I want to start this off that Starbright is 10/10. The center is extremely well organized and the amount of effort put by the teachers that I had interactions with were just splendid. The boss babe, Jen, she listened and took action anytime it was needed and did her best to make your requests made- EVEN THROUGH the hardest times of the pandemic. I was so sad to pull my son out of after only being there for 6 months because I REALLY loved how they loved and cared for my son. But he started to feel unsafe and would cry and fight going. When I asked why, he would tell me the name of one teacher who just made him feel unsafe. I came to learn that anytime my son had to be around Ms. Nevi that he would do what he could to leave the immediate area. I also noticed little things that she would say or do didn't always add up. I cherish the memories we have from Starbright and was really looking forward to my second baby going there- but I couldn't continue to keep my son in a place with a teacher that he would scream in discomfort about. read more

Our little girl spent around six wonderful years at Starbright, starting at just one year old and participating in the summer program while it lasted. Even though she has been away for two years now, she often reminisces about the delicious lunches and the fun experiences she had there. One of the things we appreciated most was the low staff turnover; as she progressed through different classes, we were always greeted by familiar faces. The amazing director, Jen, was incredibly supportive and communicative, which eased any concerns we had as parents. Each teacher we encountered was kind, patient, and truly exceptional. We always looked forward to drop-off and pick-up times because the atmosphere was so warm and inviting. The gentle parenting sessions they offered laid a strong foundation for us at home and were also reflected in the classroom. Overall, every element of the program was thoughtfully designed and incredibly beneficial. We have recommended Starbright to friends over the years, and one of them is still enrolled! If we were to have more children, we would enroll them at Starbright without hesitation. We miss it so very much! read more

The staff are very friendly and great with our son. I feel very good about having him at Starbright. He's been enrolled here since he was 4 1/2 months old, and he's just turned two this month. He loves going to school there and seeing his "friends." The class rooms are set by age, and have specific outcomes for the children in them. Each week has activities and lessons the kids work through from infants to older children. The teachers in the respective classes have always been very welcoming and supportive of each of the children they have. The administrative staff, Jen and Candice, are very knowledgeable about child development and are wonderful with the kids. I recommend Starbright! read more

We absolutely love Starbright, and so does our son! He's been going to Starbright for over a year and a half now, and I coudln't be any happier. The teachers truely love what they do, and care more for the kiddos than I could ever imagine. Starbright introduces a solid routine that we swear by. Our son is far more vocal and self sufficient than many of the littles his age usually are. He's kinder than I think he would be, and is developing at such a great rate. Everyday, he comes home and has new words, and he's not even 2 yet! We love you Starbright! read more

Starbright is fantastic! My wife went to Starbright when she was very young for several years and she has turned into the most amazing beautiful woman. She is now studying for her post-masters education and speaking at international conventions with the Society of Forestry. Dr. Kim Borgatta ran the Early Learning Center then and she is still there now. When I drive past I'm just thankful for people like her who care so much for the development of our children. When we have children they're going to Starbright! Addendum: This review is a legitimate review and was flagged by a terrible person who flagged all 17 legitimate positive reviews, thus filtering them, and then left a negative review, lying that she and her son were a customer, when they are truly not and have no direct experience with Starbright. Please unfilter the 17 reviews that were all filtered because of this one terrible person on July 11th. read more

Both of my children attend Starbright Early Learning Center. My oldest is almost 4 years old, while my youngest is 1 years old. They both have started at Starbright once my maternity leaves ended. My children LOVE going to "school". They enjoy the activities and additional classes that are provided, such as Spanish, Music, and Dance. Academically, Starbright is strong. My older child comes home having learned new social skills and facts about plants, Earth, cultures, etc. He was also introduced to phonetics and alphabet skills at an early preschool age and has strong skills in that department now. My younger child learns self-help skills such as putting on her own clothes and feeding herself. Most importantly, I feel safe with my children attending Starbright. When you walk into the locked door, every staff member knows my children's names, and greets us warmly. The teachers obviously care about my kids and take the time to get to know each individual personality. Staff have been able to detect an oncoming illness before I have because they take the time to pay close attention to my children's cues. read more

We have been sending our son to Starbright for a few months now. First it was just 3 days a week and now it's 5 days a week. To say we are happy with him here is an understatement. We love his teachers, the attention to detail that the staff provides, and the daily reports we get. We also chose this location because there is security protocols in place (you can't just walk into the facility and grab a kid). Our son has friends here now and adores his teachers. We also take advantage of the "parents night out" which is good for our sanity as well. read more

I worked at Starbright for several years before moving from WA state to DC. I can testify that the teachers there receive a phenomenal amount of training and attention so that the highest standards of childcare are consistently upheld. The leadership team, Kim and Jen, are dedicated to bringing on only the best teachers, and then they work with them regularly to ensure continued professional development. Their efforts are fundamental to Starbright's success at creating an environment that is both safe and fun for learning. I'm moving back to Washington next year, because my husband and I are starting a family soon (yay!). We can't wait, and there's no stress about what school we will pick for our baby. I will enroll my child at Starbright because I am 100% confident she or he will be safe and happy and supported to grow there. Note: When you have a great experience with a business, it's worth it (in my opinion), to sign up for YELP to post some positive comments. The thing is, YELP's filter system prefers to show (and thus value) comments from more established users, the ones with more than one review or who have been reviewing for awhile. While I understand that they are attempting to keep content authentic, they are really just biasing their information to reward people that are always on their site. The negative effect is that someone like the recent disgruntled reviewer gets a voice and the dozen+ other reviewers who gave Starbright five stars do not. Why were they filtered? Because they likely signed up in order to give positive feedback to a business they really want to support (but then didn't submit any other reviews). Tripadvisor does not filter like this, and neither does Google Reviews. So, this is why I have not used YELP before. Regardless, now I have joined, and I will contribute. I just want everyone to be aware of YELP's filtration approach and the subsequent adverse effects. read more

Over the past 5 years, our daughter has attended Starbright's preschool, pre-K, kindergarten, and two summer school programs. Academically, the school is a notch above. The results really exceeded our expectations. She learned the alphabet and knows each letter's sound. She knows how to count to one hundred. And I'm guessing she'll be more confident and she'll be a leader when she enters the first grade. She's also comfortable speaking in front of the class. The teaching philosophy is based on positive reinforcement. For example, they don't say, "No, don't put your fork on the table." Instead, they say, "Please put your fork on the place mat when you're done eating instead of on the table." That way the child knows what to do. They also praise the child as much as possible to reward good behavior, such as: "I like the way you hung up your coat." They teach this in a class called, "Shaping Behavior" that includes parents so we can practice it at home. I like most of the teachers. They really care about the children. When we moved to another house our daughter was very anxious and had trouble adjusting. Her teacher was excellent in reinforcing all the positives of the move, such as her new bedroom, and making her "teacher's helper" to take her mind off the transition. The lead teachers have degrees in early education. The assistant teachers don't all have a degree and some may not even be working on it, so that's the one thing I'm not as happy with. read more

I feel it necessary to again correct the assumptions made by the director of this school. It was over 5 years ago that I had my child attempted a day at this school. I have not taken this personally. I have stated facts and have the documentation to back them up. I am uncertain how I was combative when my only interaction with the director (other than when I dropped him off), was over the phone, and if trying to point out misconceptions to someone who has know my son for less than 2 hours is rude, then I guess I am. Again, anyone who wants to see the email exchange, I can forward it to you as proof. The director at Starbright was told about the situation with my son. She was told not only about his physical deformities, but also about his tantrums. At the time she stated they could handle it. She commented that my son was too traumatized. That is true. He was traumatized by the lack of direction at the previous day care and further harmed by being kicked out of this school. (The first day there he made the teachers cry when he asked if he was going to be kicked out. ) My son's issues were serious yes, however, having known my child I knew that his tantrums had only been happening the last week, and were an exception to his behavior. Starbright's director wouldn't listen to this and didn't care. Let me set the record straight to say that my son, has received NO special help that this director seemed to think was required immediately. He went to another childcare center and in less than 1 week had stopped the tantrums. The other center provided a caring but firm direction for him. They took the time to help. Since that time he has an occasional time of not listening, (as every other child there has done), but none of the throwing things he used to. This is just what I would expect from a quality childcare center. . My son started 4th grade today. He is top of his class in academics, and has no need for all the professional help Starbrights director recommended. Please look at reviews from other sites. There are other complaints. Especially in regards to younger children. I am happy my son is is not at this school. His current center is great. They took the time to understand the situation and helped work with me to resolve it. All the director at Starbright did was kick him out after two hours, personally attack me to my husband and make statement about me and my family without even taking the time to know us. This director complained that while in her office my child (4 yo at the time) would not stop talking. Instead of taking the time to talk with him to explain what he was doing was wrong, she expected him to sit there quietly. She commented to me that she was trying to do her work and he wouldn't " Shut up". I was shocked to hear this from a 'professional' childcare. I have my personal opinion of her, but feel it inappropriate to voice them in such a public forum. I have stated facts, and have her own written words to back it up. Starbright's director was right about one thing. It was a great decision for my son to not be at her school. I have found a better one for him to be at. And am grateful that we found this out so early in his stay there. This reduced the amount of trauma for my child and allowed us to all move on. Please consider another center! Your kids deserve better. In regards to the directors comments. I simply asked her how after two hours she was an expert on my son. We did not have to go any special 'help' that she recommended. All we needed was a quality day care that actually spent time paying attention to the kids and had them follow the rules. read more

We have been going here for almost 5 years now. We have two toddlers and both started coming here full time since the first day the daycare would take them as babies. We had a foster child before that that we sent here. We have been full time the entire time. We have been in several classrooms as the kids have moved up and had several teachers. I have never seen any teachers being mean or anything negative being displayed towards the children. Some teachers are nicer than others and frankly, after ten minutes with these little monsters running around I would probably be curled up in the corner crying with my thumb in my mouth. Any concerns we have had over the years have been minor. My only experience with other daycares has been three other daycares about 12 years ago when our young son was left at school and the daycare didn't know where he was and forgot to pick him up. We removed him immediately. The other daycare was just dirty and the teachers didn't seem to care at all about the kids. And the other daycare was basically just a big room where the kids were watched but there didn't seem to be a lot of interaction. At Starbright you get daily sheets of when the kids went the bathroom, how their mood was, how long they slept and other notes about what they did or if they need diapers or wipes or clothing. As the kids get older the information relayed to the parents on a daily basis becomes less as it should be. There are parent teacher conferences and the kids are evaluated and scored based on their milestones they achieve so you know how your child is doing compared to other children. The kids take naps during the day where they turn off the lights, play relaxing music and the kids sleep in their own little space. They also get outside time to play on the play equipment in a fenced in area. Dr. Kim Borgatta always has an open door when I have to ask questions and she has been nothing but nice to us despite some things written on another review here. They learn some Spanish, have a guy come in that plays music, sing songs, read books to the kids, do arts and crafts, teach them things, help potty train them, etc. They get breakfast, lunch, and snacks. The older toddlers just went to the pumpkin patch as a field trip. They don't just watch your kids to make sure they are safe. They interact with them and help them learn. And that has been my big thing when I have pushed to have our kids here. My wife has, at times, suggested other daycare places that were home based but I am dead set against it. I like the larger atmosphere with many teachers around where I know my children are not just being watched. And frankly there have been many stories of home based daycares where the owners neglect the kids and sometimes criminally. I am not worried about that happening here with so many people around. The only things I don't care for are the days that the daycare is closed. There is a week at Christmas where they are closed but you still have to pay for the week and there are also several other holidays that maybe the federal government gets off but most people, like me, still have to work. So on those days my wife or I have to use our vacation benefits to stay home with the kids. We could get a babysitter for those times but it is difficult to find somebody that we trust for such an intermittent time period. I am sure there are parents here that have a much more difficult time dealing with the days off than we do though. I don't really have any complaints about the place. I recommend that if you are the least bit interested then at least give it a shot. read more

Very happy with my decision to send my daughter here. She attended for two years before kindergarten started and she learned many social skills and had so much fun. read more

I have been at Starbright for over two years now and the experience has been fabulous! Everyone at the center is friendly, warm, and inviting. All of the staff know my child's name as well as mine. I would recommend them in a heart beat. read more

I would HIGHLY recommend Starbright to anyone. My son went there for almost 2 years and sadly we moved and had to change schools. My son still ask to go back to his "old school". Sarah and Alicia alway greeted him in the morning and made us feel at ease. One of the best preschools hands down! read more

So grateful to have found Starbright Early Learning Center for my children! This is a professionally run care facility that gets it. Their rates are competitive and their services have been excellent for our family. As a full-time working Mom, it's a blessing to know my children are in the hands of caring professionals, and I truly appreciate the level of care that is provided. They recognize the need for a creative atmosphere with an array of activities. In addition to providing nutritious meals, they provide positive discipline to help children develop self-control and respect for self and others while maintaining good self-esteem. Most importantly, my children genuinely enjoy their time spent at Starbright. The staff culture is qualified, positive, and friendly. All staff members make a point to know every child's name, even if the child is not in that particular class. Starbright has been a trusted and respected part of our family's life for five years, and I highly recommend this establishment to anyone looking for a safe, caring, and friendly environment with an emphasis on education for your child. read more

Wow, I am very surprised by the low rating from other reviewers. I visited six other preschools before placing my son at Starbright, and my experience with this place has only been a positive one. First off, this was the cleanest facility. Toys get sanitized regularly and the classroom is amazingly well organized. The teachers are very gentle to the children and yet my son has become much more disciplined. They teach good habits with consistent positive reinforcement and children respond very well. My son's teachers often made time, even if for a brief moment, to talk to me about how my son's day went which was very reassuring. I think this is an excellent place for children, and I am very happy with my choice to send the my most precious son. read more

A great place!!! Wonderful staff!!! My daughter was in the preschool class and in the 3/4 year old class before that- loved both classes. We are moving out of the area and are very sad to be leaving! read more

Starbright has made a tremendous positive impact in our children's development. We recommend it to all of our friends, family and neighbors. My husband and I are both teachers. This means we have to work full time and have a big understanding of what it takes to manage a classroom and all of the difficulties and challenges teachers and administrators can face. My husband has taught primary grades, including Kindergarten, and has experienced the aftermath of children with poor preschool or day care experiences. We have a daughter and a son. Our daughter enrolled as a 2 year old, our son enrolled at age 1. Our children will have been in every classroom except the infant room (including the 1/2 day preschool and kindergarten). Collectively our 2 children have spent nearly 9 years in this high standards program. The school is managed closely by both Dr. Kim and Miss Jenn. The staff is very professional and the communication between the teachers and parents is fantastic. This is especially important with very young, non verbal children. The youngest children come home with a daily report of how much they ate, how much they slept, what type of mood they were in, and even how many wet or soiled diapers they had. There is no guessing or wondering when you picked your kids up. Beyond that, there is monthly newsletters, updates weekly about the curriculum (yes - they have age appropriate developmental and academic curriculum at all levels), daily posts about what activities took place in each classroom and an open door policy to talk with teachers and the director any time. All staff members are well trained to be consistent between classrooms, nurturing and friendly. My kids connected with each teacher that they had. The class size ratio is fantastic. Please contact Starbright directly for more information. The classes are small and the youngest kids have 3 adults in the room most of the day. I know that other centers often have kids grouped together in wide age bands, which can lead to serious issues. Starbright has several classrooms (maybe 8). This is fantastic as kids are grouped in specific age groups. This allows the teachers to work with kids all at the same developmental level and meet their needs and teach to their exact levels. The center is spotless, beyond clean! The playground is divided into age appropriate levels and offers a lot more play space than any other center I have seen. There is weekly music and Spanish language classes. The nutrition policy is very strict and my kids LOVE the food! Miss Zoya (the cook) provides balanced, yummy meals for the children, which my kids rave about (think along the lines of a home cooked, holiday style meal, daily). All holidays are celebrated; none are excluded, which makes for an exciting, fun atmosphere. The older classes take occasional field trips. Each classroom is unique to the age/size of the students. They provide a clean, stimulating environment, full of materials, educational toys and manipulatives, a small pet (fish, hamster...), "centers," library full of books and more. I cannot emphasize enough that I know Starbright has made my children into wonderful students, citizens, healthier physically, and made my job easier. Working full time there are just not enough hours in the day. My kids learned so many important lessons from their classes at Starbright. So many developmental, self-help skills are part of the curriculum: teeth brushing, hand washing, how to eat with silverware, how to dish your own food, how to clean up after a meal, toileting, how to put on a coat without help, how to zip a coat - I was constantly amazed at the things my young children were able to do, thanks to the way these lessons were integrated into their classes each day. I am so grateful for the curriculum that Starbright has presented to both of my children. Both of my kids could read fluently before entering Kindergarten. Yes, we were reading to them at home, but, Starbright teachers were working with them from a very early age to develop number sense, phonics, pencil grip, vocabulary and more. They were beyond Kindergarten ready. It is so scary to drop your kids off with strangers. I did my homework and looked at a lot of centers. The first day I came to pick up my daughter (then age 2) she didn't want to come home with me. She had so much fun at school, she wanted to stay. It was clear to me that she had had a nurturing, positive experience. Please, don't take my word for it, you owe it to yourself, and your child to go and check out Starbright in person. read more

We love Starbright! This was our first "daycare center" experience after a couple of other Childcare arrangements. Now it's been over a year and we're very happy here. Highlights: -Caring teachers/staff (I feel like they really love my kids.) -Clean, safe, spacious classrooms -Music, dance and Spanish classes (no extra cost) -Family events (open house, ice cream socials, Halloween carnival- my kids love it!) -Parent/Teacher conferences (2x year. Helpful to know my children's areas of strengths and/or goals.) -it's independently/locally owned and Dr. Kim is often onsite. -Price. Childcare is expensive, but the rates here are very fair in comparison to other centers in the area, especially for all of the extras! My son cheers every day when we get to "school." I love the attitude that he's developed about school and learning thanks to Starbright. read more

I will start with positive. I want to be fair as much as I can. OK, the teachers are good I tell you that, they take care of the babies / toddler lots of attention and care. My son would come home clean and I can tell he is learning from school. management however is all about GREED. the things I do not like that was a major factor we decided to remove our son from this school are these: 1) Husband called to ask where our son was and the lady on the other line said she don't know and then hang up. (RUDE tone of voice) it was one of those days they have parents & teachers meeting. which btw we don't understand why it has to be twice in a month if my son or kids his age basically eats, poop, barley talk at that time. I don't see the point of meetings that frequently and pay full amount when I need to skip work or husband need to go home early from work just to get our son. I could be wrong, but as early as 18months old I don't see the importance of the meetings. 2) this franchise companies are more concerned about making monies. 3) we sent or left a letter about the incident since there was no manager at the time we removed my son's things, we never heard anything from them, not even a follow up or ask why or maybe clarify their side. which another indication they don't care since they have other clients on waiting list anyway, they can just let go or not care people like us. 4) not being flexible when it comes to holidays which is acceptable they are closed, but other schools / daycares they give "FLEX DAYS" so you can use a different day to bring your child in since you already paid for that day that happens to be hoiday. starbright don't, instead it is another way for them to take easy money. 5) I don't see the point of paying more to this school and they are not being flexible. when they close the school early for meetings I have to miss work or husband has to go home early. I mean why not do it after office hrs or after school hours.. instead of closing half day. they close the school early and still pay full price. this happens frequently it is rediculous specially my son's class infants / todllers when they don't really do much. for the older kids sure.. but infants really..? 6) with the tution includes food/snack you are still asked to bring food for the kids. which is a joke when you are already paying for it, so where is the money for the snacks ? bottom line: the quality of care and attention we thought we were paying for on this school is not worth it if they can't even tell us where our son was... they did not even bother to clarify things what happened that day who took our son, did they asked for ID.. etc luckily after leaving starbright we were able to find a quality in home daycare that gives as much attention and learning my son was getting at starbright, more one on one since it's only 4 kids at the in home preschool. more detailed and open communication between teacher and parents without ridiculous meetings. daily reports and we know the curriculum every week. on top of that it is only $500/month. and flexible with unused days. I suggest you go look somewhere else and not waste your money here unless you are one of the lucky ones who can randomly miss work for meetings or because school closes early, or NO FLEX DAYS for holidays or on days if your child get sick.. it is all more to the company's side and not really caring about families. Kudos to the teachers though, they are good! no wonder the teachers turn over is high. in a little more than 1yr I've seen teachers come and go. read more

The Starbright Early Learning Center is an excellent place to bring your child. We've had our daughter enrolled for about 5 months and are very happy with the staff in the infant room. They provide very loving care of our daughter and always accommodate our wishes. She is always in a great mood when we pick her up and we always know she has been well taken care of. The woman that started this child care center has advanced degrees in early childhood education and has put a lot of thought into the philosophy of the center. The business manager has also been great to deal with. I did a lot of research to find a child care center in the Everett area and this was the only place I felt comfortable enrolling my daughter. read more

Forever thankful for the care our son received here. Felt comfortable from day one, and really enjoyed all our interactions with staff and care providers. Highly recommend. read more

We love Starbright, our daughter included. She has been at Starbright 2 years now, and the experience has been excellent. Jen and Candice in the office are wonderful, and the teachers are great. A special shout out to our daughter's favorite teacher, Ms. Lexie! All the staff and teachers really make a point to get to know every kid and parent. They feel much more like a family atmosphere than a corporate one you may see at some of the chain schools. The outside playground the kids have is very nice, and all the rooms seem to be a good size for the amount of kids in them. Our daughter has learned a lot at Starbright, and she always has a good time at school. One of her favorite things is that special teachers come in to teach dance, music, and Spanish. To top it off, their prices are very reasonable and are cheaper than many other schools nearby. We're glad we found this school when we moved to the area. read more

Starbright ELC is a wonderful school for children. Dr. Borgatta and Administrator Jen Alaniz are wonderful and both have have so much experience and really care about the children. Both my children went there and gained so many learning tools that were retained and I couldn't be happier. The staff is is so family friendly and there is such a warm and caring atmosphere once you walk through the doors. I would recommend this school to anyone who is looking for a high-quality, caring, safe and healthy early learning center. You can even call anytime during the day to talk to you child just to see how things are going. Top of the line care. Period. Keep up the outstanding work Dr. Borgatta and Mrs. Alaniz!!! You make things better and better each day!!! read more

This early learning center is a real find. My two children have been attending since September and I couldn't be happier. The teachers have college educations in early childhood education...........some of them are working on elementary degrees. That makes a big difference in how the day goes with the kids. They are actually learning something and they love being there! There's lots of art and music and tons of learning materials and toys. They play but they are learning and having fun. The place is spic and span clean and the teachers are very nice. The director really takes an interest in the parents and we really like her. Price is pretty good. A little higher than other places, but it's definitely worth it! read more

Do not go to this place. Your child does not get taken care of here. Jennifer Taylor "Miss Jenny" does not know how to take care of children. I tried talking to her about my son and she was more concerned of her own child crying then talking to me about mine. Her child was being taken care of by someone else. I do not feel she is a good teacher. I would not recommend this place because of her. I will not say which one but another teacher there said she is a snake in the grass. Do not trust your child with her. From what I have seen I do not feel she knows what she is doing with children. read more

i used to work at starbright learning center it was what i had hoped for completely unprofessional. would grab kids and move them out the way. when a bite occurred they would tell me to write anything like fighting for a toy when that was not true. they didn't use "time out" so they put kid alone and gave them a book and used that instead. staff would favor children the ones staff didn't like as much were treated differently with not as much care as the other children staff have different attitudes toward kids they like and the ones they don't unfortunately there is a lot of corruption in this center. read more

My daughter came to Starbright over two years ago and was at a daycare where there was not much structure or engaged learning. When she first started at Starbright I was very concerned about her speaking abilities or lack thereof, that I started researching speech therapists in the area. I expressed my concerns with her teachers who then discussed it with the director. The director assessed that she was at least 18 months behind in her speech. The teachers would work daily with my daughter and the director would visit frequently to monitor her progress. I can now proudly say because of the healthy and progressive learning environment she is exposed to daily, my daughter now speaks clearly and well and is thriving in her pre-k class. I so impressed with this school (and wish I started her sooner) that I will be enrolling her in their private kindergarten class next year. Thank you to her former and current teachers, Ms. Tiffany and Ms. Becky for being a great and positive influence for my daughter. And to Ms. Jen, you are one of the biggest reasons why I stay there. You truly care about every child and always make time to talk to the parents! read more