A perfect, all 5s, rating is rare for any establishment -- especially a daycare, which is charged with our most precious valuables! However, there is a reason that the praises of this daycare/preschool cannot be sung enough! It is amazing! I'm incredibly grateful for the care that my daughter has received here.
My daughter began attending Lightbridge in April 2017, on the day that they began accepting children. My daughter was only 9 months old and I hated to leave her but work and life necessitated it. Admittedly, I was skeptical about the services at first as the center replaced another place which closed down. (They are not affiliated in any way.) However the location is ideal for commuters to NYC and I was really impressed with the full renovation and design. I loved the outdoor play/water-play area and the indoor gym. So I decided to take a chance.
I couldn't have been more pleased! The lead teacher for the infants, Mrs. Jackie was a God-send! I am not being quaint when I say that she felt like family. My daughter was able to love her like an aunt/ grandma figure. And I genuinely feel that Mrs.Jackie cared about all of the kids in her program. I appreciated the consistency of the days. There is a high turnover rate at a lot of daycares and yet, Mrs.Jackie was a constant. Kids need consistency. That was invaluable! We are expecting again soon and I have no qualms about returning to work sooner and entering my 6 week old child into Mrs.Jackie's Care.
Next, for a small fee, parents can purchase the "WatchMeGrow" Service. It is a private, secure, video feed of your child during the day. I set up the feed's app on my iPad in my office and then I can watch my daughter play and learn all day. For a working parent, it is priceless! That service alone is reason enough to join the center. Also, you can link 3-4 accounts together. My husband was deployed overseas and he too was able to watch the baby play. I feel that it helped maintain his bond with her. I definitely recommend the service!
Also, they use the Tadpoles program to track your child's day. I know exactly how much wet diapers, bowel movements, meals, fluids, and sleep my child went through in a day. However my favorite part of the app is definitely the photos! They take photos of the kids playing all day! Some of my favorite photos of my daughter were actually taken at daycare and they're professional grade. Now, not every photo is hanging-worthy but I have a way to track and remember her life experiences.
Lastly, to the most important aspect, the education. I am incredibly pleased with my daughter's vocabulary and it skill set and it all began at Lightbridge! At 20 months she speaks ~100 words and she is making phrases. She knows body parts, animals and animal sounds, nursery rhymes/songs, some colors, and some shapes. I recently had her evaluated as an admission process to a prestigious preschool and she excelled with FLYING colors. (It is trivial but she sang "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes" and sealed the deal) Also, we hadn't worked on the color "black" at home (its not one of our flash cards for some reason) but when she got in the car TODAY, she pointed at the seat and said it. She had to get that from daycare. So, I'm not guaranteeing that she will be admitted to all the Ivies but she has a good foundation so far! Then, her motor skills are also advanced! She does 'gymnastics' at another facility and her ability is clearly enhanced from playing on the equipment at Lightbridge twice a day -- and I'm being modest! In the most competitive preschool marketplace in the world, I think it is essential to start your kids off with the best possible foundation! I have found it for a reasonable price (with military discount) at Lightbridge!!! I HIGHLY recommend!
Edited add: One of the most beautiful gifts about Lightbridge is the diversity of the children. Because of the slightly restrictive price they have similar socioeconomic backgrounds. However, each race, creed, color, and ethnicity is included. My daughter's childhood best friend is of a completely different ethnicity than her and it works! In today's America and the global economy, I'm fortunate that she was exposed to diversity so early.
Cons:
- You must pay with a ACH Debit from a checking account. I wish I could use my debit card for budgeting purposes.
- The mealplan is new and I'm not too familiar with it. Most foods are provided by the parents all day. So that's an additional cost.
- You cannot leave food daily due to expiration dates etc so that means that you have to pack a bag DAILY of food/ drinks which can be cumbersome.
- Although all holidays are celebrated from around the world, there is no religious education in this curriculum. Even if every creed was included, it'd be nice to have some kind of exposure there but... nothing is perfect and I understand that it is easier for inclusion to leave it out. read more