Our story

Babilou Family was born to support the wellbeing of children and the work-life balance of families

Founded in France in 2003 by entrepreneurial brothers Rodolphe and Edouard Carle to bridge the gap in childcare solutions, Babilou Family has gradually grown to become a leading light in early years education and a major operator across the globe. We set out to support the well-being of children and the work-life balance of families at a time of rising birthrates and women in the workforce. Today, in our rapidly-changing, fragilized world, our role in society is all the more relevant: bring quality education to the next generation.


We began with one nursery and 24 seats. Five years later, we became the leading private childcare network in France. Today, we are present in 10 countries with around 1 260 centers, 13,600 employees and more than 100,000 children in our care.

Timeline

2025

Launch of our three‑year strategic plan, with a bold ambition: becoming the most scalable and robust operator worldwide. 

First early‑education player to deploy monthly NPS across all families

2024

Christophe Fond is appointed as CEO of Babilou Family.

New edition of the International Neuroscience Congress in partnership with UNESCO

Launch of our book Sustainable Education

2023

Babilou Family's Sustainable Education® teams work together to create and deliver our educational programs.

Babilou Family invests heavily in a number of monitoring and continuous quality improvement projects at its centers, including incident tracking.

Babilou celebrates its 20th anniversary in France!

2022

Modification of Babilou Family ’s bylaws to become a “Mission-Driven Company”

Babilou Family participates in the UNESCO World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education in Tashkent

2021

Covid crisis: Babilou Family becomes the first company to offer nursery places to the children of caregivers in France.

In its other countries, Babilou Family reinvents its approach and keeps its operations going and creates new services to meet the needs of families in lockdown: “Origami at home” in Colombia and “Inspire me @ home” in Dubai

2020

Antin Infrastructure Partners becomes Babilou Family’s primary shareholder. The Carle family remains our key shareholder. T.A. Associates and Raise confirm their equity investment.

  • Babilou Family opens its first nurseries in the Netherlands.
  • Xavier Ouvrard is appointed as CEO of Babilou Family.

2018

Babilou Family launches the Babilou Family Foundation to support social, educational and community initiatives in France and allow everyone to contribute to a better world in 4 key areas: education, health, environmental protection and social inclusion. 

The Group extends its activity in India. 

Creation of the ELSA© quality Label under the authority of SGS.

2017

Babilou Family arrives in Luxembourg and continues its international expansion by creating the first network of daycare centers in the United Arab Emirates.

The Group takes over the Ecole Centrale de Puériculture Paul Strauss, a celebrated French school for childcare that trains over 200 childcare assistants every year.

Babilou Family reinforces its position as the leading daycare center network in France with the acquisition of Kid’S Cool, the 7th biggest network of private daycare centers in the country.

2015

Babilou Family continues to develop its offer on an international scale with partnerships in Germany, Dubai and Switzerland.

2014

Babilou Family develops its offer in Belgium.

2011

Babilou Family creates its first group project and work culture guide: Together, We Grow.

2009

Launch of “1001 Crèches” : a digital platform that brings all of Babilou’s structures and partners together. Babilou is the first childcare company to provide this possibility, which enables large companies to offer their employees daycare centers that are closer to the family home.

Drafting of the 1st reference document for the certification of early childhood services, with SGS (Independent international certifying entity).

2006

First business partnership, with the L’Oréal Group.

2005

Rodolphe and Edouard Carle create the first public-private partnership with a French municipality in Rueil-Malmaison, Hauts-de-Seine.

2004

First day-care center open to several enterprises in partnership with the French government’s family allowance fund.

2003

Rodolphe and Edouard Carle develop an innovative, high-quality childcare solution. Following the launch of a new public-private partnership in the domain of early childhood, the first Babilou childcare center opens in France in Boulogne-Billancourt.