For more than two decades, the UK-based swim school has taught babies and young children to be safe and confident in the water, starting as early as a few weeks old. Now that experience is crossing the Atlantic, with U.S. locations open and communities still waiting for their first Water Babies.

This creates an opportunity for franchise owners. By the time a concept is well established, many prime markets have been claimed. Water Babies offers something different: more than two decades of experience behind the model, with a U.S. market that is still wide open.

“We’ve been doing this for a long time in the UK, so the model comes with deep experience,” says Carl Higgins, president of North America at Water Babies. “What’s exciting about the U.S. is the opportunity to take what we know works and bring it to more families.”

A different way of thinking about water safety

Water Babies encourages parents to start as soon as they can, often when a baby is just a few weeks old. When you’re ready, they’re ready. This is a new take on swimming compared to the American habit of waiting until the toddler years.

The approach works with a baby’s natural instincts, helping them become comfortable in water. Working with them as they develop. It also gives parents something beyond swimming skills: time together.

At its heart, the experience is beautifully simple. A parent gets into the pool with their baby. They sing. They play. They practice small skills together until the water becomes something to enjoy, safely.

For franchise owners, this creates a business built around more than lessons. It’s a service families return to week after week, as their babies grow, learn and reach new milestones.

Proof it’s working

Stacie Parrish is one of Water Babies’ original U.S. franchisees, building her customer base in Fort Worth, Texas. She’s seeing business success, but she’s also found something she didn’t necessarily expect when she started.

“One of the most unexpected and rewarding parts of bringing Water Babies to our area has been how much the local community has impacted me personally. I started this journey wanting to provide families with something valuable, but I’ve found that the relationships we’re building have given just as much back to me,” Parrish said.

“Getting to know parents, celebrating their children’s milestones, meeting families at local events, and seeing familiar faces week after week has created a real sense of connection. There’s something incredibly special about knowing the families behind the business, not just as customers, but as neighbors.”

That community connection is part of what makes the Water Babies model different. Owners aren’t simply filling lesson slots. They’re building relationships with families in their markets, often from the time a child is just a few weeks old.

The window is open, but not forever

Water Babies didn’t simply bring its UK playbook across the Atlantic and hope for the best. The team has listened to U.S. families and adapted the experience for the American market.

Prospective owners can step into a concept with more than two decades behind it, an established curriculum and a model tested across thousands of families, while many U.S. communities still don’t have a location.

Many franchise investors face a choice between an emerging brand with little history or an established brand with limited territory availability. Water Babies sits in a rare middle ground, combining a proven international model with significant room for expansion across the U.S.

It’s a combination that doesn’t come along often: the experience of a strong brand with the room to build something locally. Today, Water Babies teaches tens of thousands of children each week across several countries, giving U.S. franchisees access to a model that has been refined over decades of operation.

Community impact

Water Babies benefits from recurring customer relationships that can last for years. Families attend weekly lessons as their children progress through the program, creating strong retention and predictable revenue.

Combined with a growing focus on water safety across the U.S., it gives franchise owners the opportunity to build a business that delivers commercial value and meaningful local impact.

Because Water Babies starts much earlier than most American families think about swim lessons, there is an opportunity to introduce something different in the communities where franchisees open. For owners, this means building a customer base around an experience families may not have encountered before, while having an established brand and curriculum behind them.

“What’s been most encouraging is seeing how naturally the Water Babies experience fits into communities across the U.S.,” Higgins says. “The foundations of the program are proven, and as we continue to grow, we’re finding new ways to connect more families with the confidence and joy that comes from being safe in the water.”