Just an FYI, I don't know what changed recently but we got an infant spot @ BH Crystal City after only 2.5 months on the waiting list. Made us a bit leery actually...

We are at a different BH in Northern VA but we also have experienced UNRESPONSIVE management and high staff turnover. Not only is it high turnover but the providers get shuffled around different classes all day so there is no continuity of care. Fortunately, we're easy parents and DC's providers have been very good which is why we stayed. The facilities are clean. However, we've been very dissappointed at the poor customer service and lack of interest by the management staff.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought they were very difficult to deal with pre-admissions. I got different answers regarding the waiting list from different people and they seemed very cold and "corporate". I got the distinct impression that they did not care about the child and only cared about money.

Could not be more true.

I totally agree too, they lost my paperwork numerous times. Really incompetent.

Anonymous wrote:I am considering enrolling my little one there. He is only 5 months old. I am concerned that the staff will not interact with him or play with him the way that my family does. I am worried that they will just leave him crying in a chair somewhere. Can other parents with infants there comment on the facility and their experiences?

Also, it seems like the staff is not very diverse - is this the case? When I was there, all of the teachers I saw were of the same one race.

I realize that this post is almost a year old but I was struck by what you said. You are right, daycare providers will never interact with your child the way that you and your family does. He will cry and that is just a fact of daycare. And as far as the diversity issue, most teachers and assistants in BH centers in DC are of one race.

Anonymous wrote:I thought they were very difficult to deal with pre-admissions. I got different answers regarding the waiting list from different people and they seemed very cold and "corporate". I got the distinct impression that they did not care about the child and only cared about money.

Could not be more true.

I am pregnant and am on the waitlist for this center, but I would like to comment on the price issue that was raised. I don't know where people are getting thier info, but the BH in Crystal City is definitely NOT the most expensive BH in the city/DC. It's kinda in the middle/lower end. Covington is $2200 a month, and the IBD and East End ones are around $1900-$2000. The cheapest ones are the ones in the FDIC and Fingerprints, and those are in the $1600 range. In any event, if you were looking to get your baby on there (or any other BH center), good luck. The average waitlist time for infants is about 12-18 months, as long as 2+ years in some other centers. So, if you want to get your baby in, you better get on a waitlist as soon as you find out you are pregnant!

All that being said, I have been very impressed with the BH centers I have toured (probably 8 or 9), and when compared to some of the independent centers around here, they are worlds apart. The BH centers are super clean and of adequate size. If you go with a BH in the city, most of them are indeed underground, but there are a few above ground that let in light. The center directors have been very imformative and seem on top of things. All the kids looked pretty content, and their needs were being tended too. I look forward to enrolling my child in one of the BH centers when it arrives.

Anonymous wrote:Can someone with a very young child (like, <6 months old) comment? I think the place seems great for older kids, but I am not sure whether it's a good environment for little ones who aren't mobile, and who need more attention and shouldn't be left to cry.

The ratio for infants is 1:3, so the caregivers do the best they can, but the infants do cry sometimes. You are going to see that in any group care facility, unfortunately. I think group care is best for older babies who can engage more, so if you're concerned about someone not holding your child all day long, then probably a nanny is best.

Can someone with a very young child (like, <6 months old) comment? I think the place seems great for older kids, but I am not sure whether it's a good environment for little ones who aren't mobile, and who need more attention and shouldn't be left to cry.