Top Education and Child Care Franchises Under 50 Units

When it comes to their children’s care and education, working parents always need to have a plan. With dual-income households being the norm these days, the demand for daycare and supplemental education services is the highest it has ever been. Parents are seeking flexibility, reliability and balance when choosing from a multitude of options to best meet their needs. Here are the emerging brands innovative and nimble enough to rise to the top.

Lightbridge Academy**

Unit count: 30-plus locations and growing

Investment range: $541,228-$5,020,735

Lightbridge Academy was established in 1997 as an early education and child care provider for children between the ages of six weeks through kindergarten. Over time, the brand grew and expanded its offering to include summer and holiday programming for children up to 10 years old. Its offering is centered on its Circle of Care philosophy that places equal importance on the needs of children, families, staff and community, implementing technology to better connect all parties. Though Lightbridge Academy has only been franchising since 2011, it currently has dozens of additional child care centers under construction and in development throughout Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and Florida.

Best in Class Education Center*

Unit count: 45 units across the U.S.

Investment range: $63,800-$125,480

Best in Class Education Center franchises offer supplemental education services such as enrichment in the form of small group classes, private tutoring and test preparation for students. Founded in 1988 and franchising since 2011, the Seattle-based company has developed thoughtful methods and employed quality instructors to implement its specifically-designed curriculum that has produced results and grown the brand’s presence in the market. Best in Class Education Center recently bolstered its development team to accommodate its already impressive growth, also giving the brand the ability to pursue franchisees in 46 states.

Discovery Point

Unit count: Over 40 locations primarily in Georgia and Florida

Investment range: $403,799-$3,441,949

Discovery Point was founded in 1988 when Cliff and Diane Clark decided to merge their talents, his as a small business owner and hers as a teacher, resulting in a childcare business that catered to every child’s individual learning needs. Discovery Point offers year-round services to kids anywhere between 6 weeks and 12 years old. The brand’s curriculum, centered around engaging a child’s curiosity, develops emotional, intellectual, physical and social skills through play and guided activities. The brand is always researching methods and innovating its methods, evident in the recent announcement of a system-wide curriculum update.

Children’s Lighthouse

Unit count: Approximately 40 locations nationwide

Investment range: $693,500-$4,574,000

Children’s Lighthouse is a Texas-based childcare franchise with services available to children six weeks to 12 years old. With a curriculum built equally on education and strong character values, centers incorporate activities that teach integrity, fairness and honesty, as well as develop traditional academic skills. Children are divided into three different programs depending on their age group: infant and toddler, preschool and school age. The brand is also involved in the communities in which it operates, with several Houston-area locations hosting a school supply drive and a Chicago location giving back through a back-to-school classroom challenge.

Creative World School

Unit count: 26 locations in 5 states

Investment range: $2,445,300-$5,206,000

Creative World School was established in 1970 in Missouri as a child care center focused on encouraging imagination to foster learning in a dynamic and interactive space. The brand began franchising in 1999 and expanded to operating in 45 locations in seven states, though during the last ten years, many of the brand’s smaller schools located in converted houses were sold in an effort to concentrate on larger, custom-designed buildings with licensed capacities of 150 to 250 children. Offering programs for children anywhere between six weeks and 10 years old, Creative World School is poised to regrow in its former markets and beyond.

KLA Schools

Unit count: More than 20 locations nationwide

Investment range: $511,500-$2,111,250

Founded in the Miami area in 2008, KLA Schools began franchising in 2010 and successfully expanded throughout Florida until growth led the brand beyond state lines to Texas, Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Washington and California. KLA Schools pursue cognitive and social development in its methods, facilitating self-guided and experiential learning in age-appropriate settings among children between the ages of one and 10 years old. The brand, which stipulates franchisees must have a background in education, has several more schools in the development pipeline in the near future. In late 2017, the franchise unveiled KLA Elementary School, a state-of-the-art facility located in the Miami neighborhood of Brickell, expanding the unit's services through an open and varied learning environment.

All About Kids

Unit count: 15 locations in Ohio and Kentucky

Investment range: $2,677,500-$3,372,500

By prioritizing the creation of a learning center above a standard daycare facility, All About Kids has taken root in the Ohio and Kentucky markets with plans of expanding beyond its strong Midwest presence. Founded in 2005 and franchising since 2008, the brand’s programs are available to children anywhere from six months to 12 years old. All About Kids promotes its business model as one that is built on the idea of learning through play, establishing a curriculum around self-motivated, freely-chosen, process-oriented daily activities for individual students.

LeafSpring School

Unit count: 15 centers in 4 states

Investment range: $3,546,150-$6,473,700

LeafSpring School, formerly named Rainbow Station before an early 2018 rebrand, offers a threefold service of childcare, early education and school-age recreation to families from a  child’s infancy to age 13. Nursery school, preschool and kindergarten programs provided before and after school, as well as during the summer, employ a structured curriculum that also allows for creativity among individual teachers and is something the brand says has been integral to teacher retention and business growth. The brand also differentiates itself by having nurses on staff to provide backup care for ill children so parents can have a safe and trusted place to have their child cared for without having to miss work. LeafSpring’s lone international establishment in China was founded in 2013 and still goes by Rainbow Station.

Genius Kids

Unit count: 37 locations in California

Investment range: $239,900-$619,500

Genius Kids approaches its students’ learning from a critical thinking and creativity development perspective. Multimedia technology is a staple in Genius Kids classrooms, used to promote independence and self-advocacy. It also directs focus to building children’s public speaking and communication confidence skills in all of its programs, assessing each child on their own individual progress scale to foster improvement on a personal level. GeniusKids offers full services to children from three months to 10 years old, plus select programs for students up to age 17. The brand has established a strong foothold in California but has plans to venture out into other U.S. markets.

Adventure Kids Playcare

Unit count: 15 locations in Texas, Maryland and Washington

Investment range: $344,250-$589,000

Adventure Kids Playcare provides services to children between six and 12 years old. The brand was established in Texas in 2004 to provide parents with a “guilt-free” childcare option with a unique drop-in model. Centers emphasize safety and fun in programs developed to keep children active and entertained. Beyond being a popular birthday party destination, Adventure Kids Playcare offers a “playcare to go” service where caregivers come to families homes to provide childcare to multiple children, convenient and ideal for customers’ wedding, business meeting or dinner party obligations.

*Brands marked with an asterisk are clients of 1851 Franchise or No Limit Agency*.