Children's Lighthouse Early Learning Schools franchise research

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Investment sourceFDD p.17 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$60,000 to $85,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

7% · 3.5% of Gross Revenue for the first six months the School is open; 7% of Gross Revenue thereafter; payable monthly on the 15th of the following month

Marketing contribution

0.5% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

$49 per month (software fees; passes through the software provider's price increases)

Other fees

Late fee of 10% on past due accounts; Non-Attendance Fee $1,000 for missing the system-wide meeting; Audit cost $2,000-$5,000 if underpayment exceeds 2%

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

Additional Funds (3 months): $275,000 (Build-to-Suit); $277,725 to $332,800 (Equity Development Program). Covers rent/debt service, wages, insurance, childcare license and health permit, occupancy and other operating expenses for the first three months.

Fees sourceFDD p.12 ↗

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Investment sourceFDD p.17 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Average, median, high and low annual Gross Revenue, plus a school-by-school list of gross revenue for all reporting Schools

Reporting period

Fiscal year ended December 31, 2023

Sample

67 franchised Schools open and operating at 12/31/2023 and open at least 18 months (2 newer Schools excluded)

Reported average

$1,941,556

Reported median

$1,906,407

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.44 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2023

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

67

Year-end outlets

69

Net change

+2

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

2

Terminations

0

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

0

Reacquisitions

0

Transfers

2

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

Unit growth sourceFDD p.46 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

23 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$5,000,000

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

8 loans

Historical charge-off share

0.00%

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

0 / 11

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median loan amounts are financing context, not startup cost. The median window is separate from the seasoned charge-off cohort.

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Questions before you invest

How much does Children's Lighthouse Early Learning Schools franchise cost?

Build-to-Suit Lease Program (third-party developer builds; lease deposit, no land/building purchase): $1,074,580 to $1,467,050; Equity Development Program (franchisee buys land and builds the School): $5,855,974 to $8,933,880 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $60,000 to $85,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.17 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do Children's Lighthouse Early Learning Schools owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Average, median, high and low annual Gross Revenue, plus a school-by-school list of gross revenue for all reporting Schools. Sample: 67 franchised Schools open and operating at 12/31/2023 and open at least 18 months (2 newer Schools excluded). Period: Fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.44 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for Children's Lighthouse Early Learning Schools?

0.00%; numerator / denominator: 0 / 11. Historical 7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals; CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100, snapshot 2026-06-30. This is not a franchise failure probability. Median SBA loan: $5,000,000; window: FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30; sample: 8 loans. Median financing is not total investment.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗