Safari Childcare

What Safari Childcare does

Safari Childcare is an Irish private early-years education provider operating ten centres across Dublin and Wicklow, founded in 2009 and employing approximately 105 staff. It serves families with children from infancy through primary-school age, offering Crèche, Preschool, Montessori, Afterschool, and Naíonraí (Irish-language) programmes delivered through a proprietary in-house curriculum. Services span full-time, part-time, sessional, and holiday-camp offerings, with reported enrolment of more than 400 children.

The business operates on a subscription-based monthly fee model paid by families, supplemented by state-administered subsidies (ECCE, CCSP, and the Affordable Childcare Scheme) that Safari processes on behalf of parents. Pricing is set per centre and per schedule, with disclosed examples around €565 per month for three-day part-time places in Rathmines, while full-time Dublin childcare typically runs materially higher. Go-to-market is local and reputation-driven: parent testimonials, Garda-vetted staff, regulated Tusla-registered premises, and a dedicated Data Protection Officer underpin trust and compliance.

Technology is limited to standard marketing and operations tooling (WordPress website, Mailchimp/HubSpot CRM, parental communication app) with no proprietary platform, data moat, or AI-driven delivery. Competitive positioning rests on qualified staff (FETAC Level 5 minimum, Montessori diplomas), multi-year continuity of care, and brand reputation built over fifteen years, with the most visible recent moves being greenfield centre openings in Dun Laoghaire and Bray, an expansion in Rathfarnham planned for summer 2026, and a Naíonraí launch at the HSQ centre.

Name

Safari Childcare

Legal name

Safari Childcare Ltd

Website

https://safarichildcare.ie

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Safari Childcare is an Irish private early-years provider operating ten centres across Dublin and Wicklow, serving more than 400 families with Crèche, Preschool, Montessori, Afterschool, and Naíonraí programmes under a subscription-based monthly fee model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin 8

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Childcare Services Revenue: Monthly fees charged to families for full-time and part-time childcare services across multiple age groups (wobblers, toddlers, preschool) and care types (creche, Montessori, afterschool). Revenue is generated through direct parent payments, with government programme subsidies (ECCE, CCSP, Affordable Childcare Scheme) processed on behalf of eligible parents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Safari Childcare operates ten early-years centres across Dublin and Wicklow, providing full-day creche, preschool, Montessori, naíonraí (Irish-medium preschool), and afterschool care for children from infancy through primary school age. The service is delivered through staffed, location-based facilities with age-grouped curricula and recurring parent fee arrangements. The company does not manufacture or sell a standalone software or technology product.

Product overview

Safari Childcare operates a network of 10 purpose-built childcare centres across Dublin and Wicklow, offering full-time and part-time early childhood care and education. The portfolio centres include: Wobbler Room (12-24 months) with 5:1 ratio, Toddler Room (2-3 years) with 6:1 ratio, Preschool/Montessori Room (3-5 years), Naíonraí Irish language programme, ECCE sessional preschool, Afterschool Care with school collection, and Holiday/Summer Camps. The service integrates Aistear and Siolta national curriculum frameworks with Montessori methodology, providing in-house prepared meals and Garda-vetted qualified staff across all locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Creche (full-day childcare) Full-day care for infants and young children delivered at Safari Childcare's centres, for parents in Dublin and Wicklow needing regular weekday childcare.
• Preschool programme Structured preschool curriculum for pre-primary-age children, delivered at Safari Childcare's centres, for parents seeking early-years education before primary school.
• Montessori programme Montessori-method early-years education delivered at Safari Childcare's centres, for parents who prefer a Montessori pedagogical approach for their child.
• Naíonraí (Irish-medium preschool) Irish-medium preschool (naíonraí) delivered at Safari Childcare's centres, for parents who want their child's early-years education to be through the Irish language.
• Afterschool programme After-school care for primary-school-age children at Safari Childcare's centres, for parents who need supervised care for their child at the end of the school day.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children exposed to quality curriculum-based childcare display greatly accelerated ability for social and academic progress in future years

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ABC Academy Childcare: Dublin-based childcare provider offering creche, preschool, and afterschool services. Comparable in service mix, age range, and target demographic of working urban parents.
• Kids Inc: Irish multi-site crèche and Montessori operator with a Dublin footprint. Closely matches Safari's centre-based model, age-range coverage, and Montessori curriculum positioning.
• Giraffe Childcare: Ireland's largest private crèche and preschool chain operating multiple Dublin-area centres. Directly comparable as a multi-site Irish childcare operator offering creche, preschool, Montessori, and afterschool services to similar urban professional families.
• The Academy Childcare: Irish early years operator with multiple Dublin centres offering full-day care, Montessori, and ECCE. Overlaps with Safari on multi-site model, ECCE participation, and curriculum-based approach.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Global operator of early childhood education centres serving corporate clients and families. Comparable as a multi-site, premium childcare platform with employer-sponsored care offerings relevant to Safari's professional-parent base.
• Busy Bees: UK-headquartered global nursery chain with hundreds of centres. While not in Ireland, it represents the scaled, multi-site childcare operator archetype and a likely consolidation benchmark for any Irish roll-up strategy.

Regional players

• Childcare.ie: Irish childcare operator with a network of Dublin-area creches. Comparable domestic peer operating in the same regulatory framework (ECCE, Tús láitreach) and competing for similar Dublin parent segments.

Others

• Mothercare / Early Years Ireland members: Early Years Ireland is the representative body for Irish childcare providers and serves as a peer ecosystem for Safari Childcare, including advocacy, training, and sector benchmarking relevant to operators of comparable scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/safari-childcare_2

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Safari Childcare