Bright Horizons Daycare in Portland

Most of our Portland child care centers serve children ages six weeks to six years. Bright Horizons is more than daycare. We have programs with developmentally appropriate curriculum for infants, toddler, preschool and pre-K.

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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.

Bright Horizons conducts comprehensive background checks on all prospective employees and frequent visitors. In Portland, the state of ME Department of Youth and Families requires background checks for employees of a daycare or licensed child care facility.

Bright Horizons background checks consist of a county criminal record check for the past seven years performed in all counties that a person has lived, worked or attended school. In addition to the county criminal search, a sex offender search, OFAC search, and a social security verification trace are also conducted.

We continue to monitor state and local public health guidelines, look to our medical expert, and use our considerable experience to guide our health and safety practices. We’re prepared to respond quickly and adjust those health and safety practices as needed. Where there are additional state or local requirements, for example around vaccination/masking, Bright Horizons also complies with applicable legal requirements in each jurisdiction in which we operate.

All Bright Horizons Portland staff receive ongoing training, including CPR/First Aid and Universal Precautions. You can feel confident that your child is healthy, safe, and thriving while in our care. Bright Horizons families use the MyBrightDay mobile app daily to get photos, real-time updates on care, learning, and milestones, and to stay up-to-date on important notifications.

Bright Horizons has a number of Portland-area locations. Search by zip to find the one closest to you.

At Bright Horizons we make sure you can enjoy the convenience of daycare combined with a quality early education experience. We focus our daily experiences on comprehensive, optimum development of each child: mind, body, social self, and character.

Our dedicated teachers guide children to success by teaching them how to:

1. Approach life as an invitation to learn
2. Become a confident and competent lifelong learner
3. Become a confident and competent user of technology
4. Develop emotional intelligence: personal power and social skills

At our centers, we achieve school readiness by helping children:

1. Develop the social and cognitive skills necessary for school success
2. Achieve excellence in language and literacy
3. Develop an engaged, reflective, inquisitive mind and appreciation of science
4. Achieve excellence in logical/mathematical understanding

1. Happy days
2. Wonderful relationships
3. A World of experience

Daycare tuition depends on your child’s age, as well as your choice in center location. To get a customized tuition quote for Bright Horizons in Portland, find your preferred center with our locator tool, and set up an appointment. During this conversation, the Center Director will discuss your family’s needs and calculate what tuition would look like for you.

Yes. Most of our locations offer preschool and pre-K programs for children that prepare them for school success. We’re happy to schedule a visit for parents who would like to learn about why Bright Horizons can offer more than a daycare and what school readiness at Bright Horizons in Portland looks like.

Bright Horizons in Portland supports the whole family because we know that success at work and success at home go hand-in-hand. We designed our centers, programs, and schedules to keep the needs of both children and parents in mind. 

Yes, but don’t just take our word for it! We’ve been named 20 times as one of FORTUNE's 100 Best Companies to Work For, and are honored to be the only child care company to ever make the list.

Having a sitter or two familiar with your family can be extremely helpful when you need back-up care. With Sittercity, you can search for local babysitters and nannies, or post a job detailing your needs, and have interested child care providers reach out to you directly. Sittercity has built-in screening tools that give you control to hire with ease and confidence, which include secure messaging, interview booking, professional references, and background checks.

With a babysitter or nanny in your home, your child gets personalized, one-on-one attention in an environment controlled by you. Your child care will match the exact schedule you need, all in the convenience of your home. If desired, you can also get house management help from your in-home provider. A daycare facility tends to be a more cost-effective option in an environment designed for learning and whole child development, with age-appropriate curriculum and structured socialization. In the end, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to child care—pick the environment that’s best for you.

Yes. Bright Horizons in Portland accommodates a wide range of special and individualized needs in our group programs. We offer inclusive programs that focus on each child’s strengths and support a collaborative team approach with the teacher, director, specialists, and families. The team will work closely together to maximize your child’s opportunities for learning, growth, and development, and minimize any barriers or safety issues that a group program may present.