Demystifying the Childcare Buyer Landscape – Key Insights for ECE Owners

If you’re an early childhood education owner considering selling your school, you have options (lots of them!) when it comes to buyers. And though you don’t need to invest the time and energy to research every last possibility out there, it is a good idea to have a foundational understanding of the buyer landscape and the types of potential successors or investors that may be interested in your school.

While there is a common misconception that only a handful of serious childcare buyers are active in the market right now, the reality is that a robust and competitive market exists for high-quality schools.

Who is Buying Childcare Businesses and Real Estate?

Our team at HINGE Advisors has guided more early education owners through successful transactions than any other advisor in the country, and our experience working with a wide range of buyers underscores that the childcare buyer market is far broader, more dynamic, and more competitive than many suggest.

We maintain relationships with 650+ buyers and investment groups who are actively seeking early education opportunities. These include regional operators, national platforms, private equity groups, real estate investment trusts (REITs), and independent investors.

Buyers generally fall into four key categories: 

• Industry buyers: Local, regional, or national operators seeking expansion opportunities within their current geographic footprint or adjacent areas.

• Strategic buyers: Competitors, suppliers, or other operators who acquire schools to enhance or expand their existing operations.

• Financial buyers: Private equity firms, family offices, real estate investment trusts (REITs), and investors focused on partnering with companies to support growth and long-term value.

• Individual buyers: Entrepreneurs or educators who want to own and operate a school themselves, often drawn by a personal passion for early education.

While every buyer in HINGE’s network is committed to serving the best interests of children, families, and teachers, each brings a different perspective and way of working. That’s why having a team like ours in your corner is so important for achieving alignment, in addition to driving your school’s value. This includes evaluating whether a buyer aligns with your curriculum style, provides growth opportunities for your team, and honors the mission and culture you’ve built.

Pro Tip: Early education buyers all have their own ways of working. Wish you could get the inside scoop? Our team at HINGE Advisors has personal experience with a large group of buyers and can share critical points to consider that you won’t find on paper.

Staying Current With New Early Education Buyers

While some of the larger buyers have a longstanding presence in the market, new, solid buyer groups are constantly emerging, drawn by the consistent demand for high-quality early education businesses and their long-term potential.

Illustrating the pace of change, in 2024, HINGE added almost 100 new buyers to our network. By 2025, the number of new additions nearly tripled, indicating both growing interest in the ECE space and increasing competition.

These are serious buyers. At HINGE, we have a thorough process to prequalify every organization in our buyer network and ensure that they have the funding readily available to close on all-cash deals. This proactive approach allows sellers to easily and confidentially get in front of a large pool of qualified, engaged buyers through a single point of contact on our advisory team.

The Power of Marketing Your School to Multiple Buyers

Access to a robust pool of buyers puts childcare sellers in a position of power where they can benefit from real competition. Working with an advisor to tap into a broad network of pre-approved buyers and run a competitive process provides several advantages:

• Stronger financial outcomes: Reaching more buyers increases competition and maximizes leverage.

• Align with buyers who share your vision: The right buyers share your vision for culture, operations, and timing, not just price.

• More options to choose from: An advisor expands the pool beyond one or two offers, giving sellers the ability to select the buyer best suited to carry forward what they’ve built.

• Protect your legacy: True competition gives owners the freedom to select a successor who will honor their people, culture, and long-term vision.

These benefits are illustrated in many of our recent transactions, including:

• Milestones School of Achievement (Greensboro, NC): More than 50 pre-approved buyers expressed interest and nearly a dozen submitted competitive offers — allowing owners Grant and Maizi Chilton to select a buyer aligned with their vision, ensuring the school, staff, and students would continue to thrive.

• Learning Ladder Academy (Wyomissing, PA): After turning down an offer from a large provider that proved one-sided, owners Kelly and Steve Goodhart engaged our team to run a competitive process. The result? Nearly 20 interested buyers, multiple offers, and a final deal that exceeded their financial expectations by a double-digit percent.

If You’re Considering Selling, Think Bigger

There is no shortage of qualified buyers for quality childcare businesses. The real challenge is cutting through the noise, identifying the right prospects, and managing a competitive process that drives both value and fit. That is exactly where specialized early education advisors can help.

If you are considering a sale, take advantage of the full breadth of the market. Connect with our team to learn how we can position your business for the right buyer, the best outcome, and a smooth transition.

“HINGE’s built-in relationships with childcare buyers are priceless. Selling our center and real estate through HINGE was a 10 out of 10 perfect experience.”

- Rachel Owens, Founder, Thomasville Child Care Center

“Right off the bat, HINGE knew several buyers who would be interested in our school. Their connections run deep, and they knew exactly how to bring our school to market to help us gain the most value. We were thrilled to have multiple competing offers and — even more important — an ally on our side to look out for our best interests as the sellers.”

- Former Childcare Center Owner

“HINGE had multiple groups who were interested in our school, helped us get significantly more value, and allowed us to choose the best fit for our students and staff.”

- Kelly and Steve Goodhart, Learning Ladder Academy