For Serious Buyers Only · Southeast Markets · Independent & Franchised Centers

IF YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT ACQUIRING A CHILD CARE BUSINESS –  THIS IS WHERE TO START.

Solutions4ChildCare maintains a confidential pipeline of independent and franchised childcare businesses available for acquisition across NC, SC, GA, VA, and TN. Access to that pipeline is reserved for buyers who meet specific financial and professional criteria — and who are prepared to move with the seriousness and discretion that a childcare business acquisition requires.

Important disclosure — please read before proceeding: Donna Dailey and Solutions4ChildCare represent sellers exclusively. We do not provide legal, financial, or advisory representation to buyers. Our obligation in every transaction is to the seller. If you are a buyer, you are encouraged to engage your own legal and financial advisors to represent your interests. You are responsible for paying your advisors. That said, serious buyers with the financial capacity to complete an acquisition will find that Donna maintains access to opportunities that are not publicly listed — and that her deep knowledge of the childcare industry makes the introduction and due diligence process more efficient for qualified buyers than working through a general business broker who does not know the childcare industry.

Who This Page Is For

Acquiring a childcare business is a serious
undertaking. We treat it that way.

A childcare business acquisition is not a casual transaction. The seller has typically spent 20 to 35 years building something they care about deeply — a program, a staff, a community of families. The children enrolled depend on continuity of care. The licensing agencies in each state have their own approval requirements for new operators. And the financial commitment — particularly for a center that includes real estate — is substantial.

Donna works with buyers who understand all of that, and who bring to the process the financial capacity, the professional seriousness, and the respect for confidentiality that a childcare business acquisition demands. If that describes you, the information on this page is written for you..

All childcare businesses are marketed in a very confidential manner. Often their owners have not announced they are selling, their staff does not know, and the general public does not know. Protecting that confidentiality is not optional — it is a professional obligation that every buyer in her pipeline is expected to honor unconditionally. If you do not understand or appreciate the importance of confidentiality you should not proceed with requesting information about the businesses we represent.

What a Serious Buyer Looks Like

Donna and the child care owners she represents works with buyers who meet
specific criteria — here they are.

This is not a list designed to be intimidating. It is a list designed to be honest, so that the right buyers recognize themselves and the wrong buyers self-select out before anyone’s time is wasted — including theirs.

Financial capacity is documented, not estimated

A serious buyer has a clear and realistic picture of their acquisition capacity — what they can finance, what equity they can bring, and what their lender has indicated they can qualify for. You do not need to be pre-approved before registering, but you need to be prepared to work with an SBA or conventional lender as part of the process. Buyers who are “looking to see what they can afford” are not at the right stage yet.

Experience or background relevant to childcare operations

Running a childcare center is not the same as running most other small businesses. State licensing requirements, staff-to-child ratios, subsidy billing systems, quality rating requirements, and parent relationship management are all specific to this industry. Donna’s sellers want to know their business is going into capable hands. Buyers with backgrounds in education, childcare, healthcare administration, or multi-location service businesses tend to be the strongest candidates. Relevant childcare or work experience is also a requirement of most lenders.

Prepared to complete a formal registration

Before Donna shares any information about a specific childcare business — its location, its financials, its staff structure, or any other identifying detail — a buyer will complete a registration form and execute a confidentiality agreement. This is not a formality. It is the professional baseline that protects sellers and signals that a buyer is serious about the process rather than curious about the market. The owner of each business must give us specific permission to discuss their business with you.

A defined acquisition profile, not a vague interest

A serious buyer knows what they are looking for — geography, size, type of program, enrollment capacity range, whether they want real estate included, whether they are open to a franchise. They have thought about it enough to articulate a clear preference. “Anything in North Carolina” is not a profile. “A licensed center serving 100–150 children in the Charlotte suburbs, preferably with real estate” is.

Confidentiality is non-negotiable and unconditional

Every business in Donna’s pipeline is represented by an owner who has not publicly announced a sale. That owner’s staff, families, competitors, landlord, and licensing agency do not know the business is available. A buyer who discusses a specific opportunity with anyone outside the transaction — a spouse, a business partner, a friend — before the confidentiality framework is established has violated a professional trust that damages real people. Serious buyers understand this immediately.

Willing to move at a professional pace

Childcare business acquisitions take time — typically three to five months from initial introduction to closing, longer for franchise locations or transactions involving SBA financing. A buyer who needs to close in 30 days, who cannot commit to a reasonable decision timeline, or who goes silent for days or weeks between conversations is not ready for this process. Serious buyers stay engaged, respond to information requests promptly, and move the process forward.

If any of the following describes you, this is not the right time.

→ You are exploring whether owning a childcare business might be a good idea, but have not made a firm decision to purchase one.
→ You have not spoken with a lender and do not have a realistic sense of what you can finance or what equity you can bring.
→ You are looking at childcare businesses alongside several other unrelated types of businesses, with no clear preference or commitment to this industry.
→ You intend to run the business entirely under a manager’s supervision without any direct operational involvement or relevant background.
→ You have a timeline, budget, or geographic requirement that is so narrow it is unlikely to match any available opportunity in the near term.
→ You are not in a position to sign and honor a confidentiality agreement before receiving any specific business information.

None of the above is a permanent disqualification — it simply means the timing is not right. When you have reached the stage of clarity, financial preparation, and commitment that this process requires, the registration process below is where to begin.

The Importance of Buyer Registration

What Donna’s pipeline offers
that no public listing can.

Registering as a qualified buyer does not guarantee access to any specific opportunity — businesses are matched to buyers based on criteria, capacity, and timing, not simply on first-come-first-served basis. And, the childcare business owner must provide specific permission to present their business to you. What registration does provide is meaningful.

Confidential opportunities often not publicly listed

Every business Donna represents is marketed privately. The only way to know they exist — let alone receive financial information about them — is to be a registered buyer in her pipeline whose profile matches the opportunity and with the owner’s approval.

SBA lender connections for independent & franchised locations

For buyers acquiring franchised childcare locations, Donna works with SBA lenders who specialize in childcare transactions — lenders who understand the specific documentation requirements, the franchise registry process, and the timeline realities of SBA-financed acquisitions in this industry

Independent and franchised centers across five states

Donna’s pipeline includes both independent childcare centers and franchised locations across NC, SC, GA, VA, and TN — including centers that include the real estate and centers available as business-only transactions.

A process that respects your time

Donna does not send every registered buyer every available opportunity. She matches based on profile – and the owner’s permission. You will not receive introductions to businesses that do not match your stated criteria, geography, or financial capacity — and the seller’s confidential information is protected until the match is confirmed.

An advisor who actually knows this industry

Donna has been working exclusively in childcare business M&A since 1995. She understands enrollment trends, licensing history, payer mix, staff structure, and real estate value in ways that a general business broker never could. Introductions facilitated by someone with that knowledge are more efficient and more reliable than ones made by someone who does not know the industry.

Franchise opportunities with experienced guidance

For buyers interested in acquiring an existing franchise location, Donna’s experience navigating franchisor approval processes, franchise agreement transfers, and franchise-specific SBA financing is directly relevant — and not something most brokers can offer.

The Process For Qualified Buyers —–

Four steps from registration
to a business introduction

Complete the Buyer Registration Forms

The registration form below captures your acquisition criteria, geographic preferences, financial capacity range, professional background, and confidentiality commitment. It takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Every field exists for a reason — incomplete or vague responses delay the process and often result in owners not providing permission to present their business. Complete it thoughtfully. Vague, incomplete information often results in the childcare business owners not providing us permission to present their business.

Initial Conversation With Donna

After reviewing your registration, Donna will follow up — typically within two to three business days — to confirm your profile, answer any questions, and assess whether your criteria are a realistic match for opportunities in her current or anticipated pipeline. This conversation is not an interview. It is a professional introduction designed to ensure the process makes sense for both parties before any confidential business information is shared. 

Donna Will Speak With Owners

We share the information you provided on the Buyer Registration Form with the owners’ whose business is a match. Owners want to know that a buyer is qualified to operate their business, has the financial capacity to purchase and their business matches the buyer’s acquisition target. Only with each childcare owner’s permission can we discuss their business with you.

An Online Presentation

With the owner’s permission, a meeting will be schedule to present their business to you. This is often online and will only include individuals named in the Buyer Registration Forms and having executive a Confidentiality Agreement. The presentation will include and overview of the business, pictures, demographics, programs, facilities, and basic financial information. 

A direct word about confidentiality. The sellers Donna represents have not told their employees, their landlords, their licensing agents, or in many cases their own families that they are selling. The moment that information becomes known prematurely, it can damage the business — staff leave, families make other arrangements, competitors take advantage. A buyer who cannot maintain strict confidentiality — unconditionally, throughout the entire process — is not a buyer Donna or the owners she represents can work with. This is not negotiable, and it is not unique to Donna’s practice. It is the professional standard in business brokerage, and it exists because the consequences of a breach are real and sometimes irreversible.

If everything above describes you and you are ready to proceed, the registration form is the next step.

Complete the Buyer Registration Forms