Learn About Toddler Daycare

Daycare teacher wearing a mask to be safe while playing with a child at Bright Horizons

Bright Horizons is More than Daycare

Early Education & Preschool for Toddlers

Choosing a toddler preschool is a big decision. Toddlers are making big developmental leaps every day, and you want a place where your child can test out new skills, wonder about the world, and learn how to make friends. Most of all, you want a place where teachers know they’re caring for the most important toddler in the world – yours. Bright Horizons provides toddler preschool with individualized learning plans that support the giant leaps of toddler years. Our compassionate teachers and welcoming environments make children feel comfortable as they explore and encounter new experiences.

Bright Horizons daycare teacher with toddler

Toddler Teachers who inspire a Love of Learning

The heart of every Bright Horizons toddler daycare center is our caring teachers. Passionate about early education, our teachers are focused on figuring out what motivates each child to learn and supporting their interests through ordinary moments and big milestones. To support our teachers and ensure the highest quality education in our toddler daycare programs, we offer a nationally recognized training program and tuition benefits that enable teachers to earn early education degrees for free. We are proud to be the first child care program to do so. It’s one more way that we invest in the care and education of your child.

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Meet Our Teachers

The Bright Horizons® Difference

We offer a unique early education experience built on 30 years of expertise, and on what working families have told us they want and need for their toddlers...and for themselves. Child care and early education isn’t just what we do – it’s who we are. 
Two toddler boys painting together outside

Proven Approach to Toddler Education

     Research-informed curriculum designed by experienced educators to inspire children not just to learn, but to think, wonder, and question on their own. 

preschool teacher at Bright Horizons

Inspired Teachers

     Dedicated early childhood professionals fully engaged in teaching careers, who benefit from our award-winning training and ongoing support. 

Working mom doing daycare pick-up at Bright Horizons preschool

Support for the Whole Family

     Thoughtfully and carefully designed centers, programs, and schedules – all created with the needs of both children and parents in mind. 

What You Need to Know About Toddler Daycare

What daycare programs does Bright Horizons have?

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Our early education programs offer more than daycare. Our goal is not just to help children learn, but to cultivate the joy of learning. We are currently enrolling families in our:

  • Infant care: Our newborn and baby daycare programs provide safe spaces, welcoming environments, and inspired caregivers that support all your baby’s developmental milestones.
  • Toddler care: Our toddler preschool programs provide a place to test out and learn new skills, make new friends, and celebrate the joy of wonder and discovery.
  • Preschool program: Our preschool classes are designed to prepare children for kindergarten and all the big steps ahead, supporting inquisitive young minds as they tackle new challenges, take chances, and experiment with new things.
  • Pre-Kindergarten: Our kindergarten preparation programs support children during a time of enormous and exciting growth, building the academic, social, and physical skills that will get them ready for school.
  • Summer camp: Through Summer Explorations at Bright Horizons®, your child will have the opportunity to enjoy everything summer has to offer.
 

How does a parent compare daycare programs?

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It can be hard to choose a daycare for your toddler. We work with a lot of families who have not had a toddler in child care before. Advice from other parents, web searches through search engines, or online web portals from state or local governments can provide lists of daycares to consider. For a parent whose company provides on-site child care, back-up care or summer camp as a benefit, the human resources department will be able to provide information. If your company provides a daycare benefit through Bright Horizons, please log into your account to access your benefits. If your company does not provide this benefit, search by zip to find a Bright Horizons center near you.

Can a parent drop into a toddler daycare without an appointment?

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No. Parents or parents of toddlers should schedule an appointment if they want to visit a daycare . No parent would want any adult to be able to enter the facility without warning, and thus daycare facilities should require an appointment. At Bright Horizons, we offer Zoom and in-person visits so we can understand what your family needs for child care, including when you would start your first day of child care, what your schedule would be and how old your toddler will be at the time you plan to start child care. We also want to allow ample time for you to ask questions about our early education and preschool programs.

Does Bright Horizons have a daycare waiting list? What do I do if I want to enroll in the toddler program but space is not available?

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Depending on where you live, and schedule you need for care, you may see daycare waitlists. You can select and register with up to three Bright Horizons child care locations, including the center in which you are most interested. By registering, you are confirming interest in all three centers. Once registered, we will add you to our waitlist and offer you a space as soon as one becomes available. Our goal is to accommodate families as soon as space allows, and so during the entire process, we will keep in touch with you regarding your status. While waiting for a space to become available at the first-choice location, many families enroll at their second or third choices temporarily until space becomes available at their first-choice centers. Enrolling at another location will not only solve your immediate child care needs, but will provide you priority access to your first preference.

Is it safe to send my toddler to daycare?

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Ask each child care provider you're considering to take the time to explain all health and safety policies to you. Consider asking:

1. How will you contact me if my toddler gets sick at daycare?

2. Can a mildly ill child (stuffy nose, cough) still come to daycare?

3. How do you decide if a child needs emergency medical care?

4. Are daycare staff trained in first aid and CPR?

5. How do you approach wellness, exercise, healthy eating and self-care for toddlers?

Bright Horizons is trusted by parents including many doctors and nurses, to care for their children. We’ve partnered with pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Kristin Moffitt of Boston Children’s Hospital to implement enhanced safety protocols for all areas including daily health screening, distancing, cleaning, and disinfecting. Our goal is to ensure that all of our health and safety practices in every center are in line with recommendations provided by the CDC and requirements of state and local municipalities. All Bright Horizons centers have the well-being of children, families, and staff at their core.

What about licensing inspections?

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A parent may review the licensing data for any given facility through an online web portal. Any recent violations should be reviewed by the parent, as the violations often include valuable information about the facility.

Are there specific philosophies in daycare?

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Different daycare programs have different ideas about how a child should grow. A parent should familiarize themselves with the early childhood learning philosophies a daycare uses before entrusting a child to that facility. Learn more about what makes the Bright Horizons curriculum different in its approach to support early learning and the support Bright Horizons provides to working parents and daycare teachers.

Are lower child to teacher ratios always better?

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The ideal child to caregiver ratio changes as children grow. An infant needs a lot of attention to thrive, whereas a preschooler needs more freedom to explore. Child-to-teacher ratios may differ from state-to-state. 

How can I compare daycare costs?
 

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Daycare costs will depend upon on your child’s age when they begin care as well as the center location where you'd like to attend. To get a customized tuition quote for Bright Horizons, we will set up a Zoom or in-person meeting with you to discuss your family’s needs and calculate what tuition would look like for you.

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Child Care Checklist

Comparing different care options? Print out our checklist to make it easy to make comparisons and choose the best care for your family.

More about how to choose a toddler daycare

When you’re looking for a toddler daycare, the provider you choose will have a significant effect on your child’s growth and development. That’s why any toddler care center needs to do more than look right – it needs to feel right. When you drop off your children, you need to know that they will be safe, nurtured, and supported by skilled caregivers who will unleash their curiosity and help them take the next big steps in their growth and development. 

For more than 30 years, Bright Horizons been a leader in child care and early education. Offering much more than a licensed daycare center, we provide programs that offer convenience for working parents and individualized learning experiences for your toddler.

Toddler daycare programs at Bright Horizons

Bright Horizons toddler daycare programs provide a safe environment for your newly independent toddler to test out new skills, learn how to make friends, and experience the wonder of discovery.

Bright Horizons toddler preschool programs at a glance:

  • Classroom activities that engage toddlers in language and reading, fine motor skills, math, science, dramatic play, science, art, and outdoor learning
  • A focus on individual growth and decision-making
  • Support for each toddler’s newfound sense of independence and newly developed language and social skills
  • An individualized approach to teaching that bases learning on each child’s unique interests
  • A relaxed environment that nurtures self-help skills and individual development
  • Safety, security and cleanliness practices that meet or exceed all state, local, and National Association for the Education of Young Children guidelines

What makes us different from other toddler daycare choices?

Bright Horizons stands apart from other toddler daycare centers by providing:

  • Locations and hours designed for working families
  • Well-balanced programs that nurture the whole child and prepare children for success in school and life
  • A proven, research-based curriculum that reflects the latest developments in early education
  • Thoughtfully created environments where children can safely explore
  • Child care centers where children feel safe and loved
  • Family resources that support parents as well as children

mother holding child

Get Started Today

Find a center near you to get started with Bright Horizons

Or call us to start the conversation 877-624-4532

Bright Horizons offers more than a traditional daycare. It helps parents looking for education-based Boston daycare, NYC daycare, Chicago daycare, Washington, DC daycare, Los Angeles daycare, San Francisco daycare, Seattle daycare and local daycares in other cities. It also provides back-up daycare and elder care, employer-sponsored child care, employer tuition assistance, workforce education, and student loan repayment programs. Bright Horizons Global Headquarters is located in Newton, Massachusetts, USA.