Celebree School
Celebree School is a privately-held, Maryland-based early childhood education franchise founded in 1994, operating 26 company-owned schools and a growing franchise network delivering childcare and educational programs for children from six weeks to 12 years old across 15+ U.S. states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersLutherville Timonium, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Celebree School does
Celebree School (legal entity: Celebree Enterprises, LLC) is a privately-held early childhood education company founded in 1994 and headquartered in Nottingham, Maryland. The company operates a hybrid corporate-plus-franchise model offering childcare and educational programs for children from six weeks through 12 years old, including Day Care, Infants, Toddlers, Preschool, Pre-K, School Age, and Summer Camp programs, all structured around its proprietary Seven Domains of Learning curriculum framework. It has 26 company-operated schools across Maryland and Delaware with a disclosed average unit volume of $2.26M, alongside a growing franchise network operating across at least 15 U.S. states with active expansion into the Midwest (Wisconsin, Michigan) and Southeast (Florida).
The business makes money through two primary streams: (1) tuition and fees from corporate-operated schools, billed on a monthly, all-inclusive subscription basis, and (2) franchise development fees plus ongoing royalties (standard 7%, with a temporary 0% / 4% ramp for new openings) collected from franchise owners. Customer acquisition for parents is local and direct — school tours, community campaigns, content marketing, and a Refer-A-Family program offering $250 in tuition credit — while franchise growth is driven by a dedicated sales motion led by a newly hired VP of Franchise Development and supported by AI-driven digital marketing through partner Thunderly. Operational technology is light: the Tadpoles parent-communication app, Teaching Strategies and Conscious Discipline curriculum integrations, and centralized Celebree Training Institute (CTI) for staff onboarding. The company holds Maryland Accreditation and is the largest authorized provider of Maryland's Pre-K Expansion Grant Program (nine locations), with additional participation in state and federal subsidy programs across Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Celebree School firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Celebree School
- Legal name
- Celebree Enterprises, LLC
- Website
- https://celebree.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Celebree School is a privately-held, Maryland-based early childhood education franchise founded in 1994, operating 26 company-owned schools and a growing franchise network delivering childcare and educational programs for children from six weeks to 12 years old across 15+ U.S. states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Celebree School industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early Childhood Education and Childcare Services
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (6244), Educational Services (61)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Comprehensive ECE Curriculum Frameworks (Birth–5) (EDACAJAA), In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses) (EDACAIAB), ECE Leadership & Administration Training (Directors/Owners/Supervisors) (EDACAIAD), Subsidy & Funding Compliance (CCDF/child care assistance program requirements) (EDACAKAN), Early Childhood Development (ECD) & Pre-Primary Education (BPADAKAB)
Keywords
Where Celebree School is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lutherville Timonium
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Celebree School business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Childcare Tuition: Tuition revenue from families for childcare and early education services. Tuition varies by location, age group, schedule, and program. All-inclusive tuition with no surprises or extra fees.
- Franchise Fees and Royalties: Franchise owners pay royalties starting at 0% for first 12 weeks, stepping to 4% for weeks 13-24, then standard 7% rate thereafter. Initial franchise investment supports new school openings.
- Summer Camp Programs: Revenue from summer camp programs for children ages 2-13, with themed activities, field trips, and specialized camps like HotSpots Adventure Camp.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Childcare tuition based on age and schedule |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Celebree School product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Celebree School provides licensed early childhood education and childcare services for children from six weeks through 12 years of age, organized into age-segmented programs (Infants, Toddlers, Preschool, Pre-K, and School Age) as well as Summer Camp and Drop-In Child Care. The company operates its own schools and supports a franchise program that licenses the proprietary "Grow Celebree Tree" / Seven Domains of Learning curriculum and operating system to franchisees.
Product overview
Celebree School operates as an early childhood education franchise offering a comprehensive suite of childcare and educational programs for children from six weeks to 12 years old. The core portfolio includes Day Care, Infants, Toddlers, Preschool, Pre-K, School Age, and Summer Camps programs, all built around the Seven Domains of Learning curriculum framework. Supporting programs include the Refer-A-Family incentive program, Celebree Training Institute for employee development, Pre-K Expansion Grant partnerships with Maryland's state program, and state/federal scholarship programs. The company operates both company-owned and franchise locations across multiple states, with recent expansion into the Midwest (Wisconsin, Michigan) and continued growth in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Day Care Full-day licensed childcare and supervision for children from six weeks through 12 years of age, segmented into age-appropriate classrooms at Celebree School locations.
- Infants Program Structured care and early learning program for infants aged six weeks and older, delivered through the Grow Celebree Tree curriculum framework.
- Toddlers Program Curriculum-based care program for toddler-age children within the Seven Domains of Learning framework at Celebree School locations.
- Preschool Program Structured preschool program preparing young children for pre-kindergarten using the Grow Celebree Tree curriculum.
- Pre-K Program Pre-kindergarten program focused on kindergarten readiness and academic preparation within Celebree School's curriculum framework.
- School Age Program Before- and after-school care program for school-age children up to 12 years, providing supervised activities and enrichment.
- Summer Camp Seasonal summer camp program offering enrichment, recreation, and supervised programming for children during summer break.
- Drop-In Child Care Flexible drop-in childcare service for families needing occasional, non-scheduled care at Celebree School locations.
- Celebree School Franchise Franchise program licensing the Celebree brand, Grow Celebree Tree curriculum, and operating system to entrepreneurs who open and operate their own Celebree School locations.
Quantifiable outcome
- VQB5 Honor Roll recognition placing schools in top 10% statewide for infant and toddler excellence
Companies that use Celebree School
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Celebree School technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Celebree School partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of MarylandcoreAs part of the Maryland Pre-K Expansion Grant Program announcement, Celebree School donates $50 to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maryland for every new student enrolled between now and August 31. This CSR initiative supports families with sick children while promoting the Pre-K program.
- ThunderlycoreThunderly, a franchise marketing agency, partnered with Celebree School to support growth across the United States. Scope includes digital marketing, franchise development, and AI-driven advertising strategies, reflecting Celebree's expansion momentum.
- Teaching StrategiescoreTeaching Strategies is a core curriculum partner integrated into the Celebree Training Institute (CTI) and daily educational programs. Their resources support the early childhood education curriculum across all locations.
- Conscious DisciplinecoreConscious Discipline principles are incorporated into the Celebree Training Institute (CTI) for all teachers and team members. This social-emotional learning framework supports classroom management and child development.
- Johns Hopkins School of MedicineminorElizabeth Reynolds, PhD from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty hosted a webinar on supporting parents' mental health and wellness as part of the 'Where Villages Grow' Mental Health Awareness campaign.
- Novick Childcare SolutionsminorNovick Childcare Solutions hosted webinars as part of Celebree School's 'Healthy Habits Start Here' campaign for National Nutrition Month, providing nutrition expertise to families.
- State and Federal Scholarship ProgramscoreCelebree School partners with multiple state and federal programs to provide financial assistance: Child Care Aware (CCA), Maryland Scholarship Program (CCS), Delaware Purchase of Care (POC), Working Parents Assistance (Montgomery County MD), Virginia Child Care Subsidy Program, North Carolina Child Care Subsidy Program, South Carolina First Steps 4K.
- Maryland State Department of EducationcoreMaryland State Department of Education authorized nine Celebree School Maryland locations to participate in the state's Pre-K Expansion Grant Program, making Celebree the largest authorized provider in Maryland.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Celebree School competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cadence Education: Private equity-backed operator of more than 200 preschool and early childhood education centers across the U.S. Comparable as a scaled ECE platform with similar infant-through-Pre-K program mix and curriculum-driven positioning, though primarily corporate-operated.
- KinderCare Learning Companies: Largest private provider of early childhood education in the U.S., operating more than 1,500 centers with employer partnerships. Comparable as a large-scale ECE operator serving similar infant-to-school-age segments with comparable curriculum frameworks.
- Learning Care Group: Operates multiple early childhood education brands including Childtime, Tutor Time, and La Petite Academy with company-operated centers nationwide. Comparable as a multi-brand ECE operator in the same age segments with similar curriculum and family engagement programs.
- Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Largest publicly-traded operator of high-quality early childhood education centers, including employer-sponsored back-up care. Comparable as a scaled ECE operator serving similar infant-to-school-age segments, though primarily corporate-operated rather than franchise.
Regional players
- Stratford School: Private preschool through middle school operator primarily serving California and other West Coast markets. Comparable in curriculum-driven early childhood positioning but operates primarily on the West Coast rather than competing with Celebree in the Mid-Atlantic.
Direct peers
- Kiddie Academy: Franchise operator of educational child care centers for infants through school-age children with Life Essentials curriculum. Comparable to Celebree as a Mid-Atlantic-rooted franchisor that has expanded nationally with proprietary curriculum and similar age-segment coverage.
- Lightbridge Academy: Franchise system of early childhood education centers with proprietary Circle of Care curriculum and family communication technology. Comparable as a franchise-based ECE platform competing for the same franchisees with similar technology-enabled parent engagement.
- Primrose Schools: National franchise operator of private early childhood education centers offering accredited curriculum for infants through Pre-K and after-school programs. Directly comparable as a franchise-based ECE platform competing for the same franchisee and family segments, with similar proprietary curriculum positioning.
- Children of America: Private operator and franchisor of early childhood education centers focused on infants through school-age children with proprietary curriculum. Comparable to Celebree in program structure, target families, and curriculum-based differentiation strategy.
- The Goddard School: Premier franchise system for private early childhood education centers serving infants through Pre-K with a proprietary play-based curriculum. Closely aligned with Celebree in target customer (working families), business model (franchise), and differentiated curriculum-based positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Celebree School social profiles
Digital presenceCelebree School financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Celebree School leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Celebree School funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Celebree School M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Celebree School
What does Celebree School do?
Celebree School provides licensed early childhood education and childcare services for children from six weeks through 12 years of age, organized into age-segmented programs (Infants, Toddlers, Preschool, Pre-K, and School Age) as well as Summer Camp and Drop-In Child Care. The company operates its own schools and supports a franchise program that licenses the proprietary "Grow Celebree Tree" / Seven Domains of Learning curriculum and operating system to franchisees.
Is Celebree School a public or private company?
Celebree School is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Celebree School founded?
Celebree School was founded in 1994. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Celebree School based?
Celebree School is headquartered in Lutherville Timonium, United States, in the North America region.
How does Celebree School make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Childcare Tuition is the primary driver. The others are franchise Fees and Royalties and summer Camp Programs.
Who are Celebree School's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cadence Education, KinderCare Learning Companies, Learning Care Group and Bright Horizons Family Solutions. Stratford School is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Kiddie Academy, Lightbridge Academy, Primrose Schools, Children of America and The Goddard School.
Does Celebree School have an API?
No public API is recorded for Celebree School.
What industry is Celebree School in?
Celebree School's product category is Early Childhood Education and Childcare Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACABAL, Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers, with a secondary code of EDACAJAA, Comprehensive ECE Curriculum Frameworks (Birth–5). Its NAICS code is 62441 and its SIC code is 8351.