discusses how the startup Winnie is using AI to enhance the search for childcare options.

The startup Winnie is a marketplace for childcare. It works like this: Parents type in the age of their kid and their zip code, then different childcare providers in the area will pop up. You can also filter by languages spoken, and whether you want a childcare center or home-based daycare or another option. It's free for parents to use. But the company was founded back in 2016, when AI search wasn’t really a thing. And Winnie’s CEO and co-founder Sara Mauskopf says parents now want to be able to describe what they're looking for in natural language. So, Winnie has had to adapt. It's just released an AI-powered search tool. Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes spoke with Mauskopf to learn more about their new AI search engine and the challenges of keeping up with the fast-paced AI sector.

People in this episode

Host: Stephanie Hughes

Guest: Sara Mauskopf

Topics covered

  • childcare
  • AI
  • technology
  • startup
  • marketplace

Keywords

  • AI
  • childcare
  • Winnie
  • search tool
  • natural language

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Winnie

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