Child Care Services acquisitions in Florida: SBA loan data
Since FY2018, SBA lenders have approved 138 7(a) loans to buy an existing business classified as Child Care Services in Florida, totaling $150M. The median loan was $795,500. That is 3.8% of the 3,624 acquisition loans in Florida.
Seller note standby terms and third-party consents are reviewed before closing.
Submit Transaction DetailsSBA-financed deals. All 50 states.
How Child Care Services in Florida compares
| Measure | Child Care Services in Florida | Florida, all industries | Child Care Services, nationwide | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $795,500 | $751,700 | $763,300 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $501,900 to $1,374,500 | $350,000 to $1,584,250 | $368,750 to $1,619,500 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 7.93% | 8.14% | 7.55% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 25 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | 0.0% | 5.7% | 0.8% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 138 | 3,624 | 850 | 48,902 |
The median for loans to buy daycares in Florida is $795,500, slightly above the $751,700 median for all Florida acquisitions, in line with the $763,300 median for Child Care Services acquisitions nationwide and above the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $501,900 to $1,374,500, against $283,000 to $1,465,000 nationally; the median term is 25 years, longer than the national median of 10 years; the average initial rate is 7.93%, above the 7.76% national average.
None of the seasoned loans were charged off, against 5.7% for all Florida acquisitions, 0.8% for Child Care Services acquisitions nationwide and 3.5% for all acquisition loans.
Loan size distribution
| Loan size | Child Care Services in Florida | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Under $350K | 14% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 50% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 24% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 12% | 17% |
Most loans to buy daycares in Florida (64%) were under $1M, and the largest single band is $350K to under $1M at 50%, against 33% of all acquisition loans.
Bands are fixed dollar ranges chosen for comparison. They are not SBA program limits.
Lender concentration
Citizens Bank made 7% of loans to buy daycares in Florida, and the top three lenders together made 20%. 18 of the 55 lenders involved made three or more. Repeat experience is spread across many banks. That is a rough guide to how many banks have seen this kind of deal before.
Recent activity
In FY2025 and FY2026 combined, 35 loans to buy daycares in Florida were approved. That is 30% more than the 27 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $754,000, slightly below the $795,500 median across all years.
Child Care Services acquisition loans in Florida by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 10 | $15.1M | $697,250 | |
| FY2019 | 26 | $29.6M | $950,000 | |
| FY2020 | 11 | $10.6M | $890,000 | |
| FY2021 | 20 | $23.1M | $662,500 | |
| FY2022 | 9 | $7.5M | $697,000 | |
| FY2023 | 15 | $16.7M | $791,000 | |
| FY2024 | 12 | $13.4M | $814,000 | |
| FY2025 | 21 | $19.9M | $691,400 | |
| FY2026 | 14 | $14.3M | $859,300 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Of the 67 Child Care Services in Florida acquisition loans approved from FY2018 to FY2021 (the seasoned cohort, every loan at least about five years old), none have been charged off by the SBA. 37 have already been paid in full.
For comparison, Child Care Services in Florida has none charged off, against the 3.5% average across all SBA 7(a) acquisition loans in the same cohort. Non-acquisition 7(a) loans (every other stated purpose) approved FY2018 to FY2021 charged off at 6.2%.
"Charged off" is the SBA's final loss action on a defaulted loan after collection efforts. It lags default by a year or more, which is why only older cohorts are measured. It is not the same as a delinquency rate, and loans still outstanding can still fail. See charge-off in the glossary.
The purchase agreement decides what you bought, not the loan approval.
Request Engagement AssessmentAll 50 states. Free consultation.
Top lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Citizens Bank | 10 | 7.2% | $9M | |
| 2 | Live Oak Banking Company | 9 | 6.5% | $14.2M | |
| 3 | American Momentum Bank | 9 | 6.5% | $13M | |
| 4 | Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company | 9 | 6.5% | $5.8M | |
| 5 | Banesco USA | 6 | 4.3% | $8.7M |
Top franchise brands
| # | Franchise | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primrose Schools | 5 | 3.6% | $12.4M | |
| 2 | Kids 'R' Kids | 3 | 2.2% | $9.7M | |
| 3 | The Learning Experience | 3 | 2.2% | $3M | |
| 4 | The Goddard School | 1 | 0.7% | $665K | |
| 5 | BrightStar Care | 1 | 0.7% | $315K |
Terms signed in the LOI shape the purchase agreement that follows.
Request Engagement AssessmentFree consultation. All 50 states.
Questions buyers ask
How much do SBA loans for Child Care Services acquisitions in Florida run?
The median SBA 7(a) loan was $795,500 across 138 loans (FY2018 to FY2026), with the middle half between $501,900 and $1,374,500. The loan excludes the buyer's equity and any seller note and may include working capital, so the price is usually higher than the loan.
Which banks finance Child Care Services acquisitions in Florida?
Citizens Bank (10), Live Oak Banking Company (9), American Momentum Bank (9), Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company (9), Banesco USA (6). Some lenders repeatedly finance this industry in this state; the counts above show which.
How often do Child Care Services acquisition loans fail in Florida?
Of 67 seasoned loans (FY2018 to FY2021), none were charged off, against the 3.5% rate for all SBA acquisition loans. With a sample this size, treat the figure as a direction, not a precise rate.
Are franchised businesses part of Child Care Services acquisitions in Florida?
20 of the 138 loans (14%) involved a franchise brand, most often Primrose Schools (5).
How much do you need down for an SBA loan to buy a daycare in Florida?
The SBA requires the buyer to make an equity injection, commonly 10% of total project cost, and a lender may ask for more. The SBA file does not record injections, so the figures here are the financed portion: the median for loans to buy daycares in Florida was $795,500, and the middle half ran $501,900 to $1,374,500.
How long does an SBA acquisition loan take?
For a change-of-ownership 7(a) loan, 45 to 90 days from application to close is typical. It varies by lender and by how quickly third-party reports, such as the business valuation and appraisal, come back. The SBA file records approval dates, not application dates, so this site cannot measure it. Lenders approved 35 loans to buy daycares in Florida in FY2025 and FY2026.
Which banks make SBA loans for a daycare in Florida?
By loan count, FY2018 to FY2026: Citizens Bank (10), Live Oak Banking Company (9), American Momentum Bank (9), Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company (9), Banesco USA (6). Citizens Bank made 7% of loans to buy daycares in Florida. Counts show past approvals only and do not predict whether a lender will approve a particular deal.
Seller note standby terms and third-party consents are reviewed before closing.
Submit Transaction DetailsAlex Lubyansky leads every engagement.
Advertise on this site: lenders, brokers, valuation and insurance firms. See options
Related
- All Florida acquisitions
- Child Care Services nationally
- Child Care Services in Texas
- Child Care Services in Georgia
- Child Care Services in California
- Child Care Services in New Jersey
- Child Care Services in Colorado
- Child Care Services in North Carolina
- Child Care Services in Pennsylvania
- Child Care Services in Ohio
- Full-Service Restaurants in Florida
- All Other Specialty Trade Contractors in Florida
- Landscaping Services in Florida
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages in Florida
- Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors in Florida
- Hotels and Motels in Florida
- Limited-Service Restaurants in Florida
- Offices of Certified Public Accountants in Florida
Small samples move a lot: each loan in this combination is 1% of the count. Industry is the NAICS code the lender recorded. See the methodology.
Cite this data
SBA Acquisition Data, "Child Care Services in Florida: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/state/fl/child-care-services-624410 (data as of September 30, 2026). Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loan file, data.sba.gov. Aggregated by SBA Acquisition Data.
The figures on this page are also published as JSON at https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/data/state/fl/child-care-services-624410.json.