It is a matter of time when this place will get closed. It is already half empty because of poor qualification and no idea how to work with the kids. BH is simply collecting the tuition. Do not traumatize your kids; we stayed there for almost 2 months and we are happy we are out from this place.I do not recommend! read more

ALERT: children with allergies are NOT SAFE at this school. Period. This school was absolutely horrible for our family, the most terrifying experience we've ever had. Our 2 year old son went here for the shortest period of time, he was so excited to go to school and get the chance to socialize and was heartbroken to have to stop, but his safety was at risk daily and we had to make the decision to pull him from the school. This school claims to employ strict food allergy procedures to avoid any incidences like ours, however our son suffered anaphylactic reactions at this school that landed him in the ER twice. He was supposedly given his "red placemat with his photo and his allergies listed on it", but then was given food he was explicitly allergic to (the first time was scrambled eggs, the second was milk). The first time it happened, they called us to say he wasn't acting like himself after breakfast and had ABSOLUTELY NO recognition that it could have been an allergic reaction. I had to ask what he ate and remind them he was allergic to eggs before they acted. We had to come in and give him his epi pen, then take him to the ER because his lips were blue and he was covered in a full body rash when we got there. They had no idea. We took some time off from the school, the regional director reached out to us insisting that we meet with her to discuss the situation, and we were reassured that it would NEVER happen again. Against our better judgement, we decided to bring him back because he loved playing with his classmates and we didn't want to take that from him. Only about a month after returning to the school, they did it again. They gave him milk in his cereal, he threw up and immediately developed a rash. The school administrator called me and said "well, we have a little emergency (laughs) well...I wouldn't really call it an emergency haha!". I asked if he threw up and she said yes, so I told her it was an emergency and he was once again experiencing anaphylaxis at the hands of this school. They gave us no details of how it happened. Wouldn't tell us how it could have happened with their "strict procedures" in place or even how much he had consumed because it was "an ongoing investigation". I told them we would absolutely not be coming back, they had harmed my child for the last time. No one ever reached out to us to apologize or follow up. They never paid our ER bills, and when they "prorated" our tuition we actually ended up owing them more and they just said "that's how the system works". Your allergy children are not safe at this school, do not waste your time and money putting your child at risk here read more

This was a good center when it all started. The BH@Evanston started off very nicely in the beginning (2012 - 2015) with some very loving and qualified teachers and good management. Good toys, nice facility. Slowly over the years the quality care has gone down both in terms of qualified teachers as well as the facility. This is a MEGA center of BH as it has more than 280 children in all. The teachers quit too often as they are given too much to handle without being given adequate training. My second child during his Preschool here had 5 different teachers in a span of 1 year before I changed his school. 3 Directors had changed in the same period. And they kept increasing their tuition fees and decreasing the care. The parent company along with the present Director treats the school like a corporate game and chooses profitability over quality care. read more

I agree with a previous reviewer. My employer has a preferential relationship with them. We toured, met with them, applied 6 months before we would be wanting childcare and heard NOTHING from them. We asked multiple times "where are we on the waitlist?" No answer. Left two messages with the assistant at the desk- never got a call back from the director until I complained to their corporate 800 number. Even then she called DAYS after I placed that call. All the while, I keep getting spam emails inviting me to 'enroll my child.' Evanston folk- go to McGaw. Those folks answer the phone and answer your questions. Frankly, their lack of attention to parent inquiries leaves me concerned about the quality of care they would extend to my child. read more

So, wait...these guys do not respond to an inquiry about daycare, despite the fact that my employer indicates that they have a preferential relationship with them. However, they have the time to put my e-mail address in their sorry spammy e-mail list. Good job all around! read more

Our experience at Bright Horizons has been excellent. We moved to US from another country in summer of 2015 and my wife had a job in downtown Evanston. Her company had preferential tie up with Bright Horizons and we enrolled for the maximum (9 hrs a day plan). There was a tour before we enrolled and we were impressed with the professionalism. However, the real wow factor lies in the quality of their teaching personnel. Our son started at Young preschool program and the two teachers were exceptionally good at handling toddlers. They inculcate confidence and learning in a fun environment. As he turned three and moved to pre-school section, the learning methods were attuned to be slightly more regimented, while still giving each kid freedom to explore their individual likes. The pre school teachers were also excellent. They were great with kids, equipped with experience and teaching skill. We owe a lot to the day care for confidence and cognitive development for our son. read more

The worse customer service ever....they put you on hold for the longest times and then it hangs up and blame the customer

The child care for the infant is tremendous. I really appreciate what Diane Williams has been able to do with my child .I feel she is the best of what Bright Horizons has to offer .Her patience is second to none overall I feel the administration has work to do I have noticed employee turnover at an alarming rate unsure of what's going on and I'm trying to decide what the future holds for my child. Absolutely love the infant teachers and if I continue using Bright Horizons she will definitely be the reason my child stays. read more

I'm writing this review several years after my kid left the center, and I really hope it could provide some value for other new parents like us. Both my husband and I work in academics, so we move a lot. Before my daughter even reached the age of four, we have lived in four cities already (San Francisco, Evanston, Boston, Seattle. Yes! That's what I mean by "moving a lot"). We have toured numerous childcare centers, and my daughter had spent more than 3 months in at least four of them. We've been to Bright Horizons, university affiliated childcare centers (two US top 10 universities), and family-operated ones. I believe that after all these years of experience, I do have the right to say something. First, the pros. Bright Horizons centers always have the best facilities. They have the best toys, the best playground, and even the newest glider bassinet in the infant classroom. Everything in the classroom is new and well-designed. The problem is, their teachers are not so loving as others. They are all well qualified. When my daughter was there, one of her teachers had an MA in child psychology and two had BAs. This is just for the infant class. This kind of credential is good for any other center if not better. But the problem is, I think, the company operates on a national level and it focuses too much on controlling cost. The teacher-student ratio is always at the lowest level that is legally allowed in the state (1-4 in Illinois), and the teachers are easily worn out. When they get tired, their patience decreases and they tend to do only the thing that parents can check on (like changing a diaper or posing for a daily page) but leave out the things that parents cannot check (like singing to a baby or interacting with the kids in general). I came to the center at noon to feed my baby every day, and I noticed that the teachers rarely talked to the kids (they sometimes did it in front of me but the kids seemed uncomfortable or at least unused to it). I once came to pick up my baby and only found her standing quietly but tearfully with her head rested on a stool. She was 8 months then and only just learned to stand up but not to sit down. When she got tired standing up, she cried out for help to get down but nobody answered. So she just cried herself into silence. I was obviously heartbroken at the moment, but I hadn't read many books on child development then so I told myself this is just a usual part of growing up ---- this is NOT! If you want to encourage your child to stand up more, he/she should feel comfortable standing up. If you want your child to become independent, you should acknowledge his/her need, give him the freedom to explore but prepared to offer encouragement or help when he needs. If something appears overwhelmingly difficult, they will just give up. Leaving the babies totally on their own is not a teaching philosophy but NEGLIGENCE! I only start to know the difference after I've tried other centers. One of the centers was also operated by Bright Horizons but affiliated with a university. The university puts an extra requirement on the teacher-student ratio (1-2.5) and shares one-third of the cost. The staffs are paid much better and they have a much lower turnover rate than other Bright Horizons centers. As a result, every one of the teachers I met there was nice and loving, some more patient than others, but all sincerely care for the children. There are one or two teachers there that I sometimes overhear them singing in the playground on their own even when no kid was around. You can tell that they really enjoyed their job. That's all I want to say. Parents, you do have the right to hope for better care for your child. It doesn't really matter how fancy the toys are, but make sure that you child grow up with happy and loving people. read more

I love this center. My son has been there for 1.5 years and I can't recommend it enough. Is there turnover? Yes, but attrition happens and I personally like that my child gets to experience and meets as many great teachers as possible. I've never had a bad experience, my son is loved, cared for and taught from a wonderful curriculum that echoes my parenting style. I've had great relationships with every staff member I've come across and all have made a great impact on my child. Gina and her staff are doing great work, it's not an easy job, but it makes my life as a mom much easier knowing my son is loved and cared for everyday. read more

I have my daughter here for a year and I couldn't be happier about this place. We had Ms Wendy and Ms Tanya as her infant teacher, and Ms Anna and Ms Stephanie as her toddler teacher. They are all perfect and I couldn't ask for more. They are patient and caring, and always communicate with us whenever there was a question or updates. When I look back all the photos and videos, my heart is filled with gratitude that we were so lucky to have them for my girl in her very important first and second years. The admin and supporting teachers are very helpful as well. I like the open door policy and the fact that I was able to come and see my baby anytime I want. Now it's the time that we move to another bright horizon which is much closer, but when I looked at my girl playing outside with her classmates and teachers from my office, I can tell how much she loves her teachers. It's sad that we have to move, and we will always remember and be thankful for everything evanston BH did for my girl. read more

This place has the worst customer service they do not communciate pam practice a script and used it to her advantage they dont answer emails .they charge so much money but cant fix a bottle one of the girls so stupid told me they offer tap water to there infants.i would not recommend this center to anyone .they took my enrollment fee and i did not have a proper sit down interview im read more