The Economic Value of Child-Inclusive Commercial Spaces: Research Insights from Kateryna Hilevska

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2024, 39% of American family households had children under the age of 18. At the same time, the National Retail Federation estimated that families with school-age children spent more than $850 on average during the back-to-school season.

An average reader may naturally ask how these figures are connected to commercial spaces. According to Kateryna Hilevska, who specializes in creating child-centered environments, the connection is absolutely direct.

“For businesses, these numbers are important not only as demographic statistics,” explains the expert and author of the Child-Centered Environment Method (CCEM). “They show that families with children remain one of the most influential groups in the U.S. consumer economy.”

Put simply, purchasing decisions often depend not only on price or product range, but also on how well a space takes into account the real behavior of children and parents.

An Expert in Integrating Children into Business Spaces

Kateryna Hilevska graduated from Hryhorii Skovoroda Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi State Pedagogical University with degrees in two fields: Mathematics Teaching and Educational Institution Management. The combination of these two areas became the foundation for her further work in systems analysis, pedagogical design, and the development of child-centered models of interaction in business.

At different stages of her professional career, Kateryna held positions related to managing complex service systems. She headed the creative department of the Pronto Pizza & Sushi restaurant chain and also served as Operations Director of the Dribnota educational space, the Tatariv Deluxe hotel and recreation complex, and Dytyacha Respublika Deluxe.

During her tenure at major hospitality and educational projects such as Tatariv Deluxe and Dribnota, Hilevska implemented CCEM-based space audits to optimize operational environments, resulting in measurable improvements in consumer retention and reduced operational friction.

Ms. Hilevska’s professional background also includes serving as a jury member at UAtech and authoring several peer-reviewed papers published in professional economic journals. Furthermore, her CCEM framework has been officially recognized, copyrighted, and published as a comprehensive operational manual by the Gutenberg publishing house.

A Typical Mistake in Creating Child-Centered Environments

“In my practice, I often see one typical mistake,” says the Expert in Human-Centered Business Environment Systems. “Businesses perceive the child as an additional visitor, rather than as a direct participant in the customer experience.”

Kateryna explains that parents will never consider a space comfortable if their child feels uncomfortable there: “They will leave sooner, postpone a purchase, avoid a repeat visit, and, worst of all, choose a competitor who, unlike you, has managed to organize a more convenient experience.”

The Main Goal of a Child-Friendly Approach

When we ask Ms. Hilevska what the economic value of a child-friendly approach consists of, the first thing she says is: “Definitely not decoration.”

The expert is convinced that in the real customer experience, it is the details that determine whether a family will return: “How wide are the aisles in your space? Can a stroller pass through them? Is there a place to park that stroller? How safe is your business for a child? Has the acoustics of the space been thought through?”

In reality, there are many such questions. To some, they may seem like minor details, but according to Kateryna Hilevska, it is precisely these details that shape the customer experience of families.

The First Step Is a Space Audit

At the same time, says the practicing educator, businesses must understand that a child-friendly space should be logical and well thought out, not chaotic.

“I mean fully integrating children into the space, rather than creating a separate island called a ‘children’s area.’ That is why economically effective solutions should begin not with furniture, but with a deep audit of the space from a child’s perspective.”

The Child-Centered Environment Method (CCEM) is based on existing scientific approaches collected and structured by Kateryna, which the author of the framework skillfully adapts to commercial reality. Kateryna’s approach explains how the space, processes, and rules of a specific business influence the behavior of young customers, their emotional state, concentration, safety, and socialization.

“Businesses already influence children,” Ms. Hilevska emphasizes, “just unconsciously.”

The scientifically grounded CCEM approach allows businesses to recognize this influence and make it responsible and safe.

“Child-friendly commercial spaces are not a social concession to families. They are a powerful economic tool, and mastering it determines whether families become your loyal customers or remain one-time buyers,” notes Hilevska. Kateryna Hilevska has dedicated her work to transforming family visits from a logistical challenge into a predictable, comfortable, and profitable experience. As businesses continue to compete for the lucrative family demographic, methodologies like Hilevska’s CCEM are transitioning from niche design concepts into essential economic strategies for commercial spaces.