---
title: "Franchise Times: Lightbridge Academy’s Approach to Overcoming Staffing Shortages"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/a0af927c-4466-4999-bc56-226d68d21700
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/franchise-times-lightbridge-academys-approach-to-overcoming-staffing-shortages-2721824
category: "Childcare & early learning"
industry: "Education & Childcare"
segment: "Childcare & early learning"
topics: ["Operations"]
published: 2023-03-31T19:14:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T01:18:56.956Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/804ff5a0c460952b6ee5f63ba38781686474.jpg
---

# Franchise Times: Lightbridge Academy’s Approach to Overcoming Staffing Shortages

**TL;DR:** Lightbridge Academy, a 67-unit child care and education franchise, continues to expand despite nationwide labor shortages by focusing on employee benefits and community needs. The brand has over 140 childcare centers open or in development across the US.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2023-03-31. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/franchise-times-lightbridge-academys-approach-to-overcoming-staffing-shortages-2721824).*

## Story

Lightbridge Academy , the 67-unit franchise focused on providing early childhood education and child care, continues to expand despite nationwide labor shortages.

Lightbridge Academy CEO Gigi Schweikert recently spoke with Franchise Times about how the brand has been working to grow while overcoming staffing challenges. Schweikert, who has been in the early childhood education industry for more than 30 years, says the brand has been putting an emphasis on its employee benefits and pays its staff “reasonable wages.”

As far as the brand’s growth is concerned, Schweikert says in order to expand, it’s vital to understand the needs of your community, exercise patience and build relationships.

Lightbridge Academy currently has more than 140 childcare centers either open or in development across the country.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- unit expansion (topic)
- Education (sector)
- Lightbridge Academy (company)
- child care (topic)
- Gigi Schweikert (person)
- employee benefits (topic)
- staffing shortages (topic)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/franchise-times-lightbridge-academys-approach-to-overcoming-staffing-shortages-2721824). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/a0af927c-4466-4999-bc56-226d68d21700).