Every real US full-day childcare / preschool franchise beyond the 13 already covered, plus a Montessori set, an honest "this isn't daycare" enrichment list, and a shortlist for an owner who wants to own the building and feed Reno's infant shortage.
| Brand | Fee | Total investment | Units | Ages | Own RE? | Item 19? | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kid City USA | $60K | $89K-$1.0M | Multi-state (FL) | 6wk-school | Lease/own | No | Lowest full-day floor; converts existing space |
| The Learning Bee | n/a | $190K-$446K | Few (CA) | Infant-preschool | Lease | ? | Lowest-cost center; early-stage |
| Building Kidz School | $50K | $266K-$1.29M | ~45 | Infant-preK | Lease | Yes ~$866K | Performing-arts curriculum; low entry |
| Neighborhood Kids | $70K | $419K-$777K | Emerging | Preschool (faith) | Lease (in churches) | ? | Operates inside existing churches (low RE risk) |
| Rainbow Academy | ~$40-50K | $457K-$618K | Small (NJ) | Infant-preK | Lease | ? | Cheaper co-located in strip-mall |
| Amazing Explorers Academy | $75K | $518K-$4.96M | Small (FL) | 6wk-preK | Build-to-suit; SBA | ? | STEAM; SBA-registered (10-15% down) |
| Children's Lighthouse ⭐ | $60K | $940K-$8.74M | ~67-79 | 6wk-12yr | Yes (owned model) | Yes ~$1.94M | Best RE-operator fit: owned model + EBITDA Item 19 |
| Tierra Encantada ⭐ | $48-60K | $1.54M-$3.66M | ~21+ | 6wk-6yr | Lease/own | Yes ~$2.9M | Spanish-immersion moat; ~$290-348K owner earnings |
| KLA Schools | $50-78.5K | $1.12M-$5.93M | ~18-26 | Infant-preK | Build-to-suit | Yes | Reggio Emilia; 10,000 sqft / ~180 kids |
| Rainbow Station | $87.5K | ~$150K-$6.5M all-in | ~10 | 6wk-school | Likely yes | ? | On-site sick-child "Get Well Place" |
| Legacy Academy | up to $75K | $3.52M-$6.14M | ~11-15 | 6wk-12yr | Likely yes | ? | GA family-founded; large-format |
Contact-gated (request the FDD): The Pineapple School & Casa de Corazon (both Spanish immersion), plus faith-based SuperKids, Angelic Treasures, Anointed. Skip: KidsPark (hourly drop-in, not full-day); JLE Kids Christian Academy (markets a "passive/auto-pilot" model, atypical for real childcare, diligence heavily).
| Brand | Fee | Total investment | Units | Ages | Item 19? | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forever Learning Montessori | $50K | $256K-$486K | Small (TX) | Early childhood | ? | Lowest-cost Montessori (verify full-day) |
| Montessori (Ivy) League Academy | $48K | $350K-$550K | Small (FL) | ~2-6yr | Yes ~$933K | ~20% owner take-home; lower entry |
| Montessori Kids Universe | $64.5-75K | $562K-$1.14M | ~19 | 6wk-12yr | Yes ~$1.3M | Most-cited independent Montessori franchise; serves infants |
| Children's Montessori Systems | n/a | $700K-$3.5M | ~9 (MD) | Early childhood | ? | 1,200+ students; full-day |
| Pinnacle Montessori Academy | $60K | $3.19M-$5.30M | ~3 | Infant-elem. | ? | TX; full construction support; build-to-suit |
Not franchisable (corporate / bankrupt / management-only), do NOT chase as franchises: Guidepost Montessori / Higher Ground (Chapter 11 in 2025), Apple Montessori & LePort (Spring Education Group), Endeavor Schools. No real full-day Waldorf franchise exists (Waldorf schools are independent non-profits).
These appear on the same "children's franchise" broker lists but provide no licensed full-day care (parents drop for a class/lesson, then take the child home). Many are home-based or mobile with no building. None fill Reno's infant gap. Listed so you know what to skip.
| Brand | Investment | What it actually is |
|---|---|---|
| Bricks 4 Kidz | $39K-$179K | LEGO STEM classes/camps (lease or mobile) |
| Young Rembrandts | $46K-$59K | Drawing/art enrichment (home-based, no RE) |
| Mad Science | $68K-$192K | Mobile science enrichment |
| Code Ninjas | $68K-$298K | Kids' coding centers |
| Kumon / Mathnasium / Sylvan / Huntington | $74K-$298K | After-school tutoring & test prep |
| Snapology | $75K-$195K | STEAM/LEGO classes (lease or mobile) |
| My Gym / The Little Gym / Gymboree | $37K-$757K | Kids' fitness / play-and-music classes |
| Aqua-Tots / British Swim School | $123K-$2.9M | Learn-to-swim lessons |
Also not buyable as franchises: KinderCare, Cadence Education, New Horizon Academy, The Sunshine House, Children's Courtyard, Spanish Schoolhouse (all corporate). Busy Bees / BrightPath / Kids & Company are acquirers, they buy centers you build, you can't franchise them. Wonderschool / MyVillage are in-home childcare platforms, not franchises and not an owner-operator real-estate play.
Ranked across all known brands (13 covered + new) on four filters: franchisee can own the building, publishes an Item 19, serves infants (the scarce tier), and likely-open western territory.
The only franchise that publishes both an owned real-estate model (land + building) and an EBITDA-level Item 19 (~$1.94M avg gross, 67 schools). Serves 6 weeks up, TX-based with open western territory. ~$1M-1.2M leased / $3.2M-5M owned, squarely in your $2M range if you own the dirt.
Real Item 19 (~$2.9M avg gross, ~$290-348K owner earnings), serves infants, fast-growing with open western territory, and Spanish immersion is a genuine moat. ~$1.5M-3.7M build fits a lease-plus-own-RE-entity structure.
Serves 6 weeks up, publishes Item 19 (~$1.3M), $562K-$1.7M keeps you well under $2M with room to own the building via a separate RE entity. Montessori demand skews affluent, fits Reno growth.
$266K-$1.29M with a published Item 19 (~$866K), serves infants, low capital lets you put more of the $2M into owning the real estate outright. Lower brand prestige.
Serves infants, has an Item 19, build-to-suit centers you can own; but $1.1M-$5.9M runs high, confirm the low end fits $2M. Strong if you want a premium, buildable, ownable footprint.
Compiled from WebSearch across Franchise Gator, FranchiseHelp, Vetted Biz, Franchise Chatter, Sharpsheets, PeerSense, 1851 Franchise, and Franchise Business Review, 2026-07-28. Strategic research, not licensed financial or legal advice. Confirm all figures against each brand's current Franchise Disclosure Document.