Tom & Josette: Reinventing childcare through intergenerational micro-nurseries Tom & Josette: Reinventing childcare through intergenerational micro-nurseries

Founded in 2019 by two Alumni of the MSc X-HEC Entrepreneurs, Tom&Josette develops a network of intergenerational micro-nurseries embedded within elderly specialized facilities (EHPADs or Résidences seniors) across France. 

The company addresses major societal challenges at the intersection of childcare, elderly care and human resources, by creating shared spaces where young children, senior residents and care professionals interact on a daily basis. Today, Tom&Josette operates nearly 20 sites in France, and employs 70 passionate people.

The Problem

Tom&Josette was born from the convergence of three structural crises affecting different populations:

• Elderly care facilities face strong pressure to reinvent their social model, optimize real estate use and address severe recruitment difficulties.
• Childcare services suffer from a critical shortage, with 350,000 missing nursery places in France.
• Personal care professions are experiencing a deep employment crisis, with chronic hiring challenges.

These issues were traditionally addressed separately, leaving inefficiencies, unmet needs and social fragmentation.

The Solution

Tom&Josette created a micro-nursery model integrated directly within nursing homes, generating value for all stakeholders.

This model makes it possible to:

• Optimize existing real estate: nursing homes finance the construction works, while Tom & Josette pays rent.
• Create additional nursery places in less competitive environments than urban street-level locations.
• Foster intergenerational relationships, benefiting both children and elderly residents.
• Improve recruitment and retention in care professions, by offering nursery places to seniors residences/EPHADs’ staff.

The intergenerational dimension has a strong HR impact: 
 

Key Figures

• Founded in 2019
• 19 locations in operation
• 70 employees
• €1.3m raised in 2021
• 500+ “Josettes” and 200+ “Toms” came together in 2025

How They Did It

Tom&Josette built its model by working closely with existing institutions, rather than creating standalone infrastructure.

The company relies on:

• Partnerships with EHPADs / seniors homes operators, aligning economic and social incentives.
• A service-oriented approach, combining childcare, elder care and HR value.
• Decentralized on-site teams, with a strong focus on staff autonomy, a key lever in a sector where employee retention is critical.
• A long-term vision, acknowledging that projects involving physical spaces require time, coordination with multiple stakeholders and patience.

This pragmatic, field-based approach allowed Tom&Josette to scale while remaining grounded in operational realities.

What’s Next

Tom&Josette continues to develop its network of intergenerational micro-nurseries across France, with two new micro-nurseries set to open in Brittany and in Essone (Paris suburb). By doing so, the company is pursuing its ambition to create meaningful social impact by rethinking how generations, care services and workplaces can coexist within the same spaces.