Why is Bright Horizons so pricey?
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Anonymous
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We are in a BH center. We like it, but realized recently that a different center nearby is $1k less/month. I get that running a daycare is not cheap, but I don't really understand the price differential. So . . . why is it so much more expensive?
We'll likely stick with BH because DD has been happy there, but the cheaper center is tempting. |
Anonymous
| you just answered your own question, they are 1k more and you are still willing to pay it- it seems like they got the pricing correct |
Anonymous
| You are paying for a corporate brand name. There's a larger corporation at the top that needs to make money too. With a smaller center, the "top" is the director who runs it and the profit stream ends there. |
Anonymous
| Some centers are also subsidized especially if they are in a federal building and give preferences to employees. I remembers considering 2 different BH centers that were over $500 different. |
Anonymous
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That's like asking why some people are willing to pay $12-a-pint for Jeni's Ice Cream versus $3-a-pint for your standard Mayfield Ice Cream.
Quality. |
Anonymous
| You may have found a cheaper center but there are also more expensive centers. BH, although I have never used them, seems to be fairly typically priced |
Anonymous
Just keep telling yourself that. |
Anonymous
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You have to visit each and compare. I visited a Bright Horizons and it was the most expensive center I saw, though others were close. IMO, the more expensive centers have:
1. Nicer facilities relative to others in the same area (the BH I saw a dedicated playground for each age group) 2. NAEYC or some other type of accreditation 3. May pay their lead teachers more, though this is not a guarantee FWIW DD is actually at the least expensive center I toured, and we love it. |
Anonymous
| Bright Horizon's are typically accredited and they compensate their teachers very well. They also do not skimp on things like cleaning. The cheaper centers are often not accredited not could they be (you do have to be open for a year to seek NAEYC accrediation) and many pay their teachers minimum wage with no benefits. Also, rent in this area is a real factor in operational costs. |
Anonymous
| Accreditation is a huge expense and very time consuming. Competing centers in federal buildings likely have different rental arrangements with some agencies not charging rent as an employee benefit. |
Anonymous
No BH does not pay staff well. |
Anonymous
+1 Centers in government buildings, schools and churches often pay much less in rent |
Anonymous
Bright Horizons kept centers on task during the pandemic. But I heard nothing but misery from in-home or small daycares who suddenly disappeared into the ether because either owner/operator didn't want to risk it, or they suddenly moved, or they just couldn't afford to keep operating with the new Covid restrictions. What you're paying for with accreditation, and yes - corporate backing, is continuity and better quality overall. |
Anonymous
OP and this was sort of my question. Is it actually better? Probably depends on the centers you're comparing. Rent makes a lot of sense to me. It's a pretty new facility in a new building. |
Anonymous
| I get a steep discount because they're in my federal agency's building but honestly they took excellent care of my kid and I'm happy with it. |