Dutch group is new majority stakeholder in childcare business

North West based nursery group Just Childcare has unveiled a new partnership with Netherlands childcare provider, Partou.

Since 2015, Just Childcare, based in Denton, Greater Manchester, has established itself as one of the largest childcare providers in the UK.

With the support of Phoenix Equity Partners the group has grown from seven settings in 2015 to 62 settings today.

These settings are located across the North West, Yorkshire and South West. Just Childcare now provides more than 4,700 early years places and employs around 1,300 staff.

The new partnership sees Partou become majority shareholder and the Dutch group will provide strategic support for Just Childcare to continue its qualitative growth in the UK.

One of the key objectives of the partnership is a continuous exchange of best practices in all fields, resulting in the delivery of best-in-class childcare.

Just Childcare chief executive, David Johnson, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured this new partnership with Partou.

“With long established experience in the provision of childcare we are looking forward to working alongside them to further develop the Just Childcare group in the UK market.

“Phoenix have been a great supporter over the past six years providing us with the resources and support needed to substantially grow the group into one of the most acknowledged providers in the UK. The new partnership with Partou is the start of the next chapter in the company’s development and we are really excited for the future.”

He added: “Having known the team at Partou for some time and spoken extensively, it is clear we share the same ethos when it comes to childcare and we’re all excited to explore the opportunities that our combined knowledge and experience will bring.”

After opening its first childcare centre in 1984, Partou now operates more than 700 childcare centres, welcoming in excess of 63,000 children and has 9,000 members of staff.

Jeanine Lemmens, Partou chief executive, said: “We are equally excited about this partnership and admire what David, Jacqueline and the entire Just Childcare team have achieved over the years.

“This collaboration, indeed, marks a new chapter, in our ambition to provide outstanding childcare to more children and families. Just Childcare and Partou share the same, simple quality principal: ‘all children deserve nothing but the best’.”