As a former toddler teacher, the standards with which I hold for early childhood education centers may be considered radical or extreme to some. I care less about the physical components of a space and more about the warmth and authenticity of the staff. I need to intuitively trust my child will be seen and honored as their unique self, met with compassion in both their triumphs and their struggles, and that the parent-teacher communication will be open and genuine. After being duped by a couple of providers, thinking I found somewhere great and then dealing with neglectful caregiving, I was VERY hesitant to enroll my child anywhere again. However, I knew that having him home while I worked from home was not in his best interest as he yearned to engage in play and be amongst kids his age.
After ignoring a friend's recommendation for a couple months, I finally messaged Brighten our Future and met the wonderful director, Sonita. During our first meeting, Sonita made me feel heard and conveyed authentic empathy toward the struggle of finding trustworthy childcare. She wasn't just empathizing though, she was connecting my struggle with her own. As another mother who felt the same frustrations I did, Sonita brought this whole center to life to be the space she couldn't find as a parent. At the end of the tour, my son didn't want to leave. It was a leap of faith, but I knew I had to trust my intuition. We decided to enroll him the next day.
Gone are the days of me dealing with the guilt of letting him watch hours of shows while I worked and worrying about his needs being met. I drop my son off and he says goodbye to me with confidence. I pick him up and he is beaming, proudly saying goodbye to his teachers and peers. I have never for a second doubted our decision to enroll him since the day I toured. I did not know if I would ever wholly trust a caregiving team to tenderly care for my babe while I was working but Sonita and her staff have given me peace of mind that I didn't know was possible. If you are looking for an early learning center ran by someone who exudes genuine passion for curating a child-centered, developmentally appropriate and trauma informed caregiving environment, I would wholeheartedly recommend Brighten our Future.

Taylor Dollison