As the need for high-quality early childhood education continues to surge across the United States, Children’s Lighthouse is expanding its presence — and the savviest franchisees are getting in early in up-and-coming markets. With high occupancy potential, an unmatched mission-driven business model, and the opportunity to build local brand equity before markets become saturated, now is the time to consider opening a Children’s Lighthouse in a growing community.
“Two out of three kids need childcare,” said Matt Kelton, Vice President of Development for Children’s Lighthouse. “There is tremendous demand. You are impacting the community, helping parents that are in incredible need of our help.”
Children’s Lighthouse is strategically targeting high-growth regions like Dallas-Fort Worth; San Antonio; Atlanta; Denver; Chicago; Nashville, Tennessee; Kansas City, Missouri; and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina — areas where young families are flocking and infrastructure is rapidly expanding.
“You have a lot of young families who want to give kids the best life possible,” Kelton said. “That is a main piece of coming to up-and-coming markets. These are places where the need for childcare is only going to grow.”
Franchisees who move early in these markets are positioned to not only fill a critical gap in childcare services but also build brand awareness and trust from the ground up. As the brand grows, these franchisees benefit from increased name recognition and first-mover advantage.
For example, Bradley Fink — a franchisee who opened a Children’s Lighthouse in Kyle, Texas just south of Austin in April 2024 — is already seeing the benefits of entering an emerging market. In under a year, his school has experienced the fastest enrollment growth in the brand’s history.
“I was the fourth one to open in Austin and the first south of the city,” Fink said. “For me, it’s exciting to enter a relatively fresh market where I can help establish the reputation of Children’s Lighthouse in this area. I get to set the premier brand expectation here.”
Nationwide, the childcare market is valued at $59 billion and projected to grow to $88 billion by 2033. The demand significantly outweighs supply, especially for premium childcare options — and Children’s Lighthouse fills that gap.
Fink’s school, for example, hit over 100 enrolled students within the first five weeks. By month nine, he had nearly reached capacity.
“Within five weeks of opening, we had the highest and strongest growth rate in Children’s Lighthouse history,” Fink said. “We’re hitting most of our targets in terms of growth and number of students, which is close to where we want to be.”
And opening a Children’s Lighthouse isn’t just a path to business ownership — it’s a path to building long-term wealth, thanks in part to the opportunity to own the real estate.
“This is not just a childcare business — it’s also a commercial real estate play,” Kelton said. “Owning commercial property has historically been one of the most reliable ways to build generational wealth in America. We’ve made a lot of people wealthy over the years by helping them scale quickly and open multiple locations.”
Children’s Lighthouse also appeals to professionals looking to leave corporate America without giving up their financial goals.
“You can build wealth and make a huge impact on kids and families,” Kelton said. “And you also get extreme flexibility — you can drop down to 10 hours a week. The director runs the school from day to day.”
This flexibility was key for Fink, who came from a consulting background and wanted a business that aligned with both his professional skill set and personal values.
“I’ve always loved kids, and I feel education is incredibly important,” Fink said. “Opening a childcare business was a great way to provide a community benefit while also achieving my goal of owning a business — essentially hitting the best of both worlds.”
With record-setting growth in 2024 and aggressive plans for 2025, Children’s Lighthouse is showing no signs of slowing down. The brand was recently ranked No. 292 on the Franchise Times Top 400 list, climbing nearly 20 spots year over year. Each location benefits from industry-leading support, proprietary curriculum, multiple revenue streams, and a family-first culture.
“It’s a different kind of culture at Children’s Lighthouse,” said Kelton. “We aren’t just driven by a P&L. We’re driven by value — and helping our franchisees succeed at every stage.”
For those considering an investment in a Children’s Lighthouse, the opportunity to get in on the ground floor in a booming market is now. Whether you’re passionate about child development, ready to build long-term wealth, or looking to make a meaningful impact in your community, Children’s Lighthouse offers the foundation to do it all.
For more information on franchising with Children’s Lighthouse, visit: https://1851franchise.com/childrens-lighthouse/info.
Children's Lighthouse
SPONSORED
The early childhood education franchise is looking for franchisees in booming markets like Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Nashville, Atlanta, Denver, Chicago, Kansas City and Raleigh-Durham.
As the need for high-quality early childhood education continues to surge across the United States, Children’s Lighthouse is expanding its presence — and the savviest franchisees are getting in early in up-and-coming markets. With high occupancy potential, an unmatched mission-driven business model, and the opportunity to build local brand equity before markets become saturated, now is the time to consider opening a Children’s Lighthouse in a growing community.
“Two out of three kids need childcare,” said Matt Kelton, Vice President of Development for Children’s Lighthouse. “There is tremendous demand. You are impacting the community, helping parents that are in incredible need of our help.”
Children’s Lighthouse is strategically targeting high-growth regions like Dallas-Fort Worth; San Antonio; Atlanta; Denver; Chicago; Nashville, Tennessee; Kansas City, Missouri; and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina — areas where young families are flocking and infrastructure is rapidly expanding.
“You have a lot of young families who want to give kids the best life possible,” Kelton said. “That is a main piece of coming to up-and-coming markets. These are places where the need for childcare is only going to grow.”
Franchisees who move early in these markets are positioned to not only fill a critical gap in childcare services but also build brand awareness and trust from the ground up. As the brand grows, these franchisees benefit from increased name recognition and first-mover advantage.
For example, Bradley Fink — a franchisee who opened a Children’s Lighthouse in Kyle, Texas just south of Austin in April 2024 — is already seeing the benefits of entering an emerging market. In under a year, his school has experienced the fastest enrollment growth in the brand’s history.
“I was the fourth one to open in Austin and the first south of the city,” Fink said. “For me, it’s exciting to enter a relatively fresh market where I can help establish the reputation of Children’s Lighthouse in this area. I get to set the premier brand expectation here.”
Nationwide, the childcare market is valued at $59 billion and projected to grow to $88 billion by 2033. The demand significantly outweighs supply, especially for premium childcare options — and Children’s Lighthouse fills that gap.
Fink’s school, for example, hit over 100 enrolled students within the first five weeks. By month nine, he had nearly reached capacity.
“Within five weeks of opening, we had the highest and strongest growth rate in Children’s Lighthouse history,” Fink said. “We’re hitting most of our targets in terms of growth and number of students, which is close to where we want to be.”
And opening a Children’s Lighthouse isn’t just a path to business ownership — it’s a path to building long-term wealth, thanks in part to the opportunity to own the real estate.
“This is not just a childcare business — it’s also a commercial real estate play,” Kelton said. “Owning commercial property has historically been one of the most reliable ways to build generational wealth in America. We’ve made a lot of people wealthy over the years by helping them scale quickly and open multiple locations.”
Children’s Lighthouse also appeals to professionals looking to leave corporate America without giving up their financial goals.
“You can build wealth and make a huge impact on kids and families,” Kelton said. “And you also get extreme flexibility — you can drop down to 10 hours a week. The director runs the school from day to day.”
This flexibility was key for Fink, who came from a consulting background and wanted a business that aligned with both his professional skill set and personal values.
“I’ve always loved kids, and I feel education is incredibly important,” Fink said. “Opening a childcare business was a great way to provide a community benefit while also achieving my goal of owning a business — essentially hitting the best of both worlds.”
With record-setting growth in 2024 and aggressive plans for 2025, Children’s Lighthouse is showing no signs of slowing down. The brand was recently ranked No. 292 on the Franchise Times Top 400 list, climbing nearly 20 spots year over year. Each location benefits from industry-leading support, proprietary curriculum, multiple revenue streams, and a family-first culture.
“It’s a different kind of culture at Children’s Lighthouse,” said Kelton. “We aren’t just driven by a P&L. We’re driven by value — and helping our franchisees succeed at every stage.”
For those considering an investment in a Children’s Lighthouse, the opportunity to get in on the ground floor in a booming market is now. Whether you’re passionate about child development, ready to build long-term wealth, or looking to make a meaningful impact in your community, Children’s Lighthouse offers the foundation to do it all.
For more information on franchising with Children’s Lighthouse, visit: https://1851franchise.com/childrens-lighthouse/info.
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