International Franchising Association honors Chicago-area franchisees

BALTIMORE, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Kiddie Academy Educational Child Care^® system is proud to announce multi-unit owners Preeti and Vic Gulati have been named International Franchise Association (IFA) 2026 Franchisees of the Year. The Gulatis, who operate Kiddie Academy of Arlington Heights, Kiddie Academy of Vernon Hills and Kiddie Academy of Mount Prospect in the Chicago area, were selected for their excellence in entrepreneurship, community outreach, workforce development and service to others.

The IFA is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising. The IFA Franchisee of the Year awards recognize top-performing franchisees from IFA members nationwide. The Gulatis were honored alongside 88 fellow award recipients at the IFA26 Advocacy Summit Luncheon in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 15.

“We are always excited to see our franchisees go above and beyond, and are thrilled to see two dedicated members of the Kiddie Academy system receive national recognition for their hard work,” said Casey Miller, chief executive officer of the Kiddie Academy brand. “Preeti and Vic have set a standard for operational excellence and community impact. We congratulate them on this well-deserved award and thank them for their continued dedication to Chicago’s Kiddie Academy students, educators and families.”

Since opening Kiddie Academy of Arlington Heights in 2015, the Gulatis have expanded their footprint across the greater Chicago area, building a reputation for high-quality early childhood education and care.

“We are honored to receive this distinction and grateful to the brand for the nomination,” said Preeti Gulati. “The support we have as owners within the Kiddie Academy system makes creating a safe, nurturing space for children, families and educators an easy task.”

For more than six decades, IFA has served as the global authority on franchising, franchisees and suppliers across more than 300 industries worldwide. Through public policy advocacy, media outreach and specialized education, the organization actively strengthens the world’s nearly 832,000 franchise locations.

For more information about Kiddie Academy, visit kiddieacademy.com.

About Kiddie Academy^® 
Since its inception in 1981, the Kiddie Academy system has been recognized as a leading brand in educational child care. The company, headquartered in Maryland,  serves families and their children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old, offering full- and part-time care, before- and after-school care, and summer camp programs, through the Kiddie Academy system. The Kiddie Academy brand’s proprietary Life  Essentials^® Curriculum, supporting programs, methods, activities, and techniques  help prepare children for life. The company’s philanthropic efforts, including support of national nonprofit Family Promise and multiyear sponsorship of John Hopkins Community Center, take character education lessons learned in the classroom beyond Academy walls. The Kiddie Academy brand is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), signifying its commitment to quality professional education and training. For more information, visit kiddieacademy.com or find Kiddie Academy on Facebook at Facebook.com/KiddieAcademy.

About Kiddie Academy Domestic Franchising, LLC
Kiddie Academy Domestic Franchising, LLC is based in Abingdon, Md. and has received corporate accreditation from the globally recognized Cognia accreditation system. There are currently more than 375 open Academies in the Kiddie Academy system, located in 40 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 40,000 children. Each franchised location in the Kiddie Academy system is an independently owned and operated business. For more information, visit franchising.kiddieacademy.com.

Media Contact:
Samantha Terwilliger
sterwilliger@tombras.com
865.230.3408

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SOURCE Kiddie Academy