A Day in the Life of a Children's Lighthouse Franchisee

Ever wondered what it’s like to be a Children's Lighthouse franchisee? In this recent video, Alexis Legg, the owner of Children’s Lighthouse of Oak Forest in Houston, takes us through a typical day running her child care business. From morning routines with her family to managing operations, Legg shares her experiences, challenges and the joys of creating a nurturing learning environment for children in her community.

A Balanced Day as a Franchise Owner

Legg begins her day early, getting her kids ready for school before settling in with a cup of coffee and catching up on emails from home. By 10 a.m., once the morning rush subsides, she heads to the school to check in with her team and engage with teachers, ensuring that everything is running smoothly.

“A lot of what I do is outside the school — marketing, public relations, vendor management — so I don’t actually need to be there all the time,” Legg said. “That flexibility is really nice.”

Her afternoons often involve remote work, handling administrative tasks and strategizing for the school’s continued growth.

The Most Rewarding Part: Seeing Children Thrive

For Legg, the most fulfilling aspect of running her school is witnessing the children’s excitement and enthusiasm.

“The best thing is when kids don’t want to leave,” she said. “When parents come to pick them up, and they say, ‘No, I don’t want to go home yet!’ That, to me as a parent, is the ultimate goal. You want your kids to love where they go every day.”

Knowing that parents feel confident leaving their children at her school is incredibly rewarding. “It gives them a sense of security,” Legg said, “knowing their kids are happy, learning and having fun.”

Children’s Lighthouse proprietary, STREAM-based Lighthouse Pathways curriculum provides opportunities for individualized skill development, group learning, self-regulation and inquiry-based investigation with a focus on four key areas; Confidence, Connection, Continuous Improvement and Curriculum. STREAM stands for science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and math.

Children's Lighthouse franchisees can access multiple revenue streams by offering a range of specialized educational programs tailored to different age groups along with summer camps. From the Lighthouse BRIGHT™ curriculum designed for early brain development in infants to the dynamic xSTREAM Quest™ for school-aged children, and engaging summer programs filled with diverse activities, franchisees have the opportunity to attract a broad demographic of families. 

The Children's Lighthouse Advantage

Legg highlights how the Children’s Lighthouse franchise model enables her to balance multiple roles — business owner, mom and wife — without having to sacrifice one for another.

“The Children's Lighthouse model really allows me to do everything,” she said. “It’s hard as a working mom because sometimes you have to choose between being great at your job or being a great parent. But this opportunity lets me do both.”

This is one of the most compelling aspects of the Children’s Lighthouse franchise model — the operational simplicity offered to franchisees, allowing them to manage their business semi-absentee after the initial phase. 

“You hire a director to run the day-to-day,” said Matt Kelton, vice president of franchise development at Children's Lighthouse. “You may work 20 hours a week at the beginning, but after the first year, you only have to be in the center maybe ten hours a week. Also, a lot of our franchise owners want to do something that allows them to spend more time with their children and family. This is a great model for that.”

With a family-driven approach and a commitment to high-quality early childhood education, Children’s Lighthouse provides franchisees with the tools and flexibility to succeed. Alexis’ story is a testament to the impact that passionate franchise owners can have on their communities, helping children learn, grow and thrive.

Watch the full video here. 

Learn more about owning a Children’s Lighthouse franchise, here: https://1851franchise.com/childrens-lighthouse.