Welcome to Bright Horizons at Evanston

Thanks to McGaw YMCA’s partnership with Northwestern University, we are able to offer NU affiliated families with access to NU scholarship funds and priority enrollment to our child care, afterschool programs, and camps. We also offer NU families a free McGaw YMCA youth membership, which allows parents to pay the member rate, or approximately a 10% discount on tuition. For more information, please visit the McGaw YMCA benefit page on the NU Human Resources website.

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.

All Bright Horizons staff are trained regularly in CPR, even if not 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.

Yes, Bright Horizons has an open door policy.  You are encouraged to visit your child anytime.

We suggest you register with Bright Horizons.  You can select up to 3 locations to be registered at, including the center you are most interested in.  By registering, you are confirming your strong interest in all 3 centers.  We will add you to our wait list and you will be offered a space as soon as one becomes available.  While waiting for a space to become available at your first choice location, many families will choose to enroll at their 2^nd or 3^rd choice temporarily until space becomes available at the center they are most interested in.  In many centers, a child currently enrolled at a Bright Horizons location has priority over the general community so enrolling at another location will not only solve your care needs but will also give you additional priority in getting into your 1st preference.  Our goal is to accommodate families as soon as space allows.  During the entire process, we will keep in touch with you regarding your status.

We encourage any family interested in center information, regular updates and invitations to the many events we are planning, to contact us.

To find other locations, please visit www.brighthorizons.com/locator.

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.

Tuition varies by center, schedule and by individual classroom. To find out more information about tuition, please contact the center directly.

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, ArtSmart, Our World and Well Aware that cross all age groups. For more on information on our curriculum, click here.

• 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.