Start a Kiddie Academy Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: #86 Ranked #116 last year

Initial investment: $405K - $7M

Units as of 2025: 355 17.9% over 3 years

You aren't kidding around with the Kiddie Academy when you enroll your child in a program that strives to be as trustworthy as this! Kiddie Academy is a year-round child care center that operates out of a specialized system. It provides academic and social enrichment for children between 6 weeks and 12 years of age.

Going back to its 1981 beginnings, George and Pauline Miller opened Kiddie Academy Child Care Learning Centers in an attempt to provide education-based child care. Clearly, the idea hit it off with the community, allowing the Millers to begin franchising the concept in 1992. Now, hundreds of locations have opened all throughout the United States. Kiddie Academy is a place where children are nurtured in a positive environment that can help kids feel the support they need while still in early development.

Driven by a desire to prepare children for school and life in general, Kiddie Academy continues to look for BIZ Experiencess who share their passion for serving the educational needs of children and their families. As a franchisee, you won't just operate a business—you'll have the opportunity to impact young lives in your community as they journey into the future.

Why You May Want to Start a Kiddie Academy Franchise

Owning a Kiddie Academy franchise may allow for your schedule to operate on a regular Monday through Friday schedule. This may leave you time to spend with your own family and deal with personal priorities. Even with a more balanced home and work life, you will likely have the chance to help families achieve their personal and professional goals as a franchisee.

While it's exciting to research and explore unique daycare names, Kiddie Academy is a highly esteemed and established brand. Besides, opening a Kiddie Academy franchise may give you great pride in being part of a nationally recognized leader in the educational child care industry.

What Might Make Kiddie Academy Franchise a Good Choice?

A Kiddie Academy franchise may be a good opportunity for you to consider if playing a positive role in a child's growth and education matters to you.

Many times in the past two decades, Kiddie Academy has appeared on BIZ Experiences's Franchise 500 based on an evaluation of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability.

How to Open a Kiddie Academy Franchise

Kiddie Academy has made it a point to keep its startup process simple and fast. To get started, submit an inquiry form. As you consider the possibility of opening a Kiddie Academy franchise, make sure you take time to explore the opportunity. Research the brand and your local area to see if a Kiddie Academy franchise would do well in your community. If there are multiple other child care centers in your area, you may want to reconsider opening a Kiddie Academy franchise in that location.

If your net worth and available liquid capital match the brand’s requirements, you may qualify to open a Kiddie Academy franchise. You can get started with an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup fees. You should also be prepared for ongoing fees, including advertising fees and royalty fees. You may want to speak with an attorney or financial planner in order to make sure you are financially stable enough to open a Kiddie Academy franchise.

Don't kid around; give your community the possibility to enroll with Kiddie Academy.

Company Overview

About Kiddie Academy

Industry	Children's Businesses
Related Categories	Childcare, Miscellaneous Children's Businesses, Children's Education/Enrichment
Founded	1981
Parent Company	Essential Brands Inc.
Leadership	Casey Miller, CEO
Corporate Address	3415 Box Hill Corporate Center Dr. Abingdon, MD 21009
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1992 (33 years)
# of employees at HQ	145
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
# of Units	355 (as of 2025)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Kiddie Academy franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$150,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$405,000 - $6,950,000
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$750,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$250,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	$25,000 off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	7%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	15 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Kiddie Academy has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	32 hours
Classroom Training	101.5 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	25
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes