Sell My Childcare Business
Sell your childcare business confidentially, for a fair price, with expert support. Start with a free, no-obligation valuation — your enquiry is completely confidential, and your staff and families are never contacted.
Selling your childcare business with confidence
Selling a childcare business is one of the most significant — and most sensitive — transactions an operator will ever undertake. Whether you are a retiring owner, an operator worn down by regulatory burden, someone upgrading to a larger facility, managing an estate, or facing a situation that means it is time to exit, you deserve a process that protects your value, your staff and the families you serve. A childcare sale is not like selling a retail business: confidentiality is paramount, the buyer pool must be genuinely qualified, and the value rests on approvals, a quality rating, occupancy and a lease as much as on trading performance. We help owners sell professionally, confidentially and for a fair price.
Why confidentiality comes first
For most childcare owners, confidentiality is non-negotiable. Educators are in short supply and families have choices, so the news that a centre is for sale can trigger staff departures and enrolment uncertainty before settlement — eroding the very EBITDA your sale price is built on. Our process is designed around this reality. We screen and qualify buyers before any identifying information is released, bind them with non-disclosure agreements, and stage the release of sensitive detail. You decide if and when your staff and families are informed, and most owners choose to do so only once a sale is well advanced or at settlement. Your enquiry to us is completely confidential from the very first contact.
What your childcare business is worth
Most childcare businesses are valued on a multiple of normalised, maintainable EBITDA — commonly 3.5 to 6 times for single centres, with the exact multiple set by your NQS rating, occupancy trend, lease tenure and rent-to-revenue ratio, staff stability and local competition. Normalisation matters: owner’s wages, one-off costs and non-recurring items should be adjusted so a buyer sees the true earnings of the business. Mispricing is expensive in both directions — set the price too high and the business sits on the market going stale; too low and you leave money on the table you can never recover. A proper, confidential valuation grounded in your specific drivers usually pays for itself many times over.
How the sale process works
It begins with a free, confidential valuation and an honest conversation about your goals and timeline. From there we prepare your business for market — assembling the documentation buyers and financiers will scrutinise — and confidentially approach qualified buyers matched to your business. As interest develops, we manage the staged release of information, support negotiation, and coordinate with childcare-experienced lawyers and accountants through due diligence and settlement. Because a change of provider can trigger a fresh Assessment and Rating cycle for the buyer, and because regulatory approval, finance and lease assignment all take time, a well-prepared seller materially improves both the price achieved and the certainty of getting to settlement.
Preparing your business for the best outcome
The owners who achieve the best results are those who prepare. A buyer-ready data room includes clean financials with clear add-backs, occupancy and enrolment records, the lease and any assignment requirements, your CCS compliance position, staff award classifications and entitlements, and your service’s rating history. Where time permits, addressing soft occupancy, securing or extending the lease, and being able to evidence genuinely embedded quality practices all strengthen your position. Even if you are only exploring, an early valuation gives you a clear picture and lets you plan the timing of your exit on your terms rather than reactively.
Selling by service type
The right approach depends on what you operate. A long day care centre attracts the deepest buyer pool and is valued on its earnings, rating and lease. A family day care service sells on the strength of its educator network and CCS compliance rather than a building. An OSHC business lives or dies on the tenure of its school agreements. A kindergarten or preschool turns on its funding mix, and a flexible or mobile service needs a buyer who understands its model and purpose. We tailor the valuation and the buyer search to your specific service type, so your strengths are presented to the people most likely to value them.
Selling guidance by business type
The right valuation and buyer search depend on what you operate. Read the seller guide for your service type.
Long Day Care
The largest and most regulated segment — centre-based education and care, typically 8am–6pm, with the highest revenue ceiling.
Family Day Care
A network-based model where educators deliver care from their own homes under a coordinating approved provider. Lower capital, different economics.
Outside School Hours Care (OSHC)
Before-school, after-school and vacation care, usually tied to a school relationship. Seasonal patterns and licence agreements drive value.
Kindergarten / Preschool
Often sessional and, in several states, government-funded. A distinct funding model and calendar from long day care.
Mobile / Flexible Childcare
A niche, growing segment delivering flexible and outreach care. Lower physical asset value and a distinct buyer profile.
Coverage in every state and territory
We work across the country, with genuine local market context for each jurisdiction. Choose your state to begin.
Seller questions, answered
What childcare owners most often ask before starting a confidential sale.
Will my staff and families find out I am selling?
Not unless you want them to. Confidentiality is central to our process. Buyers are screened and bound by non-disclosure agreements, sensitive detail is released in stages, and you control if and when staff and families are informed — usually only once a sale is well advanced.
How much does it cost to get a valuation?
Starting the conversation with us and obtaining an initial confidential valuation is free and carries no obligation. It gives you a realistic price expectation before you decide whether and when to sell.
How is my childcare business valued?
On a multiple of normalised, maintainable EBITDA — typically 3.5 to 6 times — adjusted for your NQS rating, occupancy, lease terms, staff stability and local competition. The service type also changes how value is assessed.
How long does it take to sell?
From preparation to settlement, expect several months. Reaching qualified buyers can be quick, but regulatory provider approval or service transfer, finance and lease assignment shape the settlement timeline.
Should I improve my centre before selling?
Where time allows, addressing soft occupancy, securing the lease and evidencing embedded quality practices can lift both price and buyer confidence. An early valuation helps you decide what is worth doing.
Do I have to have decided to sell before contacting you?
No. Many owners begin by exploring their options and obtaining a confidential valuation. There is no obligation, and the information helps you plan your exit on your own terms.
Get a free confidential valuation
Start a confidential conversation about selling. No obligation, and your staff and families are never contacted.