Aveanna Healthcare Holdings (NASDAQ: AVAH) is strengthening its pediatric residence care technique and geographic place with the deliberate acquisition of Household First Homecare – and is now increasing its residence care enterprise.

The $175.5 million Household First Homecare deal, payable with a mixture of money and current short-term borrowings on credit score services, is predicted to shut within the second quarter of 2026, in keeping with the corporate’s fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings name on Thursday.

“This acquisition helps us full areas of Florida the place we had been geographically missing,” Aveanna CEO Jeff Shaner stated on the decision. “It permits us to successfully serve each county within the state of Florida. And once more, our payer companions are extraordinarily supportive of our progress.”

Household First Homecare operates 27 places in Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Texas, and is presently launching in North Carolina. The deal expands Aveanna’s footprint in Florida, permitting it to cowl almost each county within the state, in keeping with Shaner’s aim of “densifying” the geography. In response to Aveanna, it additionally strengthens its place with healthcare payers in Florida. The mixing course of will probably take about six months, Shaner stated.

Based in 2012, Household First Homecare obtained a strategic minority funding from Trivest Companions in 2021.

The deal follows Shaner’s plans to execute extra offers, such because the $75 million acquisition of Thrive Expert Pediatric Care in April 2025.

“We proceed to deal with the expansion of youngsters, adults and seniors within the residence,” Shaner beforehand advised House Well being Care Information. “We are going to proceed to lean on the companions who’ve labored with us over time. As we have heard, state governments are being slightly extra stringent on their budgets. We’ll be reaching out to them in additional depth about how we may also help deal with their points and clear up their issues.”

Aveanna reported fourth-quarter income of $662.5 million, up 27.4% year-over-year, and full-year income of roughly $2.433 billion, up 20.2% year-over-year. Full 12 months 2025 adjusted EBITDA was $320.8 million, up 74.8% from the identical interval final 12 months.

The corporate expects a extra normalized progress price in 2026, with natural progress between 5% and seven%.

Underscoring the corporate’s dedication to rising its residence care and hospice companies by means of “artistic M&A,” Shaner stated Aveanna will probably return to residence care-focused progress by means of de novo and transitional M&A.

As Aveanna expands its footprint, it is usually prioritizing its most well-liked payer technique, leveraging this technique to spend money on caregiver wages and recruitment efforts.

In 2026, the corporate plans so as to add eight further most well-liked payer agreements, with the aim of reaching 38 most well-liked payers by the top of the 12 months.