The Goddard School Receives TopScore FUND Award for Third Consecutive Year

Presented by FRANdata, recognition acknowledges dedication to supporting franchisees’ access to capital

The Goddard School^®, the nation’s leading premium early childhood education provider, was recognized by FRANdata as a 2025 TopScore Fund Award winner at the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference in Las Vegas. The annual award, which The Goddard School is receiving for the third consecutive year, is presented to franchise brands with the highest FUND scores, which recognizes a steadfast commitment to supporting their franchisees’ access to financing.

The Goddard School earned an industry-leading FUND score of 930 in 2025. The FUND score is a franchise credit risk scoring system that provides lenders with an objective, data-driven evaluation of a franchise brand’s creditworthiness. It measures performance across 12 critical risk categories, including franchise business success rates, unit profitability and franchisee support.

The TopScore FUND Award highlights franchise brands that have risen above their peers by simplifying the financing process while understanding and improving key performance metrics that lenders look for when lending. This results in lower cost of capital and better financing terms for franchisees.

“At The Goddard School, we are honored to receive the TopScore FUND Award for the third consecutive year,” said Kevin Brickner, vice president of franchise sales, Goddard Systems, LLC, the manager of The Goddard School franchise system. “We are committed to providing the industry’s best resources and support for our franchisees, enabling them to expand to make a Goddard School education available to even more families across the country.”

“The Goddard School has built the largest franchise system in the early childhood education industry by focusing on strong unit economics and reliable support for their franchisees," said Darrell Johnson, chief executive officer, FRANdata. "They’ve created a model that delivers consistent success across hundreds of locations, giving lenders the confidence that franchisees are well-positioned for long-term performance. Their commitment to transparency and system-wide stability makes them a clear choice for this year’s TopScore FUND Award.”

In addition to the TopScore FUND Award, recent distinctions showcasing the strength of The Goddard School brand include ranking #63—the highest-ranking childcare provider—in the 2024 Franchise Times Top 400, ranking #55 in Entrepreneur’s 2025 Franchise 500 and corresponding induction into the outlet’s Hall of Fame, as well as inclusion in Franchise Business Review’s 2025 Top 200 Franchises and Top Franchises for Women.

For more information about The Goddard School, please visit GoddardSchool.com, and to learn about franchise opportunities, go to GoddardSchoolFranchise.com.