REAL ESTATE NEWS

The Learning Experience's (TLE) expansion across Southern California comes down to the demand it's seeing from new families with young children and providing them with the convenience they need.

Overall, California remains one of TLE's largest long-term growth opportunities, according to David Slavny, chief development officer at the national daycare franchise.

Much of that opportunity is in growing suburban communities where new residential development is bringing more young families and increasing the need for high-quality early childhood education and childcare, he told GlobeSt.com.

TLE is seeing similar opportunities across areas including Sacramento, the Central Valley, the Inland Empire and North County San Diego, Slavny said.

"What makes this sector particularly interesting from a real estate perspective is that it is inherently local," he said. "Families want convenient, high-quality care close to where they live or work, which creates opportunities in growing residential markets."

Slavny said childcare supply doesn't always develop at the same pace as housing.

"A community can add thousands of homes before enough early childhood capacity exists nearby," he said. "The opportunity is for to identify those communities early and work with developers to bring high-quality early education closer to where families live and work."

Behind The Daycare Expansion Plan

Currently, the firm has 45 centers open or in development statewide. TLE's expansion plan across the Golden State includes establishing five new centers through 2029 and adding up to 50,000 square feet of freestanding commercial space. In the process, this is estimated to offer capacity for as many as 900 children and create approximately 150 jobs.

The new centers are planned for Menifee and Corona in Q4 2027; Murrieta in Q1 2028; Loma Linda in Q4 2028 and Palm Springs in Q2 2029.

Each location will include up to 10,000 square feet of indoor space and a 5,000-square-foot playground. The centers can employ up to 30 teachers and staff and serve approximately 180 children, generating steady weekday traffic for surrounding businesses.

California's Unique Licensing Requirements

Meanwhile, California has unique site and licensing requirements, Slavny said. For example, licensed childcare centers generally need 75 square feet of outdoor activity space per child based on licensed capacity.

"That means site planning matters, and it's one of the reasons we value developers who are willing to engage with us early in the process," he said.

Source: GlobeSt/ALM