Welcome to Cornell University Child Care Center

A 30 day notice is required to terminate your affiliation with the center.  If a family is away for an extended period of time and would like to be guaranteed a slot when returning, they will be required to pay for the slot. Families will also have the option of providing 30 day notice prior to leaving and paying $25 to be placed on the wait list for future enrollment.

Once registration is complete, you will receive an email from the Enrollment Manager, Kate Brick, confirming your registration with Bright Horizons. Families are welcome to contact Kate at kate.brick@brighthorizons.com directly with any questions about their registration.

Until a child care spot is offered to your family, you will receive an email every other month to confirm your continued interest to remain on the waitlist. You must respond to this bi-monthly email as directed to retain your position on the waitlist.

When a child care spot is available at the Cornell Child Care Center, you will receive an email containing an offer of child care.

In order to secure the child care spot that you are offered, you will be required to pay the first month’s tuition based on the schedule you accept.

All Bright Horizons staff are trained regularly in CPR and required by the state. First Aid is taught as required by state licensing agency/regulations so that you can feel confident that your child is safe and receiving the best care possible at our center.

The center offers limited back up care (10 days) on the days a family's regular child care is unavailable. It will be provided on a daily space available basis, for infants, toddlers, and pre-school age children.  Please call the center for instructions on how to register your child for back up care.  Care can be requested up to 30 days in advance.  As the center is currently at capacity please note that space is not guaranteed.

The center has a capacity of 170 children at one time- 48 infants, 50 toddler, and 72 preschool students.

Yes, if a family has two children at the center, each child receives a 10% discount.  If a family has three or more children at the center, each receives a 15% discount.

Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 7:30am-6:00pm!

Our center is currently open Monday through Friday, 7:30am-6:00pm!

Families are added to the waitlist using the date of their registration and the date care is needed.

Enrollment priority includes:

1. Siblings of currently enrolled families
2. Families currently enrolled part-time and waiting for a full-time opening
3. New families based on date of application and age(s) of child (not university status)

Although it is our policy to not provide detailed information about waiting list placement, we are happy to share general updates to help you determine the likelihood of availability, as well as whether/when to seek alternative child care options to serve your immediate or longer term needs.

To discuss child care options other than the Cornell Child Care Center, please reach out to Ruth Merle-Doyle, Work/Life Program Manager at rem64@cornell.edu. You can meet with Ruth for an individual consultation to learn additional local childcare resources to consider while you are waiting.

Bright Horizons curriculum, The World at Their Fingertips, is our unique curriculum designed to engage children in active learning that prepares them for school while helping them achieve their individual potential and fostering a spirit of community. It includes curriculum elements such as Language Works, Math Counts, Science Rocks, Art Smart, Our World and Well Aware that cross all age groups. Learn more about Bright Horizons Curriculum.

Bright Horizons conducts a comprehensive background check on all prospective employees and frequent visitors. The background check consists 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. For all location employees, program licensing background checks required by the state are also performed.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has developed standards to define and recognize quality child care programs. In order to be accredited, a child care program must meet a variety of strict criteria, including having a well-trained faculty, good staff-child ratios and group sizes, and a comprehensive curriculum, as well as meet stringent health and safety standards. The program must also provide meaningful opportunities for family involvement.

How do I enroll my child at the Cornell Child Care Center?

To enroll your child at the Cornell Child Care Center and to be added to the center’s waitlist, you must first register your family in our Family Information Center.

1. You will create an account in the Bright Horizons Family Information Center.
2. Click the “Register Now” button on the home page and follow the prompts to complete your registration, including each parent/caregiver and the child(ren) for whom you are seeking care.
3. Please include your Cornell NetID in the “Employee ID” box and your Cornell Affiliation (staff, faculty, grad student, post doc, etc.) in the “Business Unit” box. This information will be used by your employer to verify your enrollment eligibility.
4. You will be asked to choose a schedule for your childcare. The Cornell Child Care Center offers the options of M-F, M/W/F or T/Th, either full days or half days.
5. To complete registration, you are required to pay a $25 non-refundable, one-time registration fee.
6. Once your information and registration is confirmed, you will be added to our center waitlist using the completed registration date and your desired start date for child care.

Tuition rates vary by schedule and age group.  The rates for benefits-eligible and non- benefits eligible employees and students can be found here.  There is not a sliding fee scale, but the university's Child Care Grant Subsidy programs assists faculty, staff and students with covering the cost of the tuition based upon their family's income.

• The Cornell Child Care Center serves the children of parents and legal guardians who are currently fully Cornell benefits eligible faculty, academic and nonacademic staff, and enrolled students. Due to compliance regulations with the funding used to operate the center, benefits eligible families and enrolled students are given priority on the wait list. 
• Although visiting scholars/lecturers (that do not receive full university benefits), Postdoc Fellows, and Cornell affiliates that do not have university Cornell benefits (ie Boyce Thompson employees) may apply to the center, there is a different fee schedule associated with enrollment and enrollment is only offered after benefits eligible employees and student needs are met.
• If you are unsure of your benefits eligibility status, contact your local Human Resources representative or Work/Life in Human Resources.
• If your benefits eligibility or student status change during your time on the wait list, you are expected to notify the center as soon as possible. You will no longer be eligible to enroll at the center unless you maintain a Cornell employee affiliation that does not offer full benefits, or you have enrolled as a Cornell student. The CCCC will confirm your eligibility with Human Resources prior to enrollment.
• If your benefits eligibility or student status change during enrollment, you are required to inform the center within 7 days. Those that have ended employment with Cornell or completed their studies may continue enrollment for 30 days. Your child’s continued enrollment is not guaranteed and will be based on the waitlist of benefits eligible employees and Cornell students.

Bright Horizons is an organization with a core mission of helping children and families. For those parents seeking additional resources beyond those that can be provided through Bright Horizons, the center will have resource listings of educational specialists, medical consultants, nutritionists, speech therapists, and other community professionals who are available to work with children, families, and staff.

• Start by selecting the Find a Center link on this page.
• Under the center you’re interested in, click the Request Details button.
• Then, select Schedule Your Visit and fill out the form.

This depends on your child’s age, temperament, and level of maturity. General tips for preparing for the first day of child care include:  

Please submit an inquiry to your center(s) of interest with a request for tuition information. We recommend scheduling a visit at the same time (this can be done on the same form).

Safety is our top priority, and it’s part of our everyday routine. All of our centers follow expert-informed health, safety, and security policies and allergy protocols. Additionally, health, safety, and wellness are built right into our curriculum, and our classrooms and spaces are safely designed for learning and exploration.