Busy Bees drives expansion in US with acquisition of EduKids
Catherine Gaunt
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Busy Bees, the largest nursery group in the UK, has bought the New York based operator EduKids.
The deal to acquire 15 early childhood education and care centres means that the group has nearly doubled the number of nurseries it operates in the United States to 34.
It is the second US deal in six months, following Busy Bees’ acquisition of Educational Playcare’s 19 centres across Connecticut last August. It also operates 89 nurseries in Canada, acquired in 2017.
Founded in 1989, EduKids has 450 staff providing care for 1,660 children from the age of 6 weeks to 5 years.
Following the acquisition, Busy Bees now cares for more than 57,000 children across 640 sites globally, including centres in the UK and Ireland, Europe, Southeast Asia, Canada, Australia and the United States.
Commenting on the latest deal, Simon Irons, group CEO of Busy Bees, said, ‘For over 35 years Busy Bees has provided outstanding care for children in local communities across the world. We are pleased to welcome EduKids to the Busy Bees family. In doing so, we are able to support more children, families and staff than ever before. This latest acquisition allows us to expand our footprint in the United States, strengthening our global portfolio and bringing further talent into the Busy Bees business.
‘Before finalising the acquisition, we conducted a thorough review and audit to ensure EduKids was aligned to our own vision and values as a business. We are confident that the team at EduKids will enhance our international capabilities as a leading childcare provider as we continue to provide the best possible start in life for the children under our care.’
Nancy Ware, founder and president of EduKids, added, ‘Since its founding more than three decades ago, EduKids has nurtured, taught and guided thousands of children and their families. It is now time to start a new chapter, creating a future instilled with the mission of excellence that has defined us through the years. Busy Bees is the global leader in early childhood education and innovation, and we are confident that they will be able to take the business through the next stage of its growth, giving even more children the best early years education. Over the coming months, we will work closely with Busy Bees’ management team to ensure a seamless transition for all involved.’
