The Developer Solving America’s Childcare Crisis — Pablo Barreiro (FORTEC)

On this Cafecito y Croquetas episode, we sit down with Pablo Barreiro, Chairman of FORTEC Modern Real Estate—recently recognized by the South Florida Business Journal for rapid growth—to talk about a mission that’s bigger than buildings: fixing America’s childcare deserts through early-education real estate.

Pablo shares how his path from broker (plus a law degree) led to launching a preschool-focused development platform during 2020—andwhy the team has already delivered 32 schools across 12 states, with a plan to build 70–80 more in the next 36 months. We dig into the economics (why 1.5–2 acres often go to multifamily instead), how adding schools raises the value of surrounding projects, why keeping rents efficient can help temper tuition, and how 30–40 local jobs per school fuel community impact. We also cover teacher pipeline quality, competition improving outcomes, FORTEC’s “For Cares” philanthropy, and Pablo’s advice for young leaders: operate with urgency, be candid, and solve problems locally.

Chapters
00:00Intro & SFBJ recognition
02:05Pablo’s story: broker ➝ developer (+law background)
06:20Why preschools get overlooked in land use
08:45Childcare deserts & affordability (demand vs supply)
12:30Teacher quality, training, and retention
15:40Pairing schools with multifamily & retail
18:10Scaling plan: fund strategy & national rollout
21:25Local partners: GCs, architects, attorneys
24:10Philanthropy: “For Cares” and giving materials a second life
27:30Advice to young builders & founders: urgency + candor

If you’re a developer, operator, or city leader exploring early-education projects—or a parent who cares about access and quality—this one’s for you.

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