Buffalo, NY (WBEN) EduKids, the West Seneca-based early childhood education and care center operator with 15 locations in Western New York, has been acquired by Busy Bees, international provider of early childhood education. The sale closed Friday.
The sale closed on January 31. EduKids has a staff of 450 teachers and aides, serving approximately 2,000 families throughout Western New York. Busy Bees is one of Canada’s largest providers of care, with 89 centers there, most of which are in Ontario operating under the name BrightPath Early Learning and Child Care, and now 34 in the United States. Busy Bees has also grown to become the largest childcare provider in the UK, and has sites in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. Busy Bees cares for more than 55,000 children across 630 sites globally,.
“Since its founding more than three decades ago, EduKids has written the manual on providing the highest quality early childhood education and care in Western New York and beyond,” said EduKids Founder and President Nancy Ware. “We have nurtured, taught and guided thousands of EduKids and their families. It is now time to start a new chapter, creating a future instilled with the mission of excellence which defined us through the years.”
“For more than 35 years, Busy Bees has provided outstanding care to children in local communities across the UK,” said Mary Ann Curran, CEO of Busy Bees North America. “With the vision to provide children, wherever they are in the world, with the best start in life, Busy Bees expanded its presence internationally in recent years into countries including Singapore and Australia, as well as Canada and the United States.”
Curran added, “EduKids shares our core values, demonstrating so with high-quality care and programs. We welcome its children, families and staff and we look forward to continuing to provide excellent care and service.”
“Busy Bees are leaders in early childhood education and innovation and value the National Association for the Education of Young Children accreditation, which EduKids centers have, and centers which have a significant impact on their community through their professional practices, well-trained staff and strong leadership,” Ware said. “I am grateful to our dedicated, caring, talented group of educators who have always focused on making EduKids the best place for extraordinary care for the little ones of working families.”
Ware and the rest of the EduKids management team say they look forward to their partnership with Busy Bees.