Busy Bees North America Expands into Washington State with Acquisition of Thirteen Premier Early Learning Schools

Strategic acquisitions of Kids N Us and Birch Tree Academy accelerate growth and deepen commitment to high‑quality early childhood education across the Seattle region

SEATTLE, Feb. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Busy Bees North America (BBNA), one of the continent's leading early childhood education providers, today announced an expansion into Washington State, marking a significant milestone in the organization's mission to provide exceptional care and innovative learning environments to families across North America.

This investment sees Busy Bees add thirteen high‑quality early learning centers in the greater Seattle area, via the acquisition of seven Kids N Us Early Learning Schools and six Birch Tree Academy locations.

"We're thrilled to welcome both Kids N Us and Birch Tree Academy into the Busy Bees family," said Darla Kestle, CEO of Busy Bees North America. "These partnerships reflect our shared commitment to giving every child the best start in life. Both organizations bring long‑standing reputations for providing nurturing, high‑quality early learning environments and our priority is to continue the exceptional education experiences for families across the region."

Founded in 1988, Kids N Us is built on a philosophy of providing high‑quality, loving educational environments in communities where quality care is most needed. For more than three decades, Kids N Us has operated state‑of‑the‑art learning facilities supported by dedicated educators and leaders.

"From the very beginning, our mission has been to provide spaces where children can thrive," said Lori Blades, Founder of Kids N Us. "Joining Busy Bees is a great opportunity for not only our families but our educators to continue with giving the children in our schools quality early childhood education."

Birch Tree Academy is a respected early childhood education provider offering STEM‑based programs for infants through pre‑kindergarten. Its six Washington locations blend academic enrichment with safe, nurturing environments designed to support both individual and social development.

"This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for Birch Tree Academy," said Natalie Levy, Founder of Birch Tree Academy. "With Busy Bees' support and shared values, we can reach more families and continue delivering innovative, high‑quality learning experiences."

With the addition of the new Washington State locations, the BBNA team will grow by approximately 380 educators and staff, and more than 1,575 new children and families will join the Busy Bees community. Busy Bees North America now operates 270 centers across the United States and Canada and deepens BBNA's footprint across thirteen U.S. states including Arizona, California, Delaware, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington.

For more information, visit: https://www.busybeesna.com

About Busy Bees North America

Busy Bees North America is a leading early years education provider with more than 270 schools across Canada and the United States, including locations in Arizona, California, Delaware, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington. The organization is committed to delivering exceptional, high‑quality education through its innovative, proprietary curriculum designed to spark curiosity and nurture a lifelong love of learning that gives every child the best start in life.

Learn more at https://www.busybeesna.com/

About Busy Bees Global

Busy Bees is one of the world's largest child education and care providers, focused on providing outstanding early years education. Founded in the UK in 1983, today Busy Bees operates 1,000 sites in eight countries including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysia. At Busy Bees, we believe in giving every child the best start in life. Learn more at https://www.busybeesglobal.com/

SOURCE Busy Bees North America