Sector(s)

Team Members

ryad karar, lara_z, dkesteloot, christina_abboud, kdarazi, piabh, marounmt, yara mezher, nicolas-enki

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Organizations Involved

Babilou Family US brings together three early childhood education networks operating across several US states: Little Sprouts in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Building Blocks in Connecticut, and Heartworks in Vermont.

The project addressed the need to modernize legacy websites and create stronger digital experiences for two key audiences: families looking for childcare and early education, and candidates looking for career opportunities.

The new websites needed to make it easier for parents to find a nearby center, discover its services and request a visit, while providing candidates with a simple and engaging recruitment journey.

The project also involved connecting the websites to the group’s key business systems, including its ATS, CRM and center data management tools.

About the project

The stakes of the project

Babilou Family US brings together three networks of nurseries and early childhood schools in the United States: Little Sprouts (Massachusetts & New Hampshire), Building Blocks (Connecticut), and Heartworks (Vermont).

Their challenges:

  • Modernize aging websites running on WordPress.
  • Transform digital into a driver for family acquisition and a tool for candidate recruitment.
  • Establish a scalable, shared technical foundation capable of supporting new brands in the future.

Little Sprout website homepage

A single Drupal foundation for all the group’s brands

We have developed a Core Drupal 10 Model. It serves as a base of features, components, and common configurations that can simply be duplicated and customized for each brand.

We designed it for the Little Sprout brand in September 2025. It was duplicated and then customized for the Heartworks brand site in the summer of 2026, and will soon be adapted for the Building Blocks brand. The customization primarily involves typography, colors, and the logo, while the functional logic remains unchanged.

TMA is also based on this principle: all updates are made to the base, then automatically inherited on each site.


Designing a clear and reassuring journey for millennial parents

  • Center locator with map and search engine.
  • Detailed profiles of schools and daycares (photos, services, schedules, staff).
  • Online visit form, mobile-first and simple.


Attracting Generation Z talent through an optimized candidate journey

  • Offer search engine with filters.
  • Offer pages highlighting the roles and benefits.
  • Quick, mobile-first application form with simplified CV upload.

Key API integrations to streamline internal processes

  • ATS Connector: automatic import of job offers and submission of applications.
  • Center Data Manager: synchronization of information about the centers.
  • LineLeader CRM: real-time management of visit requests.
  • Didomi: GDPR compliance and consent management.

Results & Lessons Learned

  • Azure hosting constraint: adaptation to security standards, with significant learning and adjustments.
  • Project management: a second Babilou team joined the project mid-way, requiring coordination in an international context.
  • Controlled scalability: thanks to the shared core, each new site can be deployed quickly and remain consistent with the others.
 

Why Drupal was chosen

Drupal was particularly well suited to Babilou Family US because of the complexity and long-term evolution of the group’s digital ecosystem.

  • Flexible content architecture: ideal for managing detailed information about childcare centers, services, teams, schedules and locations.
  • Powerful search and filtering: well suited to center locators and recruitment platforms.
  • API capabilities: Drupal can integrate seamlessly with business tools such as ATS, CRM and data management platforms.
  • Editorial flexibility: each brand can maintain its own identity while benefiting from shared functionality.
  • Scalability: new brands and websites can be added without rebuilding the platform from scratch.
  • Performance and security: Drupal provides a robust foundation for high-traffic, business-critical websites.
  • Long-term maintainability: a structured open-source architecture makes the platform easier to evolve as the group grows.
Photos showing five children, aged around five, sitting on the floor in a classroom or daycare with an instructor and holding small wooden musical instruments.

Technical Specifications

Drupal version:

Homepage of the Little Sprout website—the site that served as the model for creating the Drupal framework deployable across the group's other brands.