--- title: "Children’s Lighthouse Franchise Conference 2026 Recap & Awards" url: https://burnaze.com/article/5fa355e9-edd5-4277-8e4c-1624afd009bc source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/childrens-lighthouse/an-inside-look-at-childrens-lighthouse-franchise-conference-recap-and-award-winners-2731945 category: "Childcare & early learning" industry: "Education & Childcare" segment: "Childcare & early learning" published: 2026-04-15T23:18:45.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T22:32:21.259Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/1caf2bd2a5d3303fd01ed79cb62d3655264.jpg --- # Children’s Lighthouse Franchise Conference 2026 Recap & Awards **TL;DR:** Children's Lighthouse reported a 9.5% increase in leads and a 4.5% jump in revenue at its 2026 Franchise Conference. The conference centered on the theme of Culture and Connection, and the brand announced plans to pursue Cognia System Accreditation and expand its real estate. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2026-04-15. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/childrens-lighthouse/an-inside-look-at-childrens-lighthouse-franchise-conference-recap-and-award-winners-2731945).* ## Key facts - Children's Lighthouse saw a 9.5% increase in leads - The brand is introducing AI-powered tools - Children's Lighthouse is pursuing Cognia System Accreditation ## Story Children’s Lighthouse brought franchise owners from across the system together for its 2026 Franchise Conference, centered on a clear theme: Culture and Connection. The event served as both a celebration of the brand’s achievements and a strategic alignment moment heading into a pivotal year. “This conference was really about alignment,” said Matt Kelton, Vice President of Development. “As a system, we’ve built strong demand. Now it’s about executing at a high level across every school, every day. Culture and connection are operational drivers. When those two things are strong, performance follows. We’re entering a phase where consistency across the system is what will separate us in the market.” ## Marketing and growth Children’s Lighthouse enters 2026 by building on a strong national marketing campaign that ran from March through July 2025. The result was a 9.5% increase in leads and a 4.5% jump in revenue compared to the previous year. As awareness continues to rise, school-level execution becomes the deciding factor in turning interest into enrollment. Responsiveness, the quality of the tour experience and consistent follow-up will ultimately determine how effectively each location captures demand. Looking ahead, the 2026 brand campaign, launched mid-February and will continue through August, will target parents of children ages 0-8 within a highly focused 2- to 3-mile radius of each school. The campaign will leverage a multi-channel approach across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, display advertising, retargeting and connected TV, ensuring consistent brand visibility throughout the parent decision-making journey. To support franchisees in improving local execution, Children’s Lighthouse is introducing a suite of AI-powered tools launching April 1. These include AI webchat to provide 24/7 responses to parent inquiries, a Genius Search Agent to automate local SEO and Google presence, and a Reputation Agent to monitor and respond to reviews. With 91% of all website chats currently going unanswered, these tools are designed to significantly improve responsiveness, reduce manual workload and ensure that no opportunity is missed. One of the most significant announcements from the conference was the decision to pursue Cognia System Accreditation. This accreditation is a third-party seal of approval for quality and operational standards, and also helps the entire system stay current with the changing rules around Universal Pre-K and Education Savings Account funding. On a bigger level, this effort creates a single, consistent set of standards across all locations. That consistency is key, It highlights the brand's solid dedication to being excellent. With more competition and parents expecting more, this accreditation is not just a way to run things, but a strong, unique benefit owners can talk about in their marketing. ## Real estate expansion The conference also highlighted the rapidly shifting landscape of early education real estate, emphasizing the importance of acting early on expansion. Rising land costs, increased competition for sites and faster decision-making by developers mean that prime locations will soon become more difficult — and more expensive — to secure. Available land is disappearing quickly. Sites that were available a year or 18 months ago are often no longer on the market or now cost significantly more, especially in master-planned communities where parcels are being absorbed fast. As a result, Children's Lighthouse is really encouraging franchisees to evaluate expansion opportunities *now*, even if development is still further down the road. To support this, the brand is offering one-on-one expansion strategy sessions, a build-to-suit lease program, SBA financing support and a Site First Program designed to help franchisees secure high-quality real estate early in the process. The message is clear: while building may not happen right away, controlling the right site is a critical step in long-term growth. ## Awards and recognition The annual awards ceremony was another major highlight, shining a spotlight on the franchisees and leaders who truly live the brand's core values — integrity, passion, excellence, and community impact. - 2024: Brad Fink and Connor Matthews — Children’s Lighthouse of Kyle - 2025: Nadene and Isam Habboush — Children’s Lighthouse of Princeton - 2024: Kelly and John Pritchard — Children’s Lighthouse of Houston (Lake Houston) - 2025: Tonya Porter — Children’s Lighthouse of Seabrook - 2024: Latha Elen and Elen Singaravelu — Children’s Lighthouse of Anna - 2025: Tara and Justin Leggett — Children’s Lighthouse of San Antonio (Stone Oak) - 2024: Amanda and Brian Fisk — Children’s Lighthouse of Richmond (Grand Mission) - 2025: Dr. Ira Sullivan — Children’s Lighthouse of Hoover - 2024: Karen and Zeff Walcher — Children’s Lighthouse of Richmond (Harvest Green) - 2025: Brad Fink and Connor Matthews — Children’s Lighthouse of Kyle - 2024: Nadene and Isam Habboush — Children’s Lighthouse of Princeton and Allen - 2024: Latisha King — Director of Field Operations, Franchise Support Center - 2024: Jennifer Atkari — Franchise Business Coach, Franchise Support Center - 2025: Ashley and Ryan Hempton — Children’s Lighthouse of New Braunfels - 2025: Anna Sherman — Director of Franchise Development, Franchise Support Center - 2025: Kelsey Lance — Brand Marketing Coach, Franchise Support Center - 2024: Sheetal and Vishal Thomas — Children’s Lighthouse of Raleigh - 2025: Alexis and John Legg — Children’s Lighthouse of Houston (Oak Forest) Children’s Lighthouse has seen strong momentum so far this year, a growing footprint and a clear strategic roadmap. Following a year that included 15 franchise signings, multiple new openings and expansion into new states, the brand is positioned for continued, intentional growth. “2026 is going to reward operators who execute consistently,” Kelton said. “The systems are in place. Now it’s about how well we use them.” The 2026 Children's Lighthouse Conference hammered home that the best way to turn high demand into real, long-term growth is through consistent execution at the local level. ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - Education (sector) - revenue growth (topic) - marketing campaign (topic) - Children's Lighthouse (company) - Matt Kelton (person) - franchise conference (topic) - real estate expansion (topic) - accreditation (topic) - Nadene Habboush (person) - Brad Fink (person) - Connor Matthews (person) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/childrens-lighthouse/an-inside-look-at-childrens-lighthouse-franchise-conference-recap-and-award-winners-2731945). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/5fa355e9-edd5-4277-8e4c-1624afd009bc).