American preschool performer and indie producer Danny LaBrecque launched his own Baltimore-based production company last week to help other indies get their kids shows off the ground.

LaBrecque Studios will focus on breaking down common barriers that smaller kids content producers face, such as reaching broadcasters and distributors with pitches and creating higher-quality productions on small budgets, LaBrecque tells Kidscreen.

The company plans to focus on live-action shows that tap into the social-emotional needs of kids, and its first deal is with indie creators Jamaal Collier and Max Bent, who self-produced their preschool series AlphaBEATS with Max and Root (26 x eight minutes) and launched it on YouTube last year. In each episode, the duo beatbox and use American Sign Language to teach kids about a different letter of the alphabet.

LaBrecque previously featured Max and Root on his own show, Danny Joe’s Treehouse, and helped broker a deal for Sensical to pick up their original series. His goal now is to reboot the original series (which was filmed in its creators’ backyard) with higher production values, and then shop it to buyers.

LaBrecque has other partnerships with creators in the works, including a space-themed musical series, a drawing show and a retelling of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. With these productions, he can offer puppet-making services, set design and expertise on appealing to kids.

LaBrecque is looking to connect with more streamers and broadcasters, and sign deals with producers who are interested in making programming with social-emotional themes.

As the host of preschool education and puppet show Danny Joe’s Tree House—which has been picked up by US AVODs Kidoodle.TV and Sensical—LaBrecque has more than a decade of experience in entertaining kids. He uses puppets and brings on guests including David Newell from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood to teach kids basic social-emotional skills like dealing with feelings and being proud of who you are. Two seasons of the show are complete, and season three is in production now.

There’s a need in the industry for a company that blends production experience with insight into educating kids, he says. LaBrecque has both, having been a teacher and earned a degree in early childhood education.

Trying to get his show in front of audiences hasn’t been easy, and a problem LaBrecque faced was that broadcasters acquiring or commissioning content are often looking for projects with big viewership numbers on platforms like YouTube to prove they’re popular. For indie producers, this reality of the business makes it difficult to get a foot in many doors.

But in the last few years, LaBrecque has built up his connections with buyers, and his aim is to leverage this network to bring more indie creators and broadcasters together.

“The need for shows to have big numbers means good ideas can slip through the cracks,” says LaBrecque. “I want to bring the next Mister Rogers to today’s kids, and I’m excited to produce new projects and reach more children.”