Bright Horizons Feedback- which centers are best?

[Anonymous]

Interested in Innovation Station in Old Town, Crystal City Children's Center and Department of Energy Child Care a Center. I'm current,y on the wait list for all three. Any chance if getting my infant off the wait list? Both my husband and I are federal employees though not employees of the agencies affiliated with these centers. The centers seem very responsive to my questions and inquiries. What is infant care like? How was the wait list process? How long did you wait to get a slot?

If you in another Bright Horizon center in DC, what do you like or dislike about the center? What is the reputation? Which ones receive the highest feedback and are considered the best by parents? Any I should be looking into? I work in DC near Smithsonian and my husband works near Chinatown. Both of us are federal employees. We live in Old Town. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

We've been at the DOE bright horizons for almost 2 years (infants and toddlers). We've been very pleased with our experience.

DH and I are both feds, but neither of us are an employee of DOE. We got a slot in the infant room after about a year on the wait list. There are many other non-DOE families in the center as well, although most (if not all?) have at least one parent who is employed by the federal government.

We have adored the teachers that our child has had. Infant care was good -- teachers were very affectionate, and I saw lots of cuddling and teachers playing with the babies. Toddler room has also been great -- our child is learning a lot, loves going to school, and loves the teachers.

We are just now getting a new director, although she has been with Bright Horizons at other centers for some time. I haven't had much interaction with her yet though. The Assistant Director is wonderful and very responsive.

One thing I love about our center is that it is on the small side, so all the teachers and staff seem to know virtually all the kids (and vice versa).

[Anonymous]

Been at BH in OT (Innovation Station) for 3+ years (have 2 kids) and have been really happy with the teachers, staff and how much our kids have learned. I'm a fed too but not affiliated with USPTO. Took us 16 months to get off the wait list. We've looked at other BHs and got into a few after we had already started (FDIC, for example, would be much more convenient for us), but we can bring ourselves to leave Innovation Station because we like it so much.

The one thing we really like is that Innovation Station has a great outside playground AND an huge multipurpose room for indoor playing, book fairs and events. The other BHs we visited did not have a big multipurpose room, which is important for bad weather days (like today!).

[Anonymous]

You could look at BH at East End - long waitlist, but it's near Chinatown - it's at 901 NY Avenue, NW, near the convention center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could look at BH at East End - long waitlist, but it's near Chinatown - it's at 901 NY Avenue, NW, near the convention center.

BH East End is about to become the new Covington Kids this fall. I have some friends who are at Covington and have children at the current Covington Kids -- the families are being told that all the community families at the current Covington Kids will have to find new daycare once the center moves because the center will only be big enough to accommodate Covington families.

For what its worth, I have two friends who have children at the Crystal City BH -- both of their kids have been there since infants (now toddlers and preschool, respectively). They have had a few relatively minor complaints (e.g. one mom didn't like that the teachers who were in the infant room at pickup were floaters, so weren't able to answer her questions about her child's day) but overall seem to like it and say that the teachers are great.

[Anonymous]

We love BH innovation station, but it is really hard to get in. I'm a PTO employee and we still didn't get in until DD was 7 months (because of all of the siblings). It is a wonderful center, though. No complaints!

[Anonymous]

You probably mis-typed, but Bright Horizons Crystal City and Crystal City Children's Center are different daycare centers. The first is at Crystal Drive and 24th St S-ish; the second is at S. Glebe and Route 1 (and not affiliated with Bright Horizons).