Veterans make great Kiddie Academy Franchisees

Kiddie Academy® Educational Child Care, has long been a favorite option for veterans looking to own a business after their military careers have concluded. We’re currently ranked #35 on Entrepreneur’s most recent list of Top Franchises for Veterans. The ranking reflects each company’s veteran incentive, how veteran franchisees are supported by the company and each company’s rank in Entrepreneur’s 2023 Franchise 500 ranking (Kiddie Academy is currently ranked #96).

Kiddie Academy is also a proud participant in VetFran, a strategic initiative of the International Franchise Association and the IFA Foundation. VetFran’s mission is to educate veterans and franchisors about the unique match between the skills and aptitude of entrepreneurial veterans and the demands and opportunities of being a franchisee. As a VetFran participant, Kiddie Academy offers qualified veterans a reduction of up to $25,000 on their initial franchising fee.

“A military background is ideal for the structure and leadership qualities required to operate a successful Academy,” said Joshua Frick, president of Kiddie Academy Domestic Franchising, LLC. “We’re proud to continue offering the VetFran discount to our veterans to thank them for their selfless service to our country on Veterans Day and every day.”

Among the veterans in our Franchisee family is Jonathan Ramsey. The former U.S. Air Force technical sergeant and his wife, Della, took advantage of the VetFran program and opened Kiddie Academy of Charlotte-Highlands in North Carolina in October 2023.

Jon spent a total of 11 years in the military – four years of active duty in the Air Force and seven years in the Air National Guard. Upon his return to civilian life, he and Della were looking for a business of their own. Della’s background in early childhood education led them to look at Kiddie Academy.

“As a veteran, I appreciate the value Kiddie Academy places on the military leadership experience,” said Jonathan. “We chose Kiddie Academy because of the superior educational curriculum and the warm helpful response from the various Kiddie Academy leaders. We felt they were genuinely interested in a partnership, which was important to us. I know we really appreciated getting the veteran’s discount on the initial franchise fee. We’re grateful for everything Kiddie Academy is doing for the military community.”

We continue to roll out the red carpet to welcome veterans into our system. This year, we have awarded four new franchise agreements via VetFran, bringing the total number of Kiddie Academy veteran Franchisees to 22—representing 11 open Academies and 12 in development. They are part of a growing nationwide system that currently stands at more than 320 open Academies in 36 states and the District of Columbia.