It was 3 a.m., and I was wide awake, nursing my infant, Zoe, while trying to get my toddler, Harper, back to sleep. I was doing that familiar balancing act that parents know too well: One hand rocking, one hand nursing, and my mind running through tomorrow’s responsibilities with a knot in my stomach.
As I tried to do both, I kept thinking: Where was the village? Where was the system that was supposed to support us?
From my experience with Harper, I already knew the American childcare system was broken. It felt strange to drop her off at the door without engaging with other parents or her teachers. Yes, she was in the best childcare program in our community, but something essential was missing. I felt disconnected. Fragmented. Alone.
Then I’d go to work and feel guilty all day—I felt like I was watching her grow up from afar. After work, I’d rush through errands and try to squeeze an entire day of life into the single hour before pickup. My well-being evaporated. My sense of self blurred. But, in 2018, a solution simply didn’t exist.
I knew others felt like I did—that we were barely managing the balancing act, but what I didn’t realize was how big an economic issue it was. Parents were stretched beyond capacity, and businesses were losing billions each year in absenteeism and turnover tied to unreliable childcare. Families were struggling, but so were the employers and communities around them.
In that 3 a.m. moment, I wasn’t just facing a parenting crisis. I was staring at a market gap hiding in plain sight.
The 3 a.m. Vision
Soon, I began envisioning the “Haven” I wished existed: a place where fully licensed childcare, shared and private workspaces, and an in-house fitness studio lived together under one roof, through one door, with one membership.
A place where parents didn’t have to choose between their ambitions and their well-being.
A place where families felt supported instead of stretched.
A place that honored every member of the family.
A place that was the central “village” for young families.
In those moments, I didn’t just see a solution for my own life, but I recognized a powerful white-space opportunity for our country. Even though modern families desperately needed them to function together, no one had integrated childcare, work, and wellness into a cohesive, unified experience.
Building The First Haven
Two years later, with perseverance and trust, my co-founder, Morgan Everson, and I opened our first Haven club in Rhode Island.
Walking into that space for the first time (the one I had imagined while rocking Zoe in the dark) was surreal. We weren’t simply opening a childcare center. We were launching a thoughtfully designed business model where childcare evolved into a full ecosystem of family support. The structure allowed Haven to deliver value to families while operating efficiently for local owners.
Parents felt the impact immediately. When families toured the club, we heard the same response again and again: deep breaths, tears of relief, the unmistakable sense that they were finally standing inside the solution they had been searching for.
Creating a New Category: Familycare
As our second and third locations opened, something powerful became clear: what families needed wasn’t just childcare. They needed familycare: a new category designed for the realities of modern life.
Just as coworking reshaped how people use office space and boutique fitness redefined wellness, familycare integrates services that have always existed separately, but function best when offered together.
Familycare recognizes that:
- Children thrive when their caregivers are supported.
- Parents are more productive when they’re less fragmented.
- Communities grow when families have dependable infrastructure.
- Businesses succeed when caregiving is not a barrier to work.
Familycare is the heartbeat of Haven’s mission. It is why each Haven feels bigger than just another “daycare”—it feels like a community. Children learn through exploration and curiosity. Parents work in beautiful, calming environments. Wellness is accessible instead of aspirational. And everyone benefits from being under one roof.
Scaling Something Human
As demand grew, we knew Haven needed to reach more communities. But we also recognize that childcare still is deeply local. Families need familiar faces, trusted relationships, and leaders who understand neighborhood rhythms.
That’s why we chose a franchise model.
Local owners are community leaders who bring heart, knowledge, and relationships. Haven provides the systems, curriculum, brand, training, and operational expertise that ensure excellence and consistency. It’s the perfect balance of local authenticity and national support.
Behind every owner stands a team with decades of experience in early childhood education, hospitality, and operations, all working together to bring the Haven mission to life.
Each location becomes a beloved part of its community, but all share a common purpose: giving families a place where life finally feels manageable.
Why Haven Matters for Business
For business owners, Haven offers more than a compelling story; it offers insight into a shifting workforce reality.
Parents are the backbone of the modern economy. Yet without stable childcare, their participation becomes unpredictable. When parents are supported:
- productivity rises
- retention increases
- engagement strengthens
- absenteeism falls
Familycare isn’t a perk. Its infrastructure is essential to strong communities, thriving families, and a reliable workforce.
Businesses that recognize this will lead the next era of economic growth.
A Haven for Every Community
The 3 a.m. dream that once lived only in my mind is now unfolding across the country. And still, the heartbeat of the mission remains the same: to create a haven for every member of the family.
When a parent walks into a Haven for the first time and sighs with relief, we know exactly what that moment means. It means hope. It means support. It means a life that finally feels possible.
We are called Haven because we provide exactly that—a haven where families can thrive, grow, and become the best versions of themselves.
Britt Riley is the Founder of Haven, the nation’s leading provider of integrated childcare, workspace, and fitness solutions designed to support the whole family. Inspired by the real challenges of navigating career and parenthood, Britt set out to build a better way, creating a new model of care that empowers families to thrive, not just survive.
Haven has become a movement, helping redefine what modern support for working families can and should look like. Under Britt’s leadership, Haven has expanded its impact with the launch of the Haven Club Ownership Program, offering entrepreneurs a new way to bring the Haven experience to their own communities and drive meaningful change at a local level.
A recognized voice on the future of work, family life, and care innovation, Britt speaks and writes about the systems that need to evolve and how bold, thoughtful leadership can make that evolution possible.
Britt believes that when we design environments around the realities of modern life, we don’t just help families, we help communities and economies thrive.
Photo courtesy Haven
