We intended to start our journey with BH in September of 2020 but the pandemic happened and we held…read moreoff for a few more months just to see how everything settled as daycare facilities started to open back up after the shut-down.
We ended up starting our son when he was 10.5 months old in the infant room. As much as a new parent worries about their child, I really felt so comfortable knowing how safe and happy he was there. Every day, the app was updated with details on his feedings, sleep, diapers, activities, and even pictures of everything he was doing that day (which went a long way since parents are not allowed inside at this time for health and safety measures). I genuinely trust all the teachers to keep him safe, enrich his learning, and have fun doing it. I get regular check-ins with the teachers and the staff about his progress (which has been really incredible - I'm almost upset we didn't start sooner!).
When we transitioned him to the 1 yr old classroom, the infant teacher, the toddler teacher, AND the director of the center all met with us (virtually bc of Covid) to help us make a smooth transfer from one space to the next (which is kind of a big deal bc kids take naps on cots, they all keep the same schedule, there's different toys and activities, etc). I was so pleased with how much attention is given to my son and his learning and growth. He's in a class with 8 total students now and 2-3 teachers at any given time. Every day the teachers plan different activities for students' development - like yoga, art, songs, literacy, science, and probably more that I'm forgetting! The teachers put in daily notes to us, letting us know if we need to bring more diapers or if someone had a little too much fun with the apple butter that it required a shirt change (haha!) - so we always feel in the loop even though we can't physically go into the center at this time.
Also, I want to just mention their health and safety protocols bc it's so important and they do an absolutely phenomenal job with this for a few reasons:
1. They have a very efficient process utilizing their app to do the covid screening (do you have a fever, cough, have you travelled, etc) before you enter the facility
2. There's always a warm and happy greeter at the door (in head to toe PPE) who checks the screening form, then takes the temperature of both the child and the parent before the child is allowed entry
3. All the staff wear masks (seen in all the photos posted in the app too!) and takes health and safety very seriously
4. If there are any health (non-Covid) issues (like a scratch or head bump), they immediately call you to inform you of the incident (they always preface the call with "he is okay, but..." which I appreciate so I don't freak out) and then they present a report detailing the incident at pickup so everyone has a clear record.
We really couldn't be happier having sent our son here - he has learned how to nap better, weaned off bottles way easier, learned all kinds of new skills, made friends and so much more all because of the wonderful teachers and staff at Bright Horizons! We thank you so much!