KidHop started with a simple problem: too many Houston families have no reliable way to get their child home from school. We're doing something about it.
Houston is a sprawling city — and school transportation doesn't reach every neighborhood, every schedule, or every family situation.
Some students live just outside a bus route. Others lose their transportation entirely after transferring schools. And some parents work hours that simply don't line up with the school bell.
KidHop exists because those families deserve a real solution, not a shrug.
We connect Houston families with vetted, professional drivers — both private drivers and licensed transportation operators — and match them with families along the same route. The result is a dependable, affordable ride home without the chaos of rideshare apps or the expense of a full-time nanny.
JodyAnn Baker knows firsthand what it means to sacrifice for your child's education.
When her family moved to Houston, her daughter transferred schools — and like many families, the new zone school just wasn't the right fit. JodyAnn found a better environment for her daughter, but that decision came with a cost: driving her to and from school every single day in Houston traffic. Anyone who has driven in Houston knows that's not a small ask. Missed meetings, rearranged schedules, and the quiet, persistent fear that one bad traffic day could put her job at risk. For a working parent, that pressure is real.
She didn't see it as a complaint. She saw it as a problem worth solving.
JodyAnn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University at Albany and an MBA from William Jewell College's OneDay program. Before turning to entrepreneurship, she built her career in social services — working at St. Anne's Institute, a youth detention center, and NY Foundling, a foster care management agency. That work gave her a deep understanding of two things: how much a child's environment shapes who they become, and how powerfully community resources can relieve the stress parents carry alone.
She watched parents navigate impossible situations — fighting for the right school, the right environment, the right outcome for their child — only to be let down by a transportation system that wasn't built for their reality. Bus routes that stop short of their neighborhood. Transportation that disappears after a school transfer. Buses where bullying and fighting make the ride itself part of the problem.
KidHop is her answer to all of it.
Rather than building a fleet from scratch, JodyAnn designed KidHop as a coordination service — connecting Houston families with small, licensed transportation operators who already have the vehicles, the insurance, and the experience, but simply need the right clients to make their routes work. It's community infrastructure, designed to meet families where they are.
Because every child deserves to get to the right school. And every parent deserves to get to work.
KidHop works with two types of drivers — and both are vetted before being matched with any family.
Small transportation companies: Licensed operators who already run routes in Houston and have the vehicles, insurance, and experience to transport children safely.
Private drivers: Experienced, background-checked individuals who provide dedicated one-on-one transportation for families who prefer a more personal arrangement.
Both driver types go through KidHop's vetting process. Both are held to the same safety standards. And both are matched based on your location, your child's school, and your schedule.
Check if KidHop serves your area, book a free 15-minute call with JodyAnn, or reach out directly. No pressure. No commitment. Just answers.
KidHop is growing across Houston.