Child Care Services

Child Care Services

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

Companies in this industry provide supervision and educational programs for pre-school and school-age children. Major US companies include Bright Horizons, KinderCare Education, and Learning Care Group; major companies based outside the US include Elbkinder (Germany), G8 Education (Australia), and Partou (the Netherlands).

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven primarily by growth in the youth population, and secondarily by employment and income. Recognition of the importance of early education is also driving demand for high-quality care. The profitability of individual child care facilities depends on good marketing, reputation, and efficient operations, as well as how saturated the local market is. Large companies have economies of scale in advertising and administration. Smaller companies can compete effectively in local markets by owning convenient locations. The US industry is highly fragmented: the top 50 companies generate about 15% of revenue.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major services include child day care center services (about 65% of revenue) and basic education and skills program (about 20%). Other sources of revenue include government contributions, gifts, and grants, as well as in-home child day care services. Most commercial child care services companies operate centers that are open to the public, but some operate employer-sponsored centers for employees' children. Likely hosts of employer-sponsored centers include companies, universities, and military bases. Employers typically support development, maintenance, and repair of onsite or nearby child care centers and provide subsidies to make them affordable to employees. In addition, some operators of traditional...