Leading National Early Childhood Education Franchise Recognized for its People-First Approach to Retention

BALTIMORE -- Celebree School, a leader in early childhood education offering infant and toddler care, preschool, before and aftercare, and summer camp programs, celebrates a major achievement – being recognized with the Most Innovative Employee Retention award from the Franchise Update Media Franchise Innovations Awards.

Now in its seventh year, the Franchise Innovation Awards recognize franchise companies that demonstrate bold, original, and successful strategies across core areas of business. Celebree School's recognition in the Human Resources category for employee retention reinforces the brand's long-standing commitment to its mission: To Grow People Big and Small™, a guiding philosophy that emphasizes nurturing children, supporting families, and empowering teachers and leadership teams to thrive personally and professionally.

"This recognition affirms something we've always believed at Celebree: when you take care of your people, everything else follows," said Richard Huffman, CEO of Celebree School. "The early education space is often focused solely on the child, but we know that thriving teachers and leaders create thriving classrooms and systems. That's why we invest in our team not just as employees, but as leaders, learners, and individuals with dreams of their own. When our team feels empowered, supported, and inspired, that energy reaches every child and every family we serve."

A jury of judges evaluated the innovation, objectives, and results of more than 80 entrants. Franchise innovators, game-changers, and disruptors competed in four categories: Marketing & Branding, Products & Services, Operations, and Human Resources. Sixteen winners were chosen from among the four categories. Winners will be profiled in Franchise Update magazine.

The Most Innovative Employee Retention award recognizes franchise brands that are setting a new standard for how to retain top talent. At Celebree School, retention begins with purpose, powerfully brought to life through its Career Pathways program: an innovative, scalable career development framework designed to nurture talent from within. Through intentional onboarding, personalized growth plans, mentorship, and financial support for continued education, Celebree equips team members at all levels with the tools to thrive and advance in their careers.

"Retention doesn't happen by accident, it's the result of listening closely, responding intentionally, and building systems that support real growth," said Lisa Bricker, Chief Talent Officer at Celebree School. "This award reflects years of effort from our HR and leadership teams to create pathways that are flexible, personalized, and deeply intentional. We're proud to be a place where people can build meaningful careers while making a lasting impact on children and families.

More than just a professional development track, Celebree's retention model fosters a culture of empowerment, where employees feel seen, supported, and inspired to grow, not just as professionals, but as people. The result is a high performing, deeply engaged workforce connected to something bigger than themselves: a shared mission to positively impact children, families, and communities.

Celebree School is continuing its national expansion efforts and is currently seeking qualified and engaged individuals for single and multi-unit opportunities to bring quality childhood education to their communities.

To learn more about Celebree School franchising opportunities, visit https://www.celebree.com/franchising.

About Celebree School
Founded in 1994, Celebree School is a leader in early childhood education that provides infant and toddler care, preschool, before and aftercare, and summer camp programs. With a mission to Grow People Big and Small™, Celebree School believes success in early childhood development is equal parts curriculum and connection. Each school employs a customized program that addresses the physical, social, emotional, and academic needs of children and follows applicable state guidelines. In 2019, Celebree School launched its franchise offering. In 2024, Celebree School's founder, Richard Huffman, launched a new parent company called Huffman Family Brands, merging Celebree affiliated concepts under one multi-brand company structure. Learn more about how we grow confident children who are prepared for school and life at Celebree.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About Franchise Update Media
Franchise Update Media has been a leader in the franchising space for more than 35 years. Founded in 1988, the company produces online franchise opportunity and educational websites, two quarterly print magazines, 11 newsletters, three annual conferences, and independent research, 100% focused on franchising. Serving franchise audiences online, in print, and in person, Franchise Update Media delivers a unique combination of educational and lead generation sources to help franchisors, multi-unit franchisees, opportunity seekers, and suppliers achieve their growth objectives.

For more information, visit Franchising.com.

SOURCE Celebree School