Bright Horizons at Skokie - Skokie, Illinois

Erin C.

We sent our child here from 10mo-14mo in the infant room, and would not recommend this center to any parent. We paid a premium price as Bright Horizons has a reputable name and we were new to the area. We left after several red flags.

Poor Shift Changes/Consistency: We would drop off with one person, the "opener", they would transfer to main teacher around 9a, then a new teacher during lunch, then back to a main teacher, then another teacher for "closing" shift. There were several times when the "opener" teacher either had 8+ children in their solo care, or would argue to not take our child. During pickup, we would often go from room to room searching for our child. Their belongings were in a different room to where they were - it was just incredibly unorganized.

High Turnover: There were a few teachers who were wonderful, but during the four months at BH, our child had upwards of 12 different carers. Only the main teacher knew our child's schedule, and this information wasn't transferred on teacher changes.

Concerning Care: As a parent, we felt we had a duty of care. We noticed several *young* babies screaming for several minutes with no attention. We witnessed some concerning situations (crying babies on tile floor, babies stuck on tummy time for extended time) and would NOT recommend young infants be sent to this center.

Tammy X.

We loved sending our daughter to this daycare! Great administrators and wonderful teachers. We had to switch daycares to one closer to home, but she attended the infant and toddlers classrooms and always liked going to daycare. Wish we could have stayed longer!

Eiman M.

Absolutely love this daycare. All the staff are truly exceptional. Organized facility with such kind and attentive staff. We have 3 kiddos (ages 5, 4, and 15 months). My 15 month old had a rough time adjusting and the teachers were so nurturing, putting us at ease when we’d drop him off. My older two love telling tell me about their day and I love the picture updates of what they’re learning, and just how communicative they are overall. Highly recommend Bright Horizons Skokie!

Naomi L.

We left our excellent daycare because we moved homes to a new neighborhood. We decided to go with Bright Horizons because it sounded great on paper. However, the reality of our experience there did not match our expectations whatsoever. We’ve since moved to a new daycare that has been excellent (no more crying at dropoff!)

Pros:
- Teachers are nice (though retention seems to be an issue)
- Center is clean and bright

Cons:
- High teacher turnover: Both the teachers in my child’s classroom had only been with BH for a few months, and one of the new teachers had never worked in childcare before.
- Safety: Our son was scratched deeply by an unknown object while the teachers were not present. No staff members were with our son when it happened, so we do not know what really caused it. Regardless, he had a bloody two-inch-long cut along his chest and when we were notified by the administration, they were shockingly unsympathetic.
- Consistency issues: Teachers are constantly switching between classrooms. There’s not a lot of teacher consistency throughout the day with the children and no transparency with the parents about why or when it’s happening. When we picked our child up one day, we found out only then that he had spent the whole day in a different classroom with all new kids and new teachers. We received no pictures in the app that day either.
- Communication: They claim to use an app to communicate with parents but rarely actually update it and almost never include videos. We had no idea what our child did each day and his teachers were usually gone by the time we picked up our child at 4:30 pm. Parents also can’t message teachers; instead, they have to call in for any communication. (We had messaging at our old daycare, which was so helpful.)
- We felt that the Center Director seemed very focused on the corporate side of BH and it trickled down to the culture of the facility.
- Our old daycare had weekly emails showcasing what the kids did that week, fun events, and really seemed to care about the kids, even at the administration level. The teachers had years of tenure and were clearly passionate educators. The communication was way better and there were no safety issues. That was all missing here.

Saroj S.

Sending our child to Bright Horizons Skokie was one of our best decisions. Being working parents and demanding jobs, it was essential for us to have a daycare that would positively impact my child while away from home. We are happy with their services and curriculum, which is age-appropriate, ensures personal attention, and has many group activities and social interactions. I get daily updates on my child's activities throughout the day via the app. We love the teachers, and the staff. Highly recommend the center!

Catherine L.

We have had our son at Bright Horizons Skokie since 2020 and have had a fantastic experience! Our son is so happy every day, has learned so much, and is truly taken care of. The staff is so loving and caring as well as professional. There are multiple rooms and outdoor spaces that allow for all types of learning and physical play. His classroom is filled with developmental toys and his teachers always do many activities that help with his growth. I am amazed at what he has learned!! We receive daily updates of his activities, books they’ve read, what he eats (which is always healthy and a wide variety), his naps, diaper changes/potty training, and pictures. I I HIGHLY recommend Bright Horizons Skokie to all families.

Blair C.

Our family has been attending Bright Horizons for a little over a month now, and we love the facility, teachers and administration staff. Each room is large and has plenty of toys and books to keep the kids attention throughout the day, and their gym even includes a small rock wall for climbing! We love the structure and activities that the kids participate in that support developing their fine motor and critical thinking skills. We also love the variety in the menu, and the fact that they have an on-site chef. All things considered, we are extremely satisfied with Bright Horizons.

Diana P.

We love Bright Horizons at Skokie! All of the teachers are very caring and professional. The facility is clean and bright with a variety of spaces for different activities. We love that we can check in on the app throughout the day to see what our daughter is up to. Highly recommend!