Busy Bees buys its first nurseries in the US and Italy
Katy Morton
Friday, September 13, 2019
The UK’s biggest childcare provider has acquired two nursery groups, one in the United States and another in Italy.
The group has bought Educational Playcare, which operates 19 settings in the state of Connecticut, and bilingual childcare provider Doremi’s seven settings across Milan, providing Busy Bees with its first nurseries in the US and Italy.
With the acquisitions, Busy Bees now operates 630 nurseries globally, offering 55,000 childcare places.
According to last year’s Nursery Chains, Busy Bees operates more than 350 nurseries in the UK, providing more than 31,500 places.
Educational Playcare was founded in 1986 and provides care for up to 4,300 children from birth to the five, as well as after-school care for children up to the age of 12.
Doremi was founded in 1993 and offers places for up to 359 children across its seven settings.
Busy Bees has acquired a 100 per cent share of both Educational Playcare and Doremi from the nursery groups’ existing shareholders
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Simon Irons, group CEO of Busy Bees, (pictured right), said, ‘For over 35 years Busy Bees has provided 
outstanding care for children in local communities across the world. We are pleased to welcome Educational Playcare and Doremi to the Busy Bees family. These latest acquisitions allow us to enter two new markets in the United States and Italy, strengthening our global portfolio and bringing further talent into the Busy Bees business.
‘We are confident that the teams at both Educational Playcare and Doremi will enhance our international capabilities as a leading childcare provider and help us to continue to provide the best possible start in life for the children under our care.’
Jane Porterfield, founder of Educational Playcare, said, ‘We are excited that Busy Bees will build on our success as a quality educational and developmental childcare provider with their invaluable support. Both management teams will endeavour to deliver a seamless transition for everyone involved.’
Federica Ortalli, co-founder of Doremi, added, ‘We are proud to be working with Busy Bees given its industry-renowned reputation for excellent quality childcare, which is synonymous with our own forward-thinking approach. Over the coming months, we look forward to forging a close working relationship with the Busy Bees team and welcome their support and guidance as we embark on this journey together.’
