Brighter Babies

I can’t even put into words how happy I was with Brighter Babies. Our daughter enrolled at three months old when I returned to work and I felt so comfortable I didn’t even call to check in on her. The staff was so amazing and loving that I trusted them from the very beginning. You should consider yourself lucky if Ms. Aggie is your teacher. She is a true professional and has found her calling. We would still be there today if we didn’t move out of the area. Thanks Brighter Babies for your love and care you gave to our daughter.

My daughter has been at Brighter Babies for over a year now. She started there part-​time at 5 mos while we waited to get her in a full-​time spot, and she’s been full-​time for the past 9 most or so. Probably the most easily understood (for NYers) testament I can make for BB is that we lived in Sunnyside when she started, then moved to Jackson Heights about 6 mos ago, and I still make that long 7 train twice daily schlep with her because the center has been so great for her. She was (is) a pretty sensitive gal, and the teachers and administration have gone above and beyond to consider her needs and make sure that she felt safe and comfortable and fostered an atmosphere where she could blossom. Since our daughter’s been full-​time, we’ve really seen her open up, gain confidence, and learn a tremendous amount. These are by far the top reasons why we love Brighter Babies and can’t think to move her to different care, though it may be closer or cheaper or easier. The rest is icing on the cake… amazing caring teachers, easy communication with administration and staff, awesome special programs (yoga, music, dance, spanish… and I can’t wait till she’s old enough for PIANO), great food, and frequent trips out to the amazing Gantry State Park. Probably the only thing I’m left wanting is later hours options as my office runs on the later side of things, but I know BB’s staff works hard long days as it is, so I’ve adjusted my work hrs to make it work. We look forward to growing with the center until our daughter is school-​aged.

I have two sons who went to Brighter Babies: the eldest for 2 years (from 11 months to 2.11 years old) and the youngest for a few months (from 13 to 16 months). Brighter Babies has been part of the family since my eldest joined. The curriculum is well built around the kids needs and age (yoga, music, movement, arts) and the teachers are very caring and attentive. The ratio teachers: student is higher than most daycare I have visited (for most classes they have more teachers than the recommended minimum).
The location was perfect, but this is never the main criteria for choosing the best daycare for your child and we were lucky. The quality of care, both by the teachers and the management, is very high, which means that both children and parents are well-​attended.
The facility is very nice and big. They even have a little gym that kids love (my youngest one would always scream in delight every time we would pass by it), and the food served is of the highest quality.
As I said, the teachers and staff have been part of our family for the last two years. We couldn’t have hoped for a better place for our kids to have a great start in life (especially the eldest who went for 2 years).

My daughter is currently 9 months old, and started at Brighter Babies when she was just 3 months old. Her progress since starting as a tiny infant has been wonderful, and we are 100% happy with the care provided by Brighter Babies. We started before the expansion, our daughter was the youngest by far in the Purple room, which at first really worried me. I was concerned she wouldn’t get the attention to detail she needed or the proper schedule with all the older kids, but her teachers were amazing and catered to each individual child’s needs and schedule. Ms. Aggie was our lead teacher for the first 5 months, and we absolutely loved her and it was very obvious how much she also loved our daughter.
After the expansion my daughter was grouped with kids much closer to her age, but after only a few months we got a call that they felt she would be better with older kids since she was developing so well. What parent doesn’t love to hear that?! I truly believe this change was not for the benefit of the class layout or timing, I really think they were concerned it would hold her back and they wanted her to excel. We were sad to leave Aggie, but our daughter has now been with the older kids (Orange Room) for just over a month. We receive art projects weekly, they have music class, yoga, go outside for walks, etc. She is very happy there and has adjusted really well to be back with the older kids.
As a breastfeeding mommy, there is always the stress of wasted bottles. Every teacher we have had was very conscious and respectful of that. I never felt like they heated up bottles just because she was fussy. They really know how to read each individual child and respected any concerns or direction I gave them when it came to her bottles.
Overall I have found the teachers/​directors to be wonderful. Any concerns have been met in a quick fashion. I receive photos often of the babies doing activities and daily you are sent home with a sheet with exactly what they did, times/​what they ate, when they slept, etc. The attention to detail is pretty amazing. The center is clean and from what I have observed everyone there is very positive and happy.
No review would be complete without some form of cons– it is expensive, but I feel like you really get what you pay for here, I look forward to her getting a little older and the price going down and the food to be included! And yes, there are 4 weeks off a year on top of major bank holidays, which can be tough. But unlike a previous review stated, you don’t pay for those 4 weeks. They announce those weeks well in advance so there is time to plan ahead.

Our daughter went to Brighter Babies from age 5 months until 1.5yrs old. She started off in the purple room and as our first daycare experience with our first child, we couldn’t have asked for anything better. The teacher: child ratio is fantastic (3 teachers for a maximum of 8 kids) and they made every effort to do things exactly when and how we do them at home. Ilana and Natasha are professional, caring and wonderful all around. Our daughter only went twice a week and when she entered the orange room, she started to cry all day long and have some real problems transitioning. So, Natasha suggested we try 3 days a week initially to get her more acclimated. I was hesitant to do it, but finally I gave in. After the first week of trying it, she was immensely more comfortable and adjusted. I wish I had taken their suggestion much sooner! She made her way through the orange, green and blue rooms – all the teachers were wonderful and she did very well in all of them. We moved 40min away a few months ago and we’ve started her in a Montessori school. Although we like the new school, it’s no match for the convenience, personal attention and all around good feelings we had at Brighter Babies. Would HIGHLY recommend this daycare.

Our daughter is now 2 ½ and she has been enrolled at Brighter Babies since she was 8 months old. She’s been through the Orange, Green, Blue, and Yellow rooms. We were very happy with our experience from beginning to end.
What we loved so much was the flexibility. The teachers were always willing to work with us and our requests, whether it was about diet, pacifiers, or potty training. The directors were always willing to work with us on schedule changes, and handled things fairly and quickly. We were always in sync when it came time to move our daughter up to the next room. It was about readiness and not just age or filling empty slots.
We never had major issues with behavior, either with our child or another. All the kids at Brighter Babies seem to get along amazingly well, even outside of school. They are all friends, and I don’t think that is just a result of good luck.
The teachers show a genuine interest in the kids, and really do love every single one of them. I’ve always been pleasantly surprised by the outpouring of love toward our little girl, and we are very sad to have to leave.
I would highly recommend Brighter Babies!

My son, currently 18 months old, has been enrolled at Brighter Babies full time (5 days per week) since he was 14 weeks old. I definitely recommend Brighter Babies if you are considering a daycare setting for your little one. Overall, my husband and I have been pleased with the care and attention our son has received. The teachers and staff are sweet and caring and obviously care deeply about the children and their development.
SIZE: The center is small (only 5 classrooms) so I know most of the teachers, staff, and even parents at least by sight, which I love. It seems that all the teachers (even ones my son has not yet had) know my son by name and have a smile and greeting for him.
TEACHERS: We did experience quite a bit of teacher turnover in one of the rooms, but it seems to have stabilized, and we have been happy with the quality of the teachers overall. I know of many parents who also use the teachers as babysitters.
FOOD: The school provides lunch and snacks for the older kids (by older I mean not the little babies, probably around 1 year of age or so). Although my son does not receive school lunch because of food allergies, the menu sounds delicious and healthy. (On that note, they take allergies very seriously, and keep an allergy list which I believe is in each room).
DIRECTORS: Ilana, Natasha, and Sabina (the directors and assistant director, respectively), are very attentive and responsive and wonderful with the kids. I have always received prompt responses to emails (even after business hours) and they take complaints and suggestions seriously.
ACTIVITIES: One of the best things is that the kids take a walk outside and play at the local parks/​playgrounds nearly every day (when the weather cooperates). They also do a lot of arts and crafts, painting, etc. in the classroom (even the infants!) There are music teachers (I believe 3 separate ones) who come into the center each week, as well as a yoga teacher. (When we ask our son to show us his yoga, he immediately goes into down dog… adorable!) We often get photos (and sometimes video) during the day. There is an open-​door policy, and the school encourages you to call (or drop in) and check on your child if you wish.
SCHOOL CLOSINGS: The school does close for 4 full weeks per year and every holiday and closes early the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It would be more convenient if it were closed less, but they do give out a schedule before the beginning of the year so there is plenty of advance notice. We’ve been able to work it out with the help of friends and family (although we have no family in the area, they are always willing to come in and help out!)
ILLNESS: My son often has a runny nose/​cold (he got sick after his first week there), but it was nothing surprising. The school’s sick-​policy is very clear, and although it is sometimes inconvenient to stay home with a sick child, it is understandable why sick children are not allowed to be at school.
COST: The school cost is on par with other daycare centers we visited in Brooklyn and Manhattan. They have more teachers that the city-​required ratio (except at drop-​off and pick up, due to teacher schedules and arrival times).
MISCELLANEOUS: You bring your own crib sheet, blanket, extra clothes, diapers, diaper cream, wipes, sunscreen, etc.
CONCLUSION: Overall, my husband and I have been thrilled with Brighter Babies. My son absolutely loves it there (most days he barely says goodbye to me, because he’s too busy playing), and we’ve been pleased with his development. I whole-​heartedly recommend you check out Brighter Babies if your little one is going to be in a daycare setting!

My son has been at Brighter Babies for a little over a year, and we’ve been generally very happy with our experience there. I looked at a lot of day care options before deciding on BB, and they were far and away our first choice. While no place is perfect, my husband and I have always felt that the directors Ilana and Natasha have a great vision for what excellent child care should be, and they do their absolute best to make that a reality.
Previous reviewers have noted that the holiday schedule feels like a lot. That is true – we struggle with finding childcare for the vacation weeks, but we’ve just chosen to roll with it. I suppose if we did decide to take a real vacation (a dream!) we would plan around the BB schedule the way we will have to when our son is older and in school.
My thoughts on the major factors I look at when I look at child care:
The Teachers: We have met some wonderful, energetic, truly caring teachers here. My son has really connected with and loved at least one teacher in each of the three rooms he’s been in thus far. There is a fair amount of turnover, but it has been communicated individually to parents in the few situations where it has happened suddenly or repeatedly in a classroom. We get the most adorable art projects brought home – you can see the creativity and energy they put into the «lesson plans». It’s true that some teachers are more communicative than others – I have a personal pet peeve about that. But like anything, you as a parent will click with some people more than others. We have always found at least one teacher that I can engage in conversation and get lots of info from on a daily basis. It just takes some trial and error when you’re in a new room as you’re getting to know them and they’re getting to know you, as well as your child.
The «Special Classes»: Brighter Babies has two music teachers (which my son LOVES), as well as a yoga teacher and gym class for every room. We love this – the music is great for so many reasons, and the yoga and gym help them get their energy out. It’s also pretty hilarious and adorable when you see your toddler spontaneously go into Downward Dog when playing at home one day.
The Flexibility: We loved that BB lets us choose a part time schedule if it works for us. My husband is a freelancer, so we’ve been able to have our son in school three days and home for man time with Daddy two. Not every center we looked at offered that.
Outdoor Play: BB does not have their own outdoor area, but they are located right across from Gantry State Park, and they take the kids out every day when the weather is nice. The little ones go in the stroller, and the bigger kids walk, but everyone, no matter how young, gets some time outside in the fresh air to play.
The Management: I’ve had the opposite experience as the previous reviewer with the school directors, Natasha and Ilana (and Sabina, who is the Asst Director). As I’ve had concerns, seen issues, or even just had ideas, I’ve always found them responsive and receptive to my feedback. Can they do what I want 100% of the time? Of course not – but I’ve always felt like they are listening to me, and that at the end of the day, they want the same thing I do: a happy, healthy learning environment for my child.
Also, and this fits into no category at all but I still want to say it: love the school lunch. They serve healthy, delicious sounding food and it’s such a wonderful thing to a.) not have to pack lunch and b.) have our son exposed to new foods that are different from the way we make them!

My daughter has been enrolled at Brighter Babies in the two-​year-​old room (Yellow Room) since we moved to Long Island City a few months ago, and overall we’ve been very pleased with the experience.
First, the basics: Brighter Babies is a day care center for kids ages three months to two years. It’s open every day from 8pm to 6pm. (We don’t get out of work that early, and we’ve been successful in privately hiring one of the teachers to take our daughter home at night and cover for us until 6:30pm.) The center is run by two directors, Ilana (who also runs Lolly’s for kids ages 2 – 5) and Natasha. Inside, the center is comprised of five classrooms and a large play area, as well as a front desk area and an office.
The syllabus is planned by the teachers and recently, with a wonderful new head teacher in the Yellow Room, has been more focused on what the kids are really interested in — pumpkins and Halloween, family and friends, body parts and senses. Ilana and Natasha also have «special teachers» — a rotating cast that currently includes music and yoga teachers — to add something special to the day. There’s plenty of time for free play too. On the downside, I have on two occasions found the kids watching movies on an iPad on Friday afternoons, which I don’t like. Also, we have experienced teacher turnover while we’ve been there, which is almost never a good thing, but we’ve also noticed that Ilana and Natasha have been generally smart about staffing and I usually agree with their choices. We haven’t experienced the teachers in the baby rooms but we’ve heard good things from other parents.
We really like that the kids go outside to take walks and to nearby playgrounds almost every day. The older kids walk on a line until they’re at the playground, and the littler ones are frequently walked in baby buggies. This is very different from my experience in city daycare centers.
Lunch and snacks for the older kids are provided by the school. Lunches are provided by a vendor who tries to include more fresh, organic ingredients and more vegetables. Snacks include some playground classics (goldfish and string cheese) and some fresh fruit here and there, which I appreciate. Diapers, wipes, and a sheet and a blanket for nap time are provided by parents.
The school has pretty good email communication with parents — we get a cover note with a «syllabus», a lunch menu, and a classroom letter each month. Once in awhile the teachers take adorable pictures of the kids eating snack on the pier, and send them out to us parents. We also get the usual city-​mandated calls when our kiddo is sick, or when there’s a classroom incident involving our child, like biting. I appreciate that Brighter Babies includes daddies in these communications as well.
Prices are what I would consider «normal», at about $ 2.4K per four weeks for infants going down to about $ 2K for four weeks for toddlers. The center runs 12 4-​week months, taking four week-​long breaks throughout the year, usually in the spring, 4^th of July, last week in August, and Christmas. Recently the school asked parents if they’d be interested in later-​day coverage (til 6:30) and off-​week coverage, so I hope that’s in the works.
I hope this helps some new neighborhood parent who’s doing initial web research on childcare options. When you make a decision about day care, please review it on Unilocal and let the rest of us know what you experience!