Lightbridge Academy Continues To Grow Across Home State of New Jersey

Early education and child care franchise Lightbridge Academy is enjoying continued growth this year, not only making waves with more and more centers across the mid-Atlantic, but also driving continued expansion in its home state of New Jersey. 

Lightbridge Academy, which was founded in 1997 and started franchising in 2011, currently has 36 locations in New Jersey, with several more in development. This continued interest in the brand’s home state is happening at an opportune time, as Lightbridge Academy has received warm welcomes in Pennsylvania, Virginia and soon to open in North Carolina. Also, Lightbridge Academy is breaking new ground in New York City, with locations set to open in Downtown Brooklyn and Midtown Manhattan, which will increase the brand’s reach. 

Lightbridge Academy franchisees cite the brand’s Circle of Care philosophy, which not only creates a supportive environment for staff, parents and children but also for franchise owners. This commitment to each and every member of their extended family helps to set owners up for success.  

Two franchisees who are opening new Lightbridge Academy centers in New Jersey are Sumit Arora and Raj and Veenu Parkash. 

Arora will open his first Lightbridge Academy center in Wayne and the Parkash family will open their third Lightbridge Academy, located in Edison. 

Arora’s Wayne center has recently opened their doors earlier this month to serve local families. He noted that while New Jersey doesn’t lack child care options, Lightbridge Academy stands out for its consistency across all locations in the system.  

“We receive a lot of feedback that Lightbridge Academy delivers a consistently high quality of child care service across the brand,” Arora said. “In the child care industry, you don’t often see that. Because Lightbridge Academy provides that consistency, it builds trust which is so important and one of the main reasons for our high demand and reputation as The Solution for Working Parents.” 

“Our Lightbridge Academy center’s reception has been very, very positive,” Arora said. “Our director has also been in the Wayne community for the last 17 years and is connected to the area.” 

The Parkash family’s Edison center is scheduled to open in October and they have also been actively enrolling.

“We wanted to grow and we enjoy the child care business,” Raj said. “The Edison market is strong and the demographics are perfect for a Lightbridge Academy franchise. It is a great fit for dual income families that are commuting and need our higher level of services and support. The center is centrally located, close to a highway and the Edison Transit Station. Everything is very accessible there.” 

His daughter, Sanya, graduated from Rutgers University in 2018, where she studied economics and business administration. She will be joining the Edison center as an assistant director. 

Sanya is already quite familiar with the local market and has first-hand experience with the brand, having attended Lightbridge Academy’s Iselin center from the ages of 3 to 6. 

“I just remembered the teachers always being so loving and such a big part of my life,” Sanya said. “They provided a great foundation for my life and career. I want to pay that forward to the children in my center.”

Sanya’s role will involve managing staff members and handling enrollment at the new Edison location. 

“I really liked the idea of working with people I knew, my family and with people who are like family to me,” Sanya said. “I trained as an office administrator during my senior year of college and now I’ll be able to use everything I learned there.” 

She is thrilled to be part of her family’s new center and excited about what it will mean for her community. 

“Our Lightbridge Academy center will build on the strong reputation of our other two centers located in North Brunswick. With so many referrals from alumni and existing families, we are already off to a great start!,” Sanya said. “This new center will be an important contributor to the local community and we can’t wait to begin serving children and families.”

The startup costs for a Lightbridge academy franchise range from $549,228 to $737,635. The franchise fee is $40,000. To learn more about franchising with Lightbridge Academy, visit https://lightbridgeacademyfranchise.com/.