My daughter has been at Bright Horizons Kirkland since September 2012 & we couldn't be happier. She started off in the infant room - low teacher/student ratio, lots of books, toys & two of the best infant teachers you could ever ask for. Olga & Irina are amazing. It was also comforting to see that there were no TVs, swings or jumpers -- nope -- they actually rock babies to sleep in their arms & interact with them 1:1. The center director is super sharp (I was blown away that she could remember my babies birthday off the top of her head), kind, attentive & runs a tight ship. When it was time for my daughter to transition to the toddler room, they made it as easy as possible. They worked out a schedule so that my daughter didn't feel like she was being thrown out of her old classroom and into a new one with way bigger kids. Their #1 concern was that my daughter didn't feel stressed or displaced. The price? Yep - it's expensive, but you're getting the best care and, come on, you've got some precious cargo - if you can afford it, it's worth it. Highly recommend! read more

They accommodated us for 3 days as part of our backup care benefit. The front office staff was friendly, welcoming, and helpful. The care providers/teachers seemed exhausted and maxed out. That seems standard for childcare centers, unfortunately, and I would've given 4 stars except my 18mo-old child contracted Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, which is highly communicable. I expected him to come home with a cold -- because daycare -- but this resulted in multiple ER and doctor visits and 2 weeks of recovery for our entire family. So I don't think it was worth the cost or effort to get there (45min commute each direction). Time-wise, it would've been better for me to just take 3 days off work and hang out with my kid instead of using backup care to end up at this location. But at least his immune system is a little more fortified, I guess?! Also, I have a feeling the only reason BH Kirkland had an opening for us in the first place (our original reservation at a different BH center closer to us was canceled last minute because they had no space) was because someone ended up out sick and staff clearly didn't take appropriate cleaning and sanitizing protocols as a result. read more

This is a review of our experience in this branch in September/October 2024. We enrolled in the Toddler (12 to 24 month) class. They have three Toddler classes and we were placed in one of them, with a 1:5 ratio. We stopped by the center a few days before the start date to be familiar with the staff and the environment. Our assigned teacher was absent on that day. She was also absent on our start date. She was absent two more days during our time there too. And we were only there for 6 days! Maybe accidental but pretty interesting record. For the days that the teacher was present: unfortunately, we found her the least caring and most indifferent in their job and to try to settle the new children into the environment. While we did observe other staff members trying their best effort at the job, we could not see this in the main teacher. There were three fairly new kids placed in one class, needing care and attention so they could adjust, and we observed how the teacher was not willing to do so. Few times, we saw children left out crying and unsettled. On two separate occasions, we found our daughter with scratches on her face. We understand that kids run around and hurt themselves. That was not surprising. What was surprising was the fact that none of the staff that we asked, could explain to us where and how it happened. That further confirmed to us that the level of care is not in par with what we were expecting. We did not think this was the right atmosphere and brought it up to the management. In return our concerns were dismissed, no action was taken, and we were told that "new kids will finally adjust". We did not believe this was the best way to have the new kids adjust. We asked to change to another of the Toddler classes. They declined. We asked to move up to the Twos (24-36 month) class as our daughter was 23 months old at the time. They declined. We asked to have more teachers in the class during mornings. They declined. For the outdoor areas: Their outdoor space is pretty limited and small compared to other places that we have visited. For Toddlers under 2, they have even further reduced the space to a narrow turf corridor on the side of the building with no swings, slides, and etc. Maybe this is what they think is working for the children under 2, but we found our daughter clearly bored and unhappy in that small space. Ultimately, we decided to not continue with this center. We were hoping they could at least understand the situation and how bad the onboarding process has been and address the financial side of things. We were wrong. They did not show any flexibility and we decided to not waste any time and energy discussing matters with them. Paid ~4,500 for only 6 days of care that we received and decided to at least share our experience with everyone else in case it is helpful for other families. read more

I did not work at this center but could not find my current location on Yelp. My review is for corporate and advice to parents. The company stands not in their own moral code, but ebbs and flows with current political topics. Always taking the side of the loudest. You're not getting what you're paying for either. If you want your very young child to learn about sex I suggest this happens at home not through a school with political motives. Also corporate is mostly horrible. They tell you what you want to hear with no follow through and never investigating through the person making the complaint. The gate keepers run deep. They care very little about the teachers and their well being. Therefore no follow through with the teachers (who have the actual knowledge). Just through corporate who has no idea what's going on, but always takes the time and priority of protecting themselves only. Teachers are replaceable and mostly treated as such. Corporate is the only people (who don't work with the children) who make uneducated decisions based on protecting themselves only. Parents are overpaying for a school with a political agenda wrapped up in a bow of "we care about your child". Allowing little time for teachers to actually build those foundations to have a meaningful trustworthy relationship with your child. Which is why most people chose to be a teacher, for the children not the agendas. read more

Our daughter went here for 3.5 years ever since we moved from California to Greater Seattle area. All the employees were very pleasant people to talk to and they all genuinely seemed to love kids (which I feel are pretty much the most important things necessary in people working around kids). My daughter was also taught quite a few things at school and went on to develop an intense emotional attachment to some of the teachers like Ms. Vinayaka Modi (she doesn't teach there anymore as she moved out of Seattle- she wan an absolutely stellar lady btw and dealt warmly with some very socially awkward geeks I know - people who'd look away from me despite knowing me and whose kids were beat friends with mine ). My daughter genuinely looked forward to going to "school" every day while she was here. read more

Update: I did sign up my daughter for the more reliable center in Redmond, where we had good experience in the past. Indeed, so far I have seen only prompt responses from there. The location is not ideal for us, but high quality dependent care is crucial. After I posted the review some parents pointed that the Kirkland center director actually left last year, so maybe there is a staffing problem. I received a call from the regional director of Bright Horizons, who promised to engage the personnel in trainings for customer service. There was supposed to be further exchange of emails with her, so that I can pass her contact to the parent, who told me about the physical mistreatment of a child in the center. However, I never received the email from her to follow up though. According to the parent, that incident happened two years ago. I hope this is addressed by now. read more

As a former teacher, I've always said that my kid's teachers are gonna hate me. Well, at Bright Horizons (which used to be called The Learning Garden, or still is, I don't know), I'd like to think the teachers don't hate me - because I haven't had anything to complain about, nor am I a helicopter parent. Our son starting going here a couple days a week when he was 2, and we are all very happy. Though much of the staff is un-degreed (the teachers are degreed, the assistants are not), they are well-trained & seem to be sharper. The teaching style is more traditional, as opposed to Montessori. I like that there are many extra-curriculars the kids can sign up for (at an additional cost), except for Spanish which is included in the tuition. The tuition. Ah yes. It IS a pricey place. And you have to remember that you're being charged for a 12 HOUR DAY for your kid; however long you leave your child is up to you, but there are no "half-days" when talking about tuition. IMO, it's comforting to have that option of all-day care. Have I used it? Yes, a couple of times, when I was having surgery. For those of us with no family here, BH is a good solution. I know of parents who have not been satisfied with BH for their children, and that's perfectly fine. As with any school, your opinion is based on who is teaching your child and how your child does in a school setting. But for right now, it's working for us. :) read more

Quick followup. They saw this review and called within 48 hours. They were clearly very sorry for the lack of communication and said they would remedy it in the future. They were clearly apologetic--but we still decided to take our name off the waitlist. I think their communication will probably improve in the future but my impression is already set. I doubt we will be sending our kids there in the future. read more

I have to admit that I don't have anything against this facility. I just called over there for a quote and found out that they charge $1940 a month. Almost $2,000? My child is 19 months, he's not attending Harvard. read more

My son has been on the wait list for 6 months and still no call. I'm going to have to write off the $100 wait list fee and start looking for alternatives. I found their practice of charging wait list fee and giving NO information about the length of wait list, or how many people have priority over you, unethical at best. They have the information, there's no reason why they should not share them with the parents, and seems they just prefer to charge us to keep us guessing. It's impossible for parents to plan with this opacity. After 6 months, I called to ask them the status of wait list. The staff is much more helpful this time and told me the number of kids in front of my son. Also told me there will be another 1 year wait, likely. Another thing: Because the daycare's playground is so small, I've seen the Bright horizon kids (15-30 of them) swarming the playground at Peter Kirk Park at noon time, pushing other kids around. That is less a problem than the fact Peter Kirk Park is several blocks away, so it means all these kids will have to be marched through vehicle traffic every day, which is a huge safety issue for the kids. I don't know why my earlier review was removed by yelp. Probably bcos the staff from bright horizon flagged it somehow. My experience is not made up, and hope it helps you make a decision. read more

Our family LOVES Bright Horizons especially our 3 year old, he couldn't be happier. We had tried a different day care in Kirkland and our son HATED it. Since switching to Bright Horizons he actually looks forward to going to school again. Yes the price is a little bit more, but you get what you pay for with childcare. Not to mention the staff, EVERYONE at Bright Horizons is fantastic. I highly recommend Bright Horizons to anyone. read more

Compared to what my friends report about their child care (cost, value, curriculum, attitudes) I feel lucky to have our son enrolled at Bright Horizons for the past 3 years. My only fear is that he will be so far ahead of the other Kindergartners at public school... read more

My daughter has been going to Bright Horizons at Kirkland since she was 4 months old (she is now 13 months). As a first time mom, I was very nervous to leave my baby at a daycare for 10 hours a day. BH emails immediately back if you ask anything regarding your child. If you call, they transfer you right to your child's teacher to help you with any concerns. My daughter now cries when we leave BH, which is a compliment to them. The teachers take pictures of the kids each day and post them on the wall in the classroom for you to see what you have missed them doing. I would highly recommend BH Kirkland to anyone. I can't say enough. read more

I do not recommend Bright Horizons in Kirkland. By paying expensive tuition, you would expect to have good quality teachers and safe environment for the kids. The fact is that teachers are changed very often since they leave this day care center for certain reasons. Also I do not feel they supervise the kids seriously and this can lead to an unsafe environment for some kids. There are good day care centers in Kirkland but Bright Horizons is not one of them. read more

We switched our son from another daycare a few weeks ago and are very happy with our decision. I am a teacher myself, and I am familiar with the curriculums they are using (Handwriting without Tears, Math Man etc.) - it's good stuff. I like that they have emphasis on kids playing together, cooperating, and considering others' feelings. The communication is excellent - every day we get a report about what the kids did in the classroom (with cute pictures!) It helps me have a conversation with my son about his day. They serve a variety of healthy foods - an important aspect for me as well. The teachers are very positive and enthusiastic, they seem to really enjoy what they are doing. My son really enjoys hanging out in the lobby after school, reading books, looking at the fish in the fish tank, looking into classrooms through the windows and waving to other kids. read more

We've had our son there since he was 1 1/2 and he's about to leave for Kindergarten at the end of this year. It's been a great place, and I couldn't recommend it more highly. They provide art and Spanish almost every day, bring in special presenters, take field trips (for the older kids), and offer the kids exposure to a wide variety of topics. They also take teaching quite seriously, and evaluate progress regularly to keep the parents engaged with what's appropriate for their child's age of development. It's also safe and offers nutritious meals and snacks. They've really helped my son mature into a well-rounded, delightful child who's happy, socially adept, and confident in knowing he'll be well cared for when I drop him off. read more

We love love love our Bright Horizons center! We have two children who have been attending Bright Horizons at Kirkland for almost 2 years (since Sept 2015) and we couldn't be happier with the level of care they've received every step of the way. All of their teachers have been truly amazing, from when we started in the 2-year old room all the way to where my oldest is now (Pre-K). The teachers have all been warm and loving, the environment is clean and fun. Both of my kids have learned so much since staring at this center. And they both love going there, they wake up every morning excited to start their day, excited to see their friends and their teachers, and anytime something exciting happens (outside of school) they can't wait to got to school to tell their teacher!! The administration staff is phenomenal, I trust them 100%. They are super responsive (I always receive a quick response to emails all throughout the day), very accommodating with anything we need ever, and I know they always have our kids best interests at heart. The food is lovely, made fresh every day. All in all I cannot say enough good things about this Bright Horizons! read more

We had a terrible experience with Bright Horizons Kirkland. Early in 2018 we met with Sara, their coordinator and she reassured us we will get a spot for our now 1 year old daughter in January as my husband is a Google employee and G. employees are with priority. We did not apply at any other daycare centers after this meeting. We called the center in December to ask if she was accepted and we were told she is not and that the coordinator is saying this to all families to make them feel welcome. In January, we called again to discuss with Sara and she was extremely rude telling us that: "We can complain as much as we want!" Our older daughter was a student in Bright Horizons Redmond for many years and I don't recall such a bad service back then. First, they provided misleading information, second they took no accountability for it while being very rude with us and third nobody has any visibility of their waitlist. Each time we ask when our daughter will get accepted, they answer with: "We don't know" and have never told us which number is she on the list which makes their acceptance process very questionable. How can we be sure that they do not favor any families over others? read more

We could not be happier with our experience with this BH. We have had our 4 year old there for nearly two years, and we started our 1 year old there last winter. The basic requirements of what you look for when you tour a center are met - the center is clean and secure, the front desk staff is organized, and the meals served are varied and healthy. But what sets this BH apart is the quality of the teachers (many of whom boast many years of service at the center,) the "extracurricular" services offered like Spanish class, martial arts, etc., and the curriculum which is a good mix for young kids. Cannot recommend this center enough. Look past the price tag and see all that you get for your money. We feel it's well worth our money. read more