Great school, my kid went there this year, she is way happier than in TTP. THanks Horizons doing the job right! read more

This organization has discriminatory and racist practices and is ONLY focused on making money. I was interested in enrolling my daughter and explained to them that I receive support with day care tuition through a day care assistance program which I'm so thankful for. I was told that they work with these types of programs but require a FULL MONTH of tuition for a "deposit" up front directly from the family. Which was very perplexingly to me has I have never heard of this kind of practice. The program I work with well pay my daughter's tuition but not this "deposit" that is required. I am a one income house hold and don't have a access to give them $2,000 upfront for a "deposit" for DAY CARE! This is a practice that this organization use to keep families receiving government assistance out of their program. This practice is very discriminatory and is obviously a way for Bright Horizons to ensure that only families with money attend their school. If you look at their Instagram page there are very very few diverse students on their page and the teachers that are featured are obviously there so they can look like they have diversity which they do not. These discriminatory practices are what so many black and brown families who want quality care and education continually face. It is really unfair and boarding unethical in my opinion. I have the means to pay for day care through my assistance program but my daughter is being denied entry because I can not afford a $2,000 deposit. A deposit that I'm sure this company that makes millions of dollars does not need upfront. The economic and racial discriminatory issues here are obvious and the focus on money and greed are as well. They CRAM kids in rooms so they can get as much money as they can. This is the first time as a black woman I have felt discriminated in such a major and obvious way. read more

So the process of booking a tour is via a national platform as Garner is part of a nationwide franchise named bright horizons. The school itself is cleverly designed and kept very clean. The staff turn over is minimal with many staff who have been there for 10 years - and that is always a good sign. Every staff emmener I met was very pleasant and very willing to help and guide me in my query. I was also very impressed by their curriculum, their outdoor space and their approach to technology in young classes. read more

If you are considering Bright Horizons at Garner, then please take a moment and read this very important review. If you're looking for a good place, look for a place with low ratios by children to teacher. 12:1 is too high and is the state maximum. The quality is no better than an average state funded school (if anything, a state funded school has higher quality education by state standards as their framework is rooted by DRDP evaluations that evaluate the individual child's progress through factual observations/documentation, while Bright Horizons' framework is based on TS GOLD evaluations which only requires clicking boxes without based observations. TS Gold is the minimum framework that provides education that could help scaffold your child's educational progress.) If you want a school that will value your child's education, this is definitely not the place to find it, and is honestly a glorified and utterly expensive daycare. Bright Horizon's at Garner also sees a lot of turn-over, with less than half of the staff working there longer than 4 years. From my experience at this center and knowing the staff very closely, including Theresa, Tai, and Sherlyn, I've seen more than 30 teachers come and go. This is a huge red flag and one a parent should avoid. Adding to this, if you look up Bright Horizons through licensing, you will find that they have received various licensing citations (type b), including physical abuse in the classroom, teachers frequently out of ratios, children being given food they are allergic to (one week an ambulance was called twice), and teachers talking down on children and violating their rights to safety. I highly suggest googling "FACILITY EVALUATION REPORT BRIGHT HORIZONS GARNER" to find out more about these citations. Bright Horizons is a company that will not care about your child, and is more interested in what is in your wallet. You will see this as proof when you see how crowded their classrooms are. If you are looking for quality care that will see your child for who they are, then this is not the place. If you are looking for general childcare, your child is safer in the presence of a fulltime nanny than they are in a cramped classroom where they are only seen as revenue for this Watertown based company, and to the eyes of Theresa and Sherlyn who know very well they need to keep their enrollment at 97% capacity for that yearly bonus. I also see that negative reviews for this place have been taken down. I wonder why. read more

Overall: Our son Gavin has attended Bright Horizons at Garner for the past 3 years (Butterflies, Dolphins, and Pre-K6). We are very happy with the strong curriculum that Bright Horizons offer. The curriculum does an excellent job in incorporating programs that foster children's creativity, music, arts and science that is fun and easy to understand. It has been a joy watching our son grow and develop while attending Bright Horizons. He loves his class and has developed great friendships through the past 3 years. All Gavin's teachers (Ms. Rosi, Ms. Gladys, Ms. Cheng, Ms. Carmen, Ms. Kyra, Ms. Regina) have been wonderful. They all have communicated well, letting us know what's going on in the classroom as well as updating us of our son's development. The Admin, (Ms. Theresa (director), Ms. Sheryln, and Ms. Shiela) are always friendly, warm and welcoming. They are available and willing to help us with whatever we need. We really appreciate all the support they have given our family. Pre-K experience (Ms. Agnes & Ms. Claudia): In the classroom, Ms. Agnes (pre-K teacher) has put together a strong curriculum that creates growth and incorporates programs that foster children's creativity, such as music, arts, and science. Ms. Agnes & Ms. Claudia are wonderful. They are both open, warm, friendly and communicate with us on the happenings in and out of the classroom. Knowing that it is important, both Ms. Agnes and Ms. Claudia make it a point to inform us on our child's development academically and socially. It is obvious, that our son has been impacted by the positive influences that Ms. Agnes and Ms. Claudia brings to the classroom each and every day. The past year has been a joy watching our son grow. His language changed, he can spell, his creativity is off the charts. Best of all, Gavin loves his class and is super happy to get to school each and every day to share his stories with teachers and friends. Closing: We have been so pleased with our experience here at Bright Horizons that our second son has started the journey of his brothers early education. Only 3 months into his early education and we are seeing close bonds forming with his friends and teachers (Ms. Rosi and Ms. Judy). We love Bright Horizons Garner, and so will you! Jose Cerda-Zein 510-523-5673 read more

I hesitated writing this review because we worried about retaliation but here it is: be wary of the leadership at this center. We had our child in the young toddler and then the 2-3 class. The associate director Sherylin should NOT be working with children. I have seen her yell angrily at kids in the 2-3yr old class simply because they called her Sherylin and not "Ms Sherylin". It was unbelievable. I have also seen her speed in her car at 50 mph out of the parking lot onto the street. When I looked to see who would drive so recklessly outside a school I was shocked to see it was a preschool director. Almost 80% of the time I picked up my kid from the 2-3 class they were off ratios. Over 20 kids and just one teacher sometimes. I'd ask and always be given an answer like "the other is cutting apples..." More than once our toddler came home with poop all over their pants. A few individual teachers were good but the leadership was horrific. read more

My son has been at Garner for the past almost 3 years. He started at 18 months in Honeybees with Ms Rosi and Ms Judy (resigned to pursue different work but is now a babysitter to my son) - continued to PreK with Ms Jessica and Ms Summer - he is now graduating to a private kindergarten which moves into elementary/middle school. When we were looking at preschools / pre-care schools in Alameda - we wanted something structured, school like and not too "daycare like". We chose Bright Horizons for this reason. The reason for our thinking was we wanted a place that would really prepare him for a school environment. They have a school like format, it is posted each day what your child will do and at the end of the day you get a report with photos of what your child has done. When we toured other schools in Alameda 3.5 years ago - no one had that structure - not sure if it is different now. While at Bright Horizons we had a majority of awesome teachers - one who was briefly at the facility just didn't gel with my son, so he was moved to a different class with a different teacher where he flourished. That bad teacher was not at the facility too long. I would say for the past two years the teacher turnover has been pretty stable. My sons current teaching team has taught him for the past two years from Pandas to PreK. The ratio to child is somewhat standard for this industry - the tuition is on the slightly higher side but you get a lot more at this school than arts / crafts / pageants which is what we saw at the time at the other schools we toured. When I read other parents reviews about their experiences I think well, being a preschool / pre-care teacher is hard work, it takes a special soul to watch over 12-18 very small children per day. Changing diapers is hard work especially if the child is small / has bowl issues - so changing 12-18 kids per day - could you really do that...your child sure but really let's be thoughtful about chastising a teacher who is changing that many children 2-3 or more times per day. The teachers are hygienic and use precautions to prevent illness / contamination. My son never came home in a soiled diaper while at Bright Horizons..maybe it was my approach to talking to the teachers like they were teachers and partners in helping educate my child - even at 18 months. They were never just his caregiver. The teachers at Bright Horizons taught my son how to eat with utensils at 19 months, helped potty trained him in 1 week at 22 months, worked with him to write his name at 3 years old, help him manage tantrums 2-3.5 years old, helped in how he should not bite other kids 2-3 years old, how to work with others to be a "good citizen" starting at 18 months, met monthly with us to discuss his progress and honestly let us know how awesome he was even if we couldn't see it sometimes in how he approached school. The teachers are a) patient and b) thoughtful of your child day after day is pretty hard work - should we be so tough in our comments towards them. As we are winding down our time at Bright Horizons I am getting a bit sad. I also am very introspective about how these men and women helped our family really develop our child. It was a partnership despite some challenges we did have thru the process - isn't that how life is though. At a relationship that has been for the past almost 3 years I am happy to refer people to Bright Horizons. The relationships created there for my son have truly been memorable. read more

It is a good DAYCARE, not a preschool. They do not prepare the children for kindergarten, academics is not a focus or a priority. Nothing is reinforced or communicated for home support. They send a general recap of the day, but no academic products. The staff was not remarkably helpful or supportive. They would say the words to support, but no actual action. My child attended for two years...but with three weeks of kindergarten, I have seen incredible academic growth more than our two years at Bright Horizons. As for reaching out to management, I was dismissed when I was paying for a very expensive tuition. I don't see the point in reaching out after my child left... aside from trying to change a poor Yelp review. read more

I have tried multiple times over the last several months to contact this facility regarding childcare for my toddler and have yet to hear back from an actual human being. They did add me to their e-mail list though, so I receive newsletters from them weekly. Great. I understand if your facility is full and you are only accepting children off of the wait list. Just let me know, yeah? Poor communication says a lot about the type of business that you run. read more

I love this place!! We're lucky to have the best teachers (Ms. Agnes-who has been there 16+ years and still seems genuinely energetic and happy-and Ms. Sabrina). School is incredibly well run, does cute holiday family events, has conveniences like autopay, feeds kids lunch and snack, monthly newsletters etc. We had our son in another school prior and felt like he didn't get engagement from the teachers - now we feel like he's really loved and supported. We are so glad we switched him here. They are also really great with food allergies. My only gripe is that I wish the food was organic / less processed. read more

BH at Garner was amazing! Our son was so happy, engaged, and energized when he started attending the Center and we were comforted by the care and consideration the teachers and administration took in looking after him - particularly during COVID. Health protocols were clearly communicated with families and always followed by the Center staff. In spite of the masking and distancing, it was clear through the pictures taken daily that the kids and staff were having a great time and actively involved with one another. The app BH uses is a fantastic tool to share concerns with and ask questions of the staff and for them to provide real time updates and daily pictures. It's also a nice perk that lunch and snacks were included! We're so grateful to them. We switched daycare providers solely because of distance (and need for an infant spot which this location does not provide), otherwise we would have loved for our son to stay at the reasonably priced (and effectively run!) Center. read more

My son has only been at Garner since December but it's been wonderful so far. So much so that I wish both of my kids had gone here from the very beginning. I'm confident that my son will leave Garner fully prepared for kindergarten. The staff is amazing. The facilities is clean and up to date. We are very happy here and so glad that we chose Garner. read more

Let me start by saying we are new to this school -- two days new to be exact but I felt compelled to write this review now because I am THAT HAPPY with this school. My daughter visited the school about a year ago and loved it. The school was clean, organized and the staff were really friendly (one teacher was playing with the kids in the aerobics area and allowed my daughter to sit in on the fun). The school didn't have any openings at the time so we decided to get on the waitlist and hope that she gets in by the time she turned 3. Sheryln helped us through the process (from tour to registration to contacting us when a space opened up). She was amazing throughout the process and quick at responding to all my questions (and I had a lot!). Fast forward to yesterday, my daughter entered preschool (Pandas class) for the very first time (as in never went to day care or any type of school before) and as predicted, she had a complete meltdown. We arrived at the school around 7:30AM and Ms Tai and Mr Barry were in the class. They greeted us and spent a few minutes talking to us. After several minutes, we needed to leave to drop off our older daughter at another school so her lead teacher, Ms Jessica, stepped in and held her as we said our good-byes. It was so heartbreaking watching her scream and cry but Ms Jessica said she'd call with updates. I received 2 phone calls yesterday from the school and called another 2 times myself to checkin. Each time I called, whoever answered the phone seemed to know how my daughter was doing. I was so AMAZED. Each staff treated us as if my daughter was the only person in their care. At pick up, Ms Nicole gave us another update and as we were headed out the door, Ms Theresa (the school's Director) also gave us an update on what she and my daughter did today. I was truly amazed at how many people spent one on one time with my child. Today, drop off was again difficult but Ms Jessica told me she'd provide me updates on my daughter's progress. I downloaded the school's app (My Bright Day) and was so surprised to see multiple pictures of my daughter and she was having fun! They also uploaded a video of her washing her hands on her own (super cute to watch). I called the school around the afternoon and Ms Theresa gave me a whole update. When I asked if my daughter ate snacks and lunch today, she said she wasn't sure but would have Ms Jessica call me after lunch. Sure enough, Ms Jessica called shortly after and gave me another update. Never once did anyone make me feel like I was asking for too many updates. I can tell the school staff here truly cares for your child and at the end of the day, that's so comforting to know. Even though we are still new here, I am excited and very much looking forward to the next few years here. A HUGE THANK YOU to Sheryln, Theresa, Ms Tai, Ms Monica, Ms Jessica and Mr Barry. You guys ROCK and I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart for caring for my child and making me feel so much more at ease. read more

Both our children attended Garner all the way through preschool - we had such a great experience here. The teachers are great, a lot of consistency over time, and really love the kids and took such good care of them. You get daily updates by email about what they are doing, even with photos. They serve food/lunch which is a huge plus (many places do not) and the building and grounds are fabulous, with lots of outdoor space. They provide opportunities for additional activities (gymnastics, soccer etc) and a lot of extra fun things, yoga, music, Spanish, etc. Both kids were incredibly well cared for and very prepared for kindergarten! read more

I love this place! Such a bright, cheery environment. Lots of varied outdoor play space, with a separate yard for the younger kids. We love the Bright Horizons' philosophy of child-centered learning. The most important aspect for us, though, is the genuine enthusiasm among the caregivers. They engage with the children in a respectful, loving, and supportive way, helping them learn social skills and life skills in a positive setting. I can tell right off the bat that they love what they do. Dianne and all the front desk and administrative staff greet everyone with a cheerful smile, and are very responsive to the needs of the parents. Just a great place all around for you little one. I couldn't recommend it more highly! read more

Fantastic facilities, bright, spacious and clean! Serious staffing issues. Understaffed, teachers and support staff are constantly juggling kids from one class to next because teacher to child ratios are over limit. Sadly, very high turn over of quality teachers. For the high tuition, staffing should not be an issue. read more

We love Bright Horizons at Garner! Our family has been with their program for 2 years now and we could not have found a better place for our daughter. The leadership team (Theresa, Sheryln, Tai) are responsive and have an innate love for what they do. Teachers are well trained and show the passion to be doing their jobs (a hard one!) each day. The events and activities throughout the year are wonderful and our daughter has truly thrived in their environment - socially, emotionally and academically. read more

My experience has only been at this location, I have not been back to Bright Horizons since. This school is nice, newly remodeled and has front door security. My first impression was great, the staff was friendly. My son (2 years old) went to this school for 9 months, the last 3 months we had some major issues that ultumatly led to me removing him permanently from this preschool, I will NEVER go back. This school was a bit pricy compared to the other 2 schools we looked at but I thought it would be worth the difference. I can say now that there was no difference in quality. It started with a teacher who would complain about changing his diapers even though we were paying the full service tuition that covers potty training. This teacher told me she was nearly vomiting when changing his poopy diapers, though it is apart of her job I let her pass on this, I don't enjoy changing poopy diapers either. Then she started to complain about blowing his nose when he would catch common colds, which are all too often in preschool, she complained in front of other parents that were picking up their children, I felt that was done in bad taste, it would have been better to pull us aside and let us know in private, but that was not the worst. My husband and I would often pick him up from school and he would have a runny nose (sometimes dry mucus on his nose) and a poopy diaper. She complained he would always have a bowel movement right when she was getting of work, I guess she started to leave him dirty so she can get out on time. My son was never comfortable that this school, he was always unsettled. About a month later, I walked in the class and the teacher told me he kicked her when he was sitting on the potty and she hit him on the leg in a blocking motion, (at leasts thats how she told the story) I thought nothing of this until days later when my son (now almost 3 years old) told me the story on his own account. I did not bring it up, he did. He told me that she slapped his leg, then he proceeded to show me with a hard smack on the leg. I was shocked; my son is very bright and very well spoken so I understood him well and could take his word for it. He told this story over and over again for several months, it stuck with him, and I believe it affected him. I took this information to the facility Director after my son told me this story days after it happened. Had I known better I would have taken it to the authorities right away, instead I tried to let the Director do her job and deal with the issue. The Director (Theresa) set up a meeting to talk about the incident, at least that was what I expected. When we met and I spoke with her about what happened she never apologized for what took place or informed me of any changes or actions taken against the teacher. She showed no concern for my son at all, at this moment I felt like I was the only one who cared for my sons well being, and she is a facility Director at a Child Care Facility, not good. She tried to turn the situation around and blame my child for his part, the proceeded to make judgements about my parenting. Long story short, she did nothing but cover for the teacher and her actions with the mistreatment of my child. I trusted these people to care for my precious child and they mistreated him and made him feel the way a child should never have to feel. When a teacher strikes a child it becomes a serious and urgent matter, since the teacher did not address the situation as so, I had to file a police report and have my child questioned which I was not happy about. Basically from my experience the teachers did what was easiest for them and not for the well being of the children, my son required a bit of work because he was already 2 years old and still resisting potty training, they did not like that, more work for them. The bigger issue was that the Director thought it was more important to cover for her staff member rather then take action and care enough to properly address a rightfully concerned parents issue with care and urgency. We left and never looked back, the school he goes to now is less expensive and the teachers are loving, patient, and kind.My sons deminor changed, he is happier and more comfortable at this new school. Lesson learned;Just because a school looks good from the outside does not mean it is a good place. read more

Garner is fantastic. After visiting/interviewing 9 other preschools in Alameda and Bay Farm (some more than once) we settled on Garner. We moved our 3 1/2 year old into Garner after being in a home daycare for two years (she's now 4 1/2) and just this week we moved our 2 1/2 year old into the younger class as well. Some of the great features: coded, keypad entry...computer sign-in upon entry...a very large, comfortable common room amidst the 7 classrooms for various age groups...a.m. and p.m. snacks provided free of charge...various, recurring "extra" classes including Soccer Shots, Ballet/Dance, Gymnastics (all are about 9-week sessions for around $100)...three wonderful, large playgrounds with structures, bicycles and toys for all age groups. They go outside as often as they can. Occasional holiday "shows" or sing-alongs are put on for the major holidays, holiday parties are the norm--some for just the kids, some for families as well. Most classes have a nap/rest time in which almost all the kids sleep on padded nap mats, sort of like the gym mats you used to play on. Sounds uncomfortable, but all centers use this and all the kids seem to sleep just fine--you provide blanket/pillow/snuggly toy. Parents are welcome to visit at any time, unannounced which is a MUST. We interviewed one daycare provider who said, "We prefer you call first." Talk about your red flags. Overall a very clean, friendly, warm and educational school for your child. Teachers and staff know you and your child's name within days, always say Hello and are phenomenal people. Feel free to message with specific questions and good luck! read more

My daughter started at Garner at age 2, and has been there close to a year. She absolutely loves it! The teachers are fun, energetic, with creative ideas. The teachers and all the staff seem to really love to be there, and are super-friendly. The space is quite big--which you generally won't find on the main island--inside and out, and it is very clean and well-run. I love that there is a front desk and always someone around to help with your questiosn or concerns. It is a play-based structure, which we chose given our daughter's personality. Another thing: I am always welcome in her classroom, which I love, and I try to spend at least ten minutes in the morning with the kids. We plan on sending our daughter here until it's time for kindergarten. I'm so glad we found it. read more