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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Doodle Bugs! Children’s Centers Franchise

Doodle Bugs! Children’s Centers is an education-based child care and early-learning franchise serving children from infancy through age 12. Founded in 1992 by the Insinna siblings in East Amherst, New York (originally as Building Blocks Daycare, renamed Doodle Bugs! in 1998), the brand built a long operating record in early childhood education before launching franchising in 2012.

The business runs from custom-designed, center-based facilities on recurring tuition revenue from enrolled families. Programs cover infants, toddlers, preschool, pre-kindergarten and summer camp, delivered through the proprietary Bravo! play-based curriculum created by an in-house education team. Operations are anchored by the brand’s S.C.O.P.E. standards: Safe, Clean, Organized, Professional and Educational.

Today Doodle Bugs! spans 17 centers across New York, Pennsylvania and Florida, serving thousands of families. The brand differentiates on facility quality, security investments such as biometric access and live classroom viewing, on-site kitchens, and Middle States Association (MSA) accreditation.

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Why buy a Doodle Bugs! Children’s Centers Franchise?

Buying a Doodle Bugs! franchise offers entry into the early-education and child care category through an established, accreditation-backed brand with more than three decades of operating history. The model generates recurring tuition income from enrolled families, supported by the proprietary Bravo! curriculum, MSA accreditation and the brand’s S.C.O.P.E. operating standards.

The center-based model suits owners who want a community-anchored business in a category that has proved resilient across economic cycles. A mature center with strong local enrollment, waitlists and family relationships tends to be more stable than a startup, and existing licensing and a trained team remove much of the early build-out risk.

Doodle Bugs! Children’s Centers Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2024 data reported in the 2025 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1992

    • Franchising Since

      2012

    • New Startup Cost

      $546,375 – $1,492,500

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $65,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $25,000

      plus franchisor's costs

    • Royalty Fee

      6%

      of Gross Revenues

    • Marketing Fee

      Up to 2%

      of Gross Revenues

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      17

    • New Units Opened *

      0

    • Units Transferred *

      0

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      Not Disclosed

    * Based on 2024 data reported in the 2025 FDD

Doodle Bugs! Children’s Centers – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Incoming franchisees receive 92 hours of initial training covering operations, Bravo! curriculum delivery and enrollment practices, backed by ongoing guidance from a dedicated administrative team. Support continues post-opening through marketing and enrollment tools, on-site visits, regular training events and standardized operating procedures that help maintain S.C.O.P.E. quality and licensing compliance. Buyers of an existing Doodle Bugs! center should confirm what transfer training the franchisor provides to incoming owners and what curriculum and system access carries over at the change of ownership.

  2. Ideal Owner

    Doodle Bugs! suits hands-on, owner-operator candidates who value early childhood education and community building, whether they come from teaching, child care or general business backgrounds. The role is operations- and people-led: recruiting and retaining qualified teachers, managing enrollment and family relationships, overseeing safety and licensing compliance, and upholding the brand's S.C.O.P.E. standards day to day. Comfort with staff management, local marketing and standardized systems matters more than prior classroom experience.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Doodle Bugs! has been named to Exchange Magazine's Top 50 list of child care organizations in North America across multiple years, a marker of scale and quality in early education. It has also earned local honors including Best Child Care Facility in the Rochester Community Choice Awards and regional "Most Admired Companies" recognition, holds Middle States Association (MSA) accreditation, and has served as the official child care provider for the Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Steelers. For resale buyers, brand recognition should be weighed alongside the specific center's local reviews and reputation.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US child care market is large and fragmented, estimated at over $60 billion annually, with demand driven by dual-income households, rising parental workforce participation and growing emphasis on early-learning and kindergarten readiness. Center-based care that pairs education with reliable full-day coverage tends to build strong enrollment and waitlists in well-chosen suburban markets. The category is largely recession-resilient, as working families treat child care as essential. For resale buyers, local demographics, household income and competing providers in the catchment are the key demand factors.

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