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imacnuk
07-14-2004, 05:21 PM
Hi.

Hello everyone. I need your help. I am going to be returning to work pretty soon and was wondering if anyone had any experience with daycare centers run by Bright Horizons. My husband and I work for the govt and there is a childcare facility in both of our offices.

Mine is NAEYC certified while hubby's is brand new--but no certification. Hubby's center is run by Bright Horizions. Their ratio is 1:4 for babies under 12 mths. (Our daughter will be about 6 mth when she enters day care.) At hubby's place there are 3 classrooms for children under 12 mths--each classroom holds 8 babies. My center only has space for 6 babies total. While the newness factor of hubby's center is appealing, I would be able to see baby all the time at my place.

I am very concerned about the lack of certification and the ratio at hubby's center (the center in my office is 1 to 3 and is NAEYC certified). Is the ratio difference all that great? I am also concerned about the developmental/educational programs offered by Bright Horizons. Does anyone know if they are any good and the quality of care provided?

Thanks in advnace any information is GREATLY appreciated..
Regards--
Shoshanna

LBW
07-29-2004, 12:30 PM
I used a Bright Horizons center for my son from 4 months until he was a year. I loved it -- mostly because of the staff. The infant rooms were staffed by older women who had worked in the center forever. It was like having extra grandmas to care for him. The educational philosophy won't really matter for a while. I think BH has a decent corporate philosophy, but the execution greatly depends on the center. Each one is VERY different.

There are several other Bright Horizons in my area and I checked them all out when I was initially looking for DC and also when we moved and had to find another center at 12 months. They are all very different. I was told to avoid one because the turnover rate for staff was very high. You should ask about staff turnover when you visit the centers. If people don't want to work there then you don't want your child there.

I'd suggest going with your gut feelings -- sounds like you'd prefer the one in your office. New isn't always better. In a new center the staff don't know each other and there will be a lot of kinks to work out. Older facilities may not look as nice, but the fact that the teachers, administrators, and some of the families have been around for a while means a lot.

Regarding your question about ratios -- I think it means a lot when they are infants. There's a huge difference between caring for 3 and caring for 4. As for certification, I thought it was important, but not a deciding factor. In the end the two centers I've used have both had NAEYC certification, but I chose them for other reasons. The certification is just an added benefit.

Hope this helps!