Oct 9 (Reuters) - Partners Group-backed KinderCare

Learning Companies ( KLC ) notched a market valuation of about

$3.1 billion after its shares opened 12.5% above its initial

public offering price on its NYSE debut on Wednesday.

KinderCare's shares opened at $27, after the firm had priced

its offering at $24 apiece to raise $576 million.

The demand for childcare services in the United States is

rising due to firms implementing return-to-office protocols

following the pandemic and an increased participation rate of

women in the workforce.

KinderCare is one of the largest private providers of early

childhood education in the U.S. by center capacity.