Originally posted on franchisingmagazineusa.com
Child services is poised to be the fastest-growing sector in franchising in 2026, according to the International Franchise Association’s latest Franchising Economic Outlook. The report points to rising demand for businesses that support children’s development, enrichment and education — a shift that is creating new momentum across the category.
At the forefront of this trend is The Little Gym. The enrichment and physical development concept, which serves children ages four months through 12, is marking its 50th anniversary this year while coming off its biggest growth year to date.
Founded in 1976 and acquired by Unleashed Brands in 2021, The Little Gym has spent five decades building a reputation around movement-based learning and confidence-building for children. Now, as consumer demand for structured youth programming continues to grow, the brand’s milestone year is also becoming a case study in why child services has become one of franchising’s most promising categories.
A Legacy Brand in Expansion Mode
The Little Gym’s recent expansion underscores just how much momentum the brand has entering its 50th anniversary year. In 2025, it opened 44 new locations and signed 74 new franchise agreements, averaging nearly one new gym per week. That same momentum helped propel The Little Gym to No. 125 on Entrepreneur’s 2026 Franchise 500 list, a 73-spot jump from the prior year.
The brand’s growth has been shaped in large part by its evolution since joining Unleashed Brands in 2021—illustrating the value of pairing an established concept with a platform built to scale youth-focused brands. In the first year following the acquisition, The Little Gym grew systemwide revenue, average revenue per gym and enrollment by more than 50% across its U.S. locations, and it has continued to build on that progress in the years since.
With the credibility and operating history of a mature franchise system and the resources and strategic focus of a growth-oriented platform, The Little Gym offers a case study in how legacy brands can continue evolving to meet the needs of today’s families and franchisees.
Why Child Services Are Surging
The Little Gym’s success is part of a broader shift taking place across franchising. According to the International Franchise Association, child services is projected to be the fastest-growing franchise industry this year, with unit growth of 4.3%. The sector is also expected to add roughly 57,000 jobs and generate $22.7 billion in output.
This shift is being fueled by rising consumer demand for services that support children’s development in more intentional ways. Families are increasingly prioritizing programs that go beyond basic care and supervision. They seek out experiences that help children build physical, cognitive, and social-emotional skills. At the same time, broader household shifts — including dual-income families, single-parent households, rising female workforce participation and more parents returning to in-person work — are increasing demand for structured, dependable youth programming that fits into the busy modern family life.
The category is also proving to be notably durable. Child services continues to benefit from demand that is both consistent and need-based, even in a more selective economic environment. While discretionary spending may fluctuate in other areas, parents often remain willing to invest in experiences tied to their children’s growth, well-being and long-term development. That combination of resilience and relevance has made child services especially appealing within the franchise sector.
For The Little Gym, those trends reinforce the role the brand has played for families for nearly five decades. Its programming has long centered on movement, confidence-building and age-appropriate development — the very qualities more parents are seeking today. As demand for purposeful, structured enrichment continues to heighten, The Little Gym’s milestone year highlights why the brand stands out not only to families, but to franchisees looking for a concept rooted in enduring consumer demand and positioned within one of the industry’s most resilient growth categories.
What 50 Years Signals to Franchisees
As The Little Gym turns 50, its momentum reflects both the strength of a legacy brand, as well as the direction of the broader franchise market, where child services is gaining ground as families place greater value on enrichment, development and dependable programming for their children.
In that context, The Little Gym’s recent growth helps illustrate why the category is drawing increased interest from prospective franchisees. The brand combines a long-established model with strong consumer relevance, offering a concept grounded in decades of trust while remaining aligned with today’s family priorities.
Its milestone year serves as more than an anniversary moment. It underscores how established brands can continue to grow when they are positioned within the right category and supported by the right platform. As child services expands, The Little Gym stands as an example of how legacy, demand and franchise opportunity can converge in a way that is both timely and sustainable.