Bright Horizons-recommend?

[alibama]

Hi all-

Apparently I’m late to the game in trying to find infant care for August, 2013. The only place I’ve found availability so far is Bright Horizons. I don’t love the idea of paying $2k per month for daycare, but will if it’s amazing. Any feedback on Bright Horizons?

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[was]

My son was there until he started K this fall. It was an amazing experience for him. No direct experience with the younger kids rooms, but the teachers all knew all the kids no matter what class they were in and they all seemed to enjoy their jobs. I was very impressed wih my sons teachers and felt he had an amazing experience there that really kept him engaged and excited about showing up each day.

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[PLS]

I second the recommendation. The staff is good, the facilities are clean and still relatively new and the other families are nice. Our teachers were very nice and really took good care of the kids. We always knew they were safe, having fun and learning. They have daily newsletters with pictures to keep you informed and do a good job running the place.

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[jtm]

Definitely overpriced. Keep looking around. There are some amazing in-home daycares in West Seattle. You really aren’t late in the game (and it definitely is a game) – you just need to be persistent and eventually someone will call you back!

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[kayo]

I agree it is overpriced, although I have heard very good. There are some excellent in homes around though which are quite a bit cheaper. Do you have an employee assistance program (EAP) at work? They did the search for me at my last job which was great because I did not have to spend as much time making all the calls. Childcare resources can also help, although you are probably already using them? They are a great resource to help find licensed childcare. I also think a nanny share situation, particularly for a baby, is a great way to go. Trust me when I say that your child’s immune system will get a “great” education in group care. This works out down the road (my daughter is healthy as a horse now), but was a nightmare when she was a baby in group care. Having a nanny can reduce that issue and certainly help you miss less work due to kid being sick. Good luck. You will find something great. You are starting way earlier than I did.

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[skeeter]

We’ve been through the whole daycare waiting list fiasco. I’ve never really understood it. If there is a two year waiting list for infant care, even if you sign up the day you get pregnant, by the time your name gets called, your child is no longer an infant. So how does anyone actually get into the infant room? I don’t get it.

These wait lists are a joke. Parents sign up on six lists. But they only need one daycare, so their name comes off 5 of those lists eventually.

We looked at Bright Horizons. But it is unaffordable on our income. We found another nice daycare in sodo (near my wife’s office) that charges about half that. The facility is clean. The kids are well fed. The teachers do a nice job. Our daughter (almost two) has been there since infant and likes it just fine. We’re happy. Keep shopping, you’ll find something more affordable that will meet your needs.

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[ericak]

I can’t say enough great things about Bright Horizons in West Seattle. We have had our infant at BH for about a month now and just love it. Teachers and staff are amazing! Price is high, but I know our little one is in good hands, gets great care and is learning sooo much. We looked at so many places and it really came down to convenience of location, communication with the staff, cleanliness of the facility, and curriculum. I never would have imagined curriculum for an infant would be so important – but I am so impressed with his learning on a daily basis – sensory skills, movement, etc.

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[Cosmo22]

We got on the wait list at BH in West Seattle before they even opened when I was 3 months pregnant and we still have not heard back from them. My child is now 14 months old. To be fair, I have not followed up either because we found a place that works better for us, but for as high as the wait list/registration fee is and for the kind of monthly fees they charge it would have been nice to get a follow up around our desired start date, even if just to tell us that we are still on the wait list. I do recall them having a very good curriculum, great teachers, the facility was new and the location is very convenient for those commuting in and out of West Seattle across the bridge. The monthly fee, however, for infants is very expensive (downtown Seattle prices) and they do not give any discounts if you end up having two kids attending the same facility. We have also been on 6 other wait lists across West Seattle and Seattle for 20 months now and have yet to get into any of them. We did not look at in home daycares, just larger facilities.

Luckily for us we found EuropaKids in West Seattle/Burien and we love it. Our 14 month old started attending EuropaKids when they opened their new larger location in July 2012 and he is thriving there. It is a language immersion daycare/preschool (Spanish/Chinese/German) with loving teachers, clean facilities and as a parent I can say that when I drop him off and drive away in the morning I feel comfortable and confident that my child is in good hands and will have a fun filled day. I have even dropped in unexpectedly a few times and everything is always as it should be. Peace of mind for a parent is priceless, but fortunately for us their monthly fees are reasonable as far as daycare fees go in the area. Big rave for EuropKids, but I am sure that BH would also be a wonderful option. Best of luck!

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