Child care franchises can be highly profitable businesses. Learn which are the best investment opportunities right now.
Behind the Child Care Industry
The child care industry is expected to reach $83.6 billion in revenue in 2030, according to Grand View Research. Within the child care industry, early education centers and child care facilities dominate the market, accounting for nearly half the revenue.
More parents are going to work, driving the demand for more child care centers. Research by the Bipartisan Policy Center finds that there are 23 million children in the U.S. who are five years old or younger and 71% of them live in a household where all parents work. This means most of those kids need additional child care. But, there are becoming fewer home-based child care providers as they experienced a 25% decrease over 10 years. So, more and more parents are struggling to find a quality child care provider, making it a great time to invest in a child care business.
Profitability of Child Care Franchises
Child care is a recession-resistant industry that provides the opportunity for recurring revenue. No matter the state of the economy, child care is essential and parents need high quality child care, which is why many child care businesses thrive even through an economic downturn. Additionally, Lightbridge Academy boasts a world-class Net Promoter Score (NPS), which indicates high customer loyalty. These families stay in our centers for years and many of our families recommend us to others, leading to high referral rates for our centers.
How to Choose a Child Care Franchise
When researching franchise opportunities, you must consider several key factors when comparing different brands. First, understand the initial investment range. These can vary widely between different opportunities.
Research what kind of training and support the brand provides. Prospective franchisees should look for brands offering detailed, structured training programs and a robust support network, ensuring they are well-prepared to manage the franchise successfully and adapt to evolving market demands. Is there value provided compared to the startup costs and royalty fees? Also, do you need to have experience in the industry? For example, at Lightbridge Academy, we deliver training in a multitude of ways – in person, hands-on, virtually, and through an online training platform, so you don’t need prior educational experience to qualify. As for you and running your business, our team walks with you through every step of the process, from finding a site to opening your child care center and continuing to support you in growing it.
Consider the level of involvement you want. Some franchisors allow for absentee ownership, while others like Lightbridge Academy, want franchisees to be highly engaged but are not required to be in their center every day. Our franchisees still enjoy a great work-life balance compared to many of their previous positions in the corporate world.
Where you want to open your center can play a major factor into your decision on what brand to work with. Some larger, fully matured child care franchises no longer have prime markets available and have sold out of most of their territories, allowing for fewer options for new owners to find. After over 27 years in the child care industry, the Lightbridge Academy business model is well-proven and therefore, we are actively expanding and opening new markets across the U.S.
Then there’s what the brand offers to its customers. Among child care franchises, there are different areas of focus. Those that are highly focused only on care, and others are more customer-centric and provide educational child care. The businesses that offer early educational programs that meet standards of accreditation, with technology to create healthier and safer environments and more family engagement — are often the most profitable. This type of child care is usually called an education franchise and appeals to parents because it’s more than a daycare. These franchises offer a nurturing environment to support children’s developmental milestones.
Remember, a solid franchise opportunity should offer strong operational support, marketing guidance, and ongoing training to help you reach success.
Top Child Care Franchise Opportunities
- The Learning Experience: The brand focuses on cognitive, social, and physical development. It offers parents a phone app to view photos of their children. It emphasizes its Safe N’ Secure centers, which include key-fob-required doors, cameras, and fenced-in playgrounds. However, with more than 300 locations, the brand appears only to be targeting select cities across the county.
- The Goddard School: Focused on early childhood education, The Goddard School uses a play-based learning philosophy targeting each developmental stage of children. According to its website, the franchise opportunity has a large investment range from $879,950 to $7,584,950.
- Primrose Schools: Primrose Schools offer a balanced approach to emotional, academic, and physical development. The franchise has a strong presence in many states, which could limit availability for new franchises in desirable locations, particularly in metropolitan areas where demand for child care services is highest.
- Lightbridge Academy: As The Solution for Working Families ®, our well-rounded program provides parents peace of mind while they’re at work so that their children are receiving a high-quality of education and care in safe, secure, and clean facilities. We provide some of the best customer service in the country for families, and our industry-leading technology allows families to stay connected throughout the day.
Each of these child care franchises offers strong educational systems for children, but their support systems, investment level, and territory availability set them apart.
What Makes Lightbridge Academy a Stand Out Choice
Lightbridge Academy, celebrating over 25 years of excellence in educational child care, is not just a business opportunity; it’s a chance to become part of a community that values education, care, and innovation. Known for being a company driven by core values and a Circle of Care philosophy, our unique approach to child care supports families, children, staff, franchisees, and the community alike.
Lightbridge Academy is also set apart by our commitment to innovation in early childhood education — incorporating technology and educational advancements into daily operations to enhance the health & safety, deepen the learning experience, and increase operational efficiency. Our parents receive updates throughout the day that include announcements, daily reports, progress tracking, and reminders.
In addition to our top-notch services, the support we provide to franchisees, from comprehensive training programs to marketing and operational guidance, is unmatched. Lightbridge Academy’s strong brand recognition and dedicated customer base offer a solid foundation upon which new child care franchisees can build. We can provide passionate entrepreneurs with the tools to build a path to profitability and success in the booming child care industry.
If you’re ready to make a difference in the lives of the families in your community and build a strong business that can carry you through the years to come, contact us today.
