Franchisor Stories
In an era dominated by corporate buyouts, hear from the brand’s President and Vice President of Franchise Development about how they focus on consistent family ownership and values.
At a time when private equity firms are acquiring many childcare franchises, Children’s Lighthouse stands apart as a family-owned brand that has stayed true to its founding mission for more than 30 years. According to Matt Kelton, Vice President of Franchise Development, continuity of ownership and leadership creates an entirely different experience for franchisees, families, and the children they serve.
“Well, it’s really about continuity,” Kelton said. “We’ve had the same management team here for over 10 years. The Brown family has been here for nearly 30 years — every five to seven years, private equity-backed brands are selling to another group. When that happens, you get a whole new management team. You don’t have that here.”
Kelton and the brand’s President, Michael Brown, will join 1851 Franchise Publisher Nick Powills to discuss the benefits of joining a family-owned childcare franchise in an upcoming webinar on Friday, December 4, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Ready to start your franchise ownership journey? Join us on Friday, December 4, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. ET, for our upcoming webinar: Sign up for the webinar here.
Kelton explains that this consistency allows Children’s Lighthouse to maintain a strong, unified culture and long-term vision. “It’s not just that you’re changing ownership — that change brings in a new management team and a new culture,” he said. “That constant turnover can make it hard for franchisees to feel supported or heard.”
Children’s Lighthouse was founded in 1997 by brothers Mike and Pat Brown, who set out to create a preschool and early learning concept that combined educational excellence with the warmth and trust of a family environment. Drawing inspiration from their own experiences as parents and entrepreneurs, the Browns envisioned a place where children could grow academically, socially, and emotionally in a safe, nurturing setting — and where families could feel truly connected to their community. That family-first philosophy has guided the brand since. Today, with second-generation leadership under Michael Brown, the company remains privately and family-owned, staying true to its founding values of care, connection, and purpose while expanding its reach across the country.
“We’re not managed on driving numbers on a P&L to make decisions,” Kelton said. “It’s all about what makes the most sense for the kids, the end users, as well as our owners.”
One of the clearest examples of this people-first approach is how the brand supports its franchisees. “We invest quite a bit in our staffing and operational support,” Kelton said. “We only have about 15 schools per franchise coach, while some competitors have much more. We want to make sure that we have world-class support — and it isn’t based on hitting a certain number.”
Rather than chasing aggressive expansion metrics, Children’s Lighthouse takes a measured, purposeful approach to growth. “We don’t have to sell X amount of franchises,” Kelton said. “We’re pretty picky about who joins us. The culture and the ability to call any of our senior management, including our President, on a Sunday night — you don’t have access to that at other places.”
This philosophy ensures that every franchisee is set up for long-term success, not short-term returns.
That culture of care extends far beyond the franchise system — it shapes the experiences of the families who attend each school. Children’s Lighthouse franchisee Kristi Noonan, who opened her Chicagoland location in 2023, says that connection and community were what drew her to the brand in the first place.
“It brought me to tears,” Noonan said, describing her first tour of a Children’s Lighthouse school. “It had everything we wanted — warmth, community, connection." We were so confident in our decision.”
After years in the corporate world, Noonan and her husband, Brendan, wanted to invest in something that aligned with their family’s values. “We already trusted and believed in the brand as parents, and when we met with the team in Texas, we believed in it from a business perspective, too,” she said.
Like many franchisees, the Noonans were drawn to Children’s Lighthouse because it felt personal — a brand that cared deeply about people, not just performance. “Ownership with Children’s Lighthouse allows us to be a different part of the fabric of the community,” Noonan said. “We want to be involved in events that matter and create opportunities to help others grow.”
In an industry increasingly shaped by investment firms and short-term growth strategies, Children’s Lighthouse stands out by focusing on something more enduring: legacy.
Family ownership allows the brand to think generationally — about the children they nurture, the families they serve, and the franchisees who join their network. “The Brown family built this company on relationships and trust,” Kelton said. “That foundation hasn’t changed. Our goal isn’t to hit quarterly profit targets — it’s to make a lasting impact on kids’ lives and help our franchisees build something meaningful.”
Join Kelton, Brown and Powills to learn more about the benefits of being in a family-owned childcare franchise rather than a private equity led system.
Sign up for the webinar here.
To learn more about franchising with Children’s Lighthouse, visit https://1851franchise.com/childrens-lighthouse.
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