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Is Learning Care Group Owned by Private Equity?

Yes — Learning Care Group is owned by American Securities, which acquired it in 2014.

PRIVATE EQUITY OWNED

Learning Care Group

Includes La Petite Academy, Childtime, Tutor Time, The Children's Courtyard, Everbrook Academy, Montessori Unlimited

childcare · Novi, MI

PE Firm
American Securities
Year Acquired
2014

1,100+ daycare centers run by Wall Street, and a U.S. senator is now demanding to see the books.

What They Did

  1. American Securities acquired Learning Care Group in 2014, making it one of the largest for-profit childcare operators in the country with 1,100+ locations operating under 11 different brand names
  2. An Early Learning Nation investigation titled 'The End User Is a Dollar Sign, It's Not a Child' documented how PE ownership reshapes childcare to prioritize financial returns over children's wellbeing
  3. Operates under 11 different consumer-facing brand names — Childtime, La Petite Academy, Tutor Time, Montessori Unlimited, and others — making it hard for parents to know they're all owned by the same PE firm
  4. In March 2026, Senator Jeff Merkley opened a formal investigation into the two largest PE-controlled childcare chains — Learning Care Group and KinderCare — demanding financial records, tuition and cost trends, safety standards, and employment practices from the companies and their PE owners

Since the Acquisition

  • Senator Jeff Merkley's 2026 investigation cites supervision failures at Learning Care Group centers, including a Georgia child left asleep on a bus and later found wandering a parking lot, and a Texas child left alone at a facility
  • An Early Learning Nation investigation into private-equity childcare describes chains run lean on staff and low on pay, fueling the turnover that leaves kids cycling through caregivers who don't know their names
  • Management's primary focus is keeping schools at full enrollment regardless of staffing — teachers describe maxed-out classroom ratios and being sent home early to save on labor costs

Sources

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What people ask

Is Learning Care Group owned by private equity?

Yes. Learning Care Group is currently owned by American Securities, which acquired it in 2014. 1,100+ daycare centers run by Wall Street, and a U.S. senator is now demanding to see the books.

What happened to Learning Care Group after the acquisition?

Senator Jeff Merkley's 2026 investigation cites supervision failures at Learning Care Group centers, including a Georgia child left asleep on a bus and later found wandering a parking lot, and a Texas child left alone at a facility An Early Learning Nation investigation into private-equity childcare describes chains run lean on staff and low on pay, fueling the turnover that leaves kids cycling through caregivers who don't know their names

Who owns Learning Care Group?

Learning Care Group is owned by American Securities, which acquired it in 2014.

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