Oct 8 (Reuters) - KinderCare Learning, a provider of

early childhood education, on Tuesday priced its U.S. initial

public offering (IPO) within its indicated range to raise $576

million.

The company, which is backed by private equity firm Partners

Group, priced its offering at $24 apiece, within its

target range of $23 to $27, KinderCare said in a statement.

The IPO values KinderCare at $2.74 billion on a non-diluted

basis.

Oregon-based KinderCare, one of the largest providers of

early childhood education centers in the U.S., operates more

than 1,500 centers with a capacity of more than 200,000

children, according to its IPO filing. The company also runs 900

before-and-after school sites across 40 states and the District

of Columbia.

During the six months ended June 29, KinderCare posted

revenue of $1.34 billion, compared with $1.27 billion during the

same period a year earlier. It reported a net profit of $26.8

million during the same period, down from $71.7 million a year

earlier, according to its most recently updated IPO filing.

KinderCare said it plans to use the funds raised to pay off

debt and cover expenses.

The company first filed for an IPO in 2021, but

abandoned the plans last year, citing delays with regulatory

approvals.

Partners Group, which will own a controlling stake of 71% in

the company, acquired KinderCare in 2015.

KinderCare's shares are expected to start trading on the

New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "KLC" on Wednesday.

Goldman Sachs ( GS ), Morgan Stanley ( MS ), Barclays ( JJCTF ) and J.P. Morgan are

acting as lead bookrunning managers for the offering.