Become a CEFA
Franchise Partner
Sustainable Business Model, Predictable Profits, and Generational Impact
Partner with the global leader in high-quality early childhood education.
As Featured in
WANT TO JOIN THE CEFA FRANCHISE JOURNEY?
We are selective with our franchise partners.
You will represent the CEFA brand to your community and we take pride in being the best. This requires both financial resources and aligned values.
Because for us, this is more than “just a business.” It is a commitment to give children the education they deserve.
Leading the Industry through Numbers
We Are Looking For These Qualities in Our Partners
- Passion for children’s education and development
- A desire to give back and make an impact
in the community - Looking to own a school that can support 100+ students
- $600k in liquid assets.
- $1.6-2.2 million in investment capital
We are Looking for These Qualities in our Partners
- Passion for children's education and development
- $600k in liquid assets
- A desire to give back and make an impact in the community
- $1.8 – 2.4 million in investment capital
- Looking to own a school that can support 100+ students
Change Lives With High-Quality Early Childhood Education
To meet the challenges of tomorrow, our children need to become adaptable, creative, emotionally intelligent, self-reliant leaders.
With holistic, science-based education, CEFA nurtures the skills of the future.
Change Lives with Early Childhood Education
To meet the challenges of tomorrow, our children need to become adaptable, creative, emotionally intelligent, self-reliant leaders.
With holistic, science-based education, CEFA nurtures the skills of the future.
The Early Years Matter Most
By the age of 3, a child’s brain is 80% of its adult size.
The highly impressionable and impactful period between ages 1-5 is pivotal.
Early experiences and environments profoundly influence their foundational capacities for learning, problem-solving, and emotional health.
The field of early childhood education is more advanced than ever, yet most children never benefit.
With the help of our committed, solution-oriented, course-charting franchise partners… CEFA is leading the way.
With CEFA you make a life-long impact on countless hundreds of children.
THE CEFA DIFFERENCE
Core Education & Fine Arts (CEFA) is the internationally recognized global leader in high quality early childhood education. Our curriculum focuses on the four areas of brain development in children.
Established in 1998 by an innovative teacher with decades of experience, we offer a proprietary, award-winning curriculum. With an unmatched record of success, we rapidly expanded into Canada’s largest and most established Early Education Franchise Company.
When you join the CEFA franchise family, you’re not just investing in a business…
… you’re shaping the future leaders and innovators of the world.
Nurture the Leaders of Tomorrow
CEFA students graduate from our program with a strong foundation to thrive as tomorrow’s leaders.
Our curriculum addresses the essential skills of the future:
Innovation
Creativity
Critical Thinking
Emotional Intelligence
Communication
We believe each child’s unique ability contributes to our future on a societal, environmental, and global scale.
At CEFA, children learn the value of contributing to something greater than themselves—the foundation of strong, vibrant communities.
THE GLOBAL LEADER IN HIGH-QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
We have been in operation for over 25 years. In that time we’ve expanded from a single school to a network of over 40+ schools, with new franchises opening every year.
We have a 95% average enrollment. None of our schools downsized due to Covid, and our numbers continue to grow year-after-year.
Families stay with us because they recognize tremendous positive changes in their children.
Teachers stay with us because they are valued and fairly compensated.
Franchise Partners stay with us because they see predictable profit and
community impact.
This is your opportunity to make a difference and reap the rewards of a proven and sustainably growing franchise model.
INTERNATIONALLY PRAISED BUSINESS MODEL
We are a pioneer in early-learning. CEFA and our founder, Natasha Beim received top awards for entrepreneurship and innovation:
Ernest Young Entrepreneur of the Year award
McDonald Award for Entrepreneurial Innovation
YWCA Women of Distinction Award in Education
Women of Worth
BY THE NUMBERS:
The Early Childhood Education Market
A $69.6 Billion Market with 5.9% Yearly Growth
- In North America childcare is a $69.6 billion industry.
- By 2030 it is projected to grow to $101.69 billion.
- Even more shocking, this number only represents half of North American families.
The Childcare Desert
48% of Canadian families and 51% of American families live in a childcare desert.
These families have no options for high quality early childhood education.
As a CEFA franchise partner, you operate in a wide-open, unsaturated high-demand market.
You franchise can became THE provider for the unserved 48%
Source: ibisworld.com
An Essential Service Protected From Economic Uncertainty
According to a recent census, for most Canadian families, child care and early learning is a non-discretionary expense.
It is essential.
This means parents prioritize YOUR business over clothes, cars, and vacations. In fact, not even one of our schools downsized during the pandemic.
CEFA schools are insulated from economic uncertainty.
Taken together, these means:
Your customer base is underserved, loyal, and ready to put their children
and CEFA first.
A SUSTAINABLE HIGH-IMPACT BUSINESS: BENEFITS OF A CEFA FRANCHISE
PREDICTABLE INCOME
Tuition-based structure means your month-over-month income is predictable for the entire year.
EFFORTLESS ENROLLMENT
In 2023, our average enrollment rate across all Canadian schools over 90%. We provide ongoing analysis and support, so you’ll ver worry about your business going into the red.
COMMUNITY IMPACT
See the ripple effect unfold before your eyes as children create healthier ways of socially relating and putting themselves into the world with confidence.
HIGH DEMAND MARKET
9 out of 10 parents want their child to succeed in school and want to establish fundamental skills early in their development.
FULL FRANCHISOR SUPPORT
CEFA provides all the training and support needed to open your school including marketing strategies, optimizing your operations and training your staff.
MORE THAN A BUSINESS
CEFA franchisees take pride in knowing that they’re helping develop young minds to better succeed in life and providing them with a future-proof mindset.
WORLD-CLASS SCIENCE-BACKED CURRICULUM
Get a robust, research-backed curriculum optimized for the critical developmental window of early childhood
EMPOWERED TO SUCCEED: YOUR FRANCHISE SUPPORT NETWORK
With CEFA you’re never alone on this journey. From finding the perfect location to hiring the best staff, Cefa Systems
is with you every step of the way.
- Find the ideal location for your CEFA school that fulfills all of the specific requirements and sets the stage for success
- Comprehensive done-for-you marketing strategies and assets to grow your business
- Recruit top-notch staff with our extensive network and brand authority
- Proven enrollment and community outreach strategies
- Get unwavering support system for training, legal, and operational needs.
- Free, ongoing training so you stay up-to-date with law changes, government subsidies, and more
A Future-Oriented, Heart-Centered,
Sustainable Investment
…for Endowment Funds, Philanthropy,
or Individuals
CEFA schools do MORE than give back to the community and make an impact for children.They are a self-sustaining investment with a proven track record of profitability.
No extra rounds of investment or fundraising required. The business covers all of its own operating costs and expenses.
Once your franchise is up and running, all you need is trained staff to keep it going.
This is a heart-centered investment that changes lives and pays you back year after year after year.
Our Values
Create the future: We equip children with skills and perspectives that will empower them for the rest of their lives. We make a difference.
Inspire: We inspire creativity and joy. We instill children with a love for learning, curiosity about life, and desire for growth.
Lead: We lead by example. We foster an environment that supports confidence, integrity, and original thinking.
Respect: We have a deep respect for children, evident in all we do. We model respectful behavior toward all people and walks of life.
Self-Improvement: We believe in continuous self-improvement. We go beyond expectations and strive to grow a little each day
THE CEFA FRANCHISE PATH
We’ve distilled the franchising journey into 11 clear steps.
The process is thorough, transparent, and supportive. It ensures we do everything we can to bring out the best in your investment and provide for future generations.
Highlight each step for more details
BECOME A CEFA FRANCHISE PARTNER TODAY!
Start your CEFA journey today and fill out your short initial application with the button below.
Once you fill out your application, our team will contact you within 48 hours to guide you through the next steps.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is included in the initial investment? Does that include furnishings and staff?
In the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), in step 5 of the process, we provide all known costs associated with building a CEFA location. We are happy to review this with you once you have been through the disclosure process, if you have any questions.
Is marketing fully managed by CEFA or am I responsible for that also?
CEFA supports each franchise partner with full spectrum marketing–not just tactical assets. This includes a robust investment for data analysis like consumer insights, qualitative and quantitative studies, and both national and regional competitive analysis.
This way your franchise’s messaging and communication strategies are always relevant and effective in your specific market and provide the highest possible return on ad spend.
For a new school opening, CEFA supports you through every step for a minimum of 6-12 months beforehand. We invest in SEO, design, copywriting, and digital ads to build wait lists and exposure to potential parents in your area so that you can focus on getting set up.
We also offer social media support and software onboarding so that you are fully aware of our brand guidelines and are provided with beautiful, branded templates to share easily on your channels.
What is the average school size? How many kids are typically in a given school?
What support does the head office provide?
The CEFA main office provides full support in a number of different areas, including: curriculum updates, brand awareness and marketing, operations, auditing and support, training for teachers and staff.
Our support is so robust and comprehensive it is too much to cover here. You will receive more detailed information about all the ways we support your franchise in the application process.
What are the certification requirements to become a franchisee? Do I need a degree in education or business?
You do not need any specific certifications or degrees to be a CEFA Franchise Partner. However, previous experience in business ownership or the education industry is a helpful asset.
Where are you focused on placing schools? Where are sites available?
We constantly update our available locations. Please check out our Available Opportunities page for a current list of available locations.
How long does it take before I can open my school?
Will CEFA provide the real estate location or do I have to find it?
CEFA is always looking to expand into new locations and markets, as such we are actively working with a number of Real Estate brokers and developers to find potential locations. We also encourage our Franchise Partners to conduct their own search in their local market to capitalize on their knowledge of the area. The Franchise Partner is ultimately responsible for securing a site and we will work with you every step of the way.
What is in the CEFA curriculum?
CEFA’s curriculum is built on four distinct pillars. These provide a finely tuned balance of play and structure, individual growth and social learning.
Each pillar has been refined over 25 years to instill strong foundations for the children to succeed in the world of tomorrow. The four pillars are:
- Innovators: Nurture a love of learning by emphasizing curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.
- Masterminds: Lay the foundations of academic excellence in language, mathematics, and science.
- Creators: Integrate fine arts and nurture their creativity with programs for music, drama, visual arts, and motor skills.
- Change Makers: Instill a sense of social responsibility and leadership, fostering empathy, compassion, and cultural awareness.
You can learn more about the robust CEFA curriculum here
