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Some of the best organizations are created from an origin story that touches hearts and minds. Building Kidz is one of those – the love of a mother for her daughter that started with devastating news and later, a dream. When our founder Vineeta Bhandari’s daughter, Sabrina, was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, her preschool was ultimately unable to provide the care she needed.

Sabrina’s new-found challenges inspired Vineeta to completely flip the script on early childhood education. Her dream was to create an education center where all young children could be stimulated and educated while having fun, but most importantly, be cared for physically, mentally and emotionally. Thus, Building Kidz was born.

When validation of our ideas comes from within our own circles, it carries strength and motivation. When it comes from other places, it builds on that strength and leads to new opportunities. This year, we are excited to share that Building Kidz Worldwide received recognition from Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 100 new franchises in the U.S.

“It’s motivating to be recognized as offering world-class, quality childcare for the future of our country,” says Vineeta. “There is more franchising occurring in the U.S. than in the rest of the world combined. It is a widely used business model, so to stand out from the crowd in this way is deeply significant. We’re making an impact on people, on children and the childcare industry.”

According to Entrepreneur, the companies on this list began franchising within the last five years (since 2014). They are ranked based on the scores they received in the magazine’s Franchise 500 evaluation, which analyzes more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability.

Adding fuel to the growing fire, Entrepreneur lists the childcare industry as a whole as a top 10 franchise category expected to boom in 2019: “With more and more parents working, the demand for childcare is high, and well-known brands—especially those that also offer educational services—inspire trust. So it’s no surprise that childcare franchises have experienced impressive growth in recent years.”

Childcare and education-based franchises are a sound investment for someone looking to buy into an established franchise system. There are 20 million children under the age of five in the U.S., and about a quarter of them (5 million) participate in some form of organized childcare, such as preschools, centers and nurseries. The childcare market is worth $47 billion and is expected to grow to $52.5 billion by 2021.

Early childhood education is an industry with huge unmet demand largely because of the stringent federal and local regulations, but a growing number of households have both parents working and they desire safe, reliable and high-quality childcare for their young children, adds Vineeta. Franchising allows individuals to be successful entrepreneurs and empowers families to find success in a rewarding industry.

Vineeta and the Building Kidz team consider our work more of a passion than anything because care and education cannot be thought of as separate entities when shaping the development of young children. Our comprehensive arts-integrated educational program focuses on developing the whole child through six key areas of development: emotional, social, cognitive, physical, communication and academic. We incorporate a progressive, integrated curriculum in our schools appropriate for children six months to five years that stimulates every child’s growth and builds their confidence, commitment and character.

So, what type of person invests in a franchise? “People passionate about early childhood education who want to make a difference in their community are the perfect franchisees,” continues Vineeta. “You aren’t required to have a teaching degree but you do have to be motivated to care for children. The drive and business acumen to run a franchise needs to be balanced with the joy of seeing very young children thrive in an environment you create.”

As Building Kidz continues to set the foundation as an established brand, our mission is to become a larger part of the communities we serve and improve the lives of one million children globally through Building Kidz School and our nonprofit division, Building Futures. Our franchisees run schools that are active within their markets. As a franchisor, we donate 25% of our profits, at no cost to parents or our franchisees, to non-profit partnerships focused on improving the lives of underprivileged children.

Perhaps you share the same dream. To learn more about the rewarding experience of owning a Building Kidz franchise, visit our franchise opportunity page, and follow our LinkedIn page for regular company updates.

Ask preschool-age children what they like to do, and you will almost always hear them shout “play!” Young children learn about the world around them by playing – both by themselves and with others. They are naturally curious learners who are interested in how things feel, smell, taste and work and enjoy engaging in new experiences. This is central to the Building Kidz approach to high-quality early childhood education.

Fred Rogers, creator of the renowned preschool children’s television show Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, studied at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Child Development. For his show and in his speeches, he regularly touted the importance of play in helping children develop socially and emotionally, noting that children practice what they are learning through their play.

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning,” he said. “But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”

His beliefs echo those of John Dewey, a highly regarded educator and philosopher. He is often noted as a founder of progressive education in which students learn by hands-on experiences instead of lecture-type instruction.

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself,” he said. “Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results.”

How Pre-K Children Play and Learn Best

Preschool children watch, listen, touch and explore everything they encounter and apply what they learn as they grow and develop. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) lists 10 Things Every Parent Should Know About Play. Their list mirrors Fred Rogers’ and John Dewey‘s beliefs that play and learning are intertwined for children.

Children learn and play best in a safe, nurturing environment where they feel comfortable trying new activities. At Building Kidz, our teachers provide caring and individual attention to support each child’s unique needs and encourage their academic, social and emotional development. Our preschool curriculum introduces language, math, science and social skills in a way to encourage learning at each child’s own pace.

“All children are born artists. They love to sing, act, and dance. At Building Kidz, our children are learning in an environment that enables them to engage effortlessly,” said Sanjay Gehani, Partner and Chief Marketing Officer at Building Kidz.

Real-Life Experiences Make Learning Fun

At Building Kidz, learning is experiential, imitative and sensory-based. Monthly and weekly themes bring learning to life through hands-on experiences and activities. Math and science skills are developed with real-life experiences and supported by elements of the performing arts. Language experiences are introduced with performing arts integration to support accelerated literacy and language development.

Our approach to learning through real-life experiences helps make learning fun and creates a basis that children “learn by doing.” For example, in the fall, children might collect, sort and count leaves. Then, they would examine the leaves with magnifying glasses, talk about what they observe and wonder about how leaves work.

Role-playing is another fun and instinctive way children learn. In fact, it’s an embedded behavior in children. They perform it naturally without previous learning or adult explanations. Unlike other activities that include directions, such as sports or video games, children only need to watch an adult doing something before beginning to imitate them.

Role-playing is a significant part of the Building Kidz essence, and we aspire to take it to its maximum expression. Our children incorporate role-play and performing arts into all aspects of their learning. We offer weekly lessons in music and dance, and theater is embedded in our daily routine. Our unique way of viewing role-play inspires us to build environments with buildings, city blocks, plazas and streets for children to play at being adults, with almost any of the different professions and trades available in a real one. This integration supports accelerated literacy and language development as well as social and emotional growth.

We invite you to learn more about our age-appropriate programs here or explore our learning-through-play approach by visiting one of our centers nationally to see our philosophy, children and teachers in action.

The multigenerational U.S. workforce is leading to significant shifts in the alignment between work and family and at the top of this list is childcare. Gen Z has entered the workforce and are now starting their own families which is leading to changes in the expectations of traditional business models, work schedules and overall childcare trends.

Families with both parents working outside the home – across all three of the younger generations – are at an all-time high, increasing the demand for childcare. And while childcare demand is expanding, childcare providers has decreased by an estimated 30%.

2020 Childcare Franchise Trends

Because of both the increasing demand for childcare and the favorable economic forecast, now is an excellent time to invest in an early education franchise. Per-child spending has doubled since the 1970s, and the average American household currently spends one-tenth of their income on childcare expenses. Combining average expenditures on childcare with the advanced age of first-time parents (26 for mothers and 31 for fathers) means that today’s parents are more informed, more particular and have higher expectations than ever. Providers must adapt to the changing needs of childcare franchises.

Building Kidz is not only prepared to meet those expectations, but we also pledge to exceed them. “Accessible, affordable and high-quality childcare can drive positive economic development to a community and provide an invaluable service to local families,” says Sanjay Gehani, Partner and Chief Marketing Officer of Building Kidz Worldwide. Each dollar invested in early childhood education returns more than 800% of that initial outlay, benefitting state and federal governments by decreasing spending on social welfare programs and increasing average individual lifetime earnings.

There is tremendous opportunity to change the lives of generations with the simple act of providing a nurturing and engaging environment for children 0-5 years. Our franchisees share the vision that we can change the lives of children around the world by opening a local Building Kidz School.

It’s also easier than ever to start a business, with the added benefit of lower risk by starting a business within an established franchise system. Franchising is more secure and more flexible than starting your own business from scratch. The robust economy and positive futures outlook facilitate financing—interest rates are low, and business loans are relatively easy to obtain.

We’re proud of our franchise system, especially the way we collaborate with potential franchisees from day one. We build emotional connections with our partners, sharing a passion for early childhood education and a calling to improve the future by investing in the preschool experience of children globally. Several of our franchisees joined our system because of the benefits their own children gained through their time at existing Building Kidz campuses.

The Building Kidz Mission and Vision

“To meet the exacting demands of today’s parents, we have implemented a brand-new, progressive curriculum that integrates performing arts education into every aspect of the school day,” shares Building Kidz founder, Vineeta Bhandari. “We also incorporate innovative security technologies into the design of each of our facilities and include age-appropriate learning devices at every stage of development.”

Furthermore, Gen Z and Millennials are the most socially conscious demographic groups in American history. By opening a preschool with Building Kidz, franchisees are part of a corporation that gives 25% of its profits back to underprivileged children globally. Our franchisees’ success empowers the nonprofit arm of Building Kidz Worldwide to support organizations such as Sai Dham and Mano Vikas in India, the Tanzanian Children’s Fund in Africa, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund, Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf and the Pacifica School District in the United States.

While the financial means to start a franchise are essential, the shared values and commitment to excellence our franchisees demonstrate are even more vital. Please visit our website to learn more about our exciting franchise opportunities within one of the most rewarding industries to own a business.

At Building Kidz, the health and safety of our students is our foremost concern. All of our facilities meet and exceed state and national guidelines for cleanliness and sanitation. Currently, school closures across our 26 U.S. locations are up to each individual owner based on the needs of their community and the unique situation in their area. To help combat the interruption to our students’ learning, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite resources below.

Continuing Instruction

We’re also rolling out a “distance learning” plan to help in maintaining a connection with our parents and students should they decide to shelter at home. Our e-learning plan includes recorded videos of our instructors, email “chats”, and resources for parents to recreate many of the learning environments from Building Kidz facilities at home. The entire staff and faculty of Building Kidz remain committed to providing best-in-class early childhood education for all our students as well as supporting our families throughout these challenging times.

Online Resources

Big History Project: While the content is aimed at high-school-age students, the stunning videos and multi-disciplinary activities can keep your kiddos visually engaged for hours

Blockly: Learn computer programming skills – fun and free.

BBC Bitesize: This site is full of interactive study guides for all ages.

Cbeebies Radio: Listening activities and games for preschoolers.

Common Sense Media: A great guide for parents for what’s age-appropriate in apps, books, movies and TV shows

Crash Course Kids: Quickly become an expert in your favorite scientific topic with these kid-friendly videos.

DK Find Out: Discover multiple learning avenues specifically for children.

Duolingo: Learn dozens of languages with native speakers and an accessible format.

GoNoodle: Movement and mindfulness videos for younger audiences

GreatSchools.org: The “Parenting” tab has excellent resources for at-home education

Home Science Tools: Hundreds of free projects for all areas of STEM exploration.

Khan Academy: This free resource is great for parents and students of all ages. Khan Academy is also a nonprofit aimed at bringing high-quality educational opportunities to children around the world—a vision we fully support!

Mystery Science: Free science lessons for kindergarten through fifth-grade learners.

NASA STEM lessons from Space: Learn STEM concepts from real-life astronauts!

National Geographic Kids: Explore all the world’s creatures with activities and quizzes for younger kids.

Paw Print Badges: Go on an adventure with free challenge packs and other downloads. Many activities can be completed indoors.

Prodigy Maths: Blast your math skills to the next level with these fun games.

Red Ted Art: Easy arts and crafts for little ones

Scratch Jr.: Teach children ages 5-7 the basics of coding with this app from MIT.

Ted-Ed Student Talks: Students teach students with these videos ranging from health to literature to engineering.

The Artful Parent: Quickly set up beautiful art activities for your children.

The Imagination Tree: Inspire creativity with early childhood development activities.

The Kids Should See This: Feed the curious mind with these engaging videos.

The Sky: Learn all about the night sky, planets and our solar system.

Tinkercad: “Make anything” with this digital makers space.

Toy Theater: Designed specifically for kindergarten and up, these games across many different subject areas will satisfy even the shortest attention spans.

Tynker: Computer coding for kids. Ages 5+

World Geography Games: Travel the globe without leaving home!

At Building Kidz Preschool, our curriculum is based on the “Whole child” philosophy of education. Our franchisees specialize in developing a child from a social and emotional standpoint as well as academically.

Gratitude is an extremely important social skill, and it is never too soon to begin educating a child on gratitude. UC Davis research has found that simply thinking about gratitude can lead to increased happiness and life satisfaction1.

We say “please” and “thank you” all day in our preschool classrooms and our toddlers are taught to share and be grateful for sharing. We teach parents how easily they can adopt a few habits at home to teach gratitude as well. Here is an example of 3 simple practices that our teachers teach parents to bring the Building Kidz culture home:

1. Lead by example: Leading by example is one of the most important ways to teach in the home. Your child is looking to you to learn how to be human! When someone does you a kindness, say “thank you”, and be sincere. A door held open or a dropped set of keys picked up are just two example of behavior we all encounter that will allow you to model a gracious attitude.
2. Be grateful to your child: When your child does something helpful, give them a sincere “Thank you”. Thank your child for being cooperative, helping out with a chore, or showing kindness. This has the added bonus of a positive reinforcement of the behavior you are thanking them for!
3. Give Back Together: Just by being a Building Kidz parent, you are part of our Let’s Give Back Together program, in which Building Kidz Worldwide sets aside 25% of its profits to help children globally. You can take a page from our playbook and give back together with your child, as well! Get involved in community service, help an older community member, or participate in a food drive.

We hear often from our franchisees how their lives have changed since they joined the Building Kidz Preschool Franchise family. Being able to bring lessons like this into the homes of their students is just one reason why!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier