Bright horizons

[thills]

Does anyone belong to Bright Horizons? The NCMA just emailed me to ask if I would be interested, and I am tempted but I just wondered if anyone has any experience of them before I say yes!

[Samcat]

I had that email as well. Am going to look into it further before deciding anything. I don't even know if they're in my area!

[thills]

I don't either! I spoke to my father in law and showed him the little information I have and our only concern was being paid after the care is given. But his thoughts were that if payment is not received then you don't accept any more work from them, with the NCMA backing them you would hope they were a good company!

[LauraS]

I read a bit about them, they appear to be an american company who provide back-up childcare, so we get a lead from BH about a family needing care, set our price, provide the care then invoice BH who collect payment and pay us... smells like an agency to me.

Funnily enough it seems that BH have said they will be interested in operating as an agency if proposals go ahead.

Am I overly suspicious to think they are creeping in the back door while we guard the front

[HilaryT]

I read a bit about them, they appear to be an american company who provide back-up childcare, so we get a lead from BH about a family needing care, set our price, provide the care then invoice BH who collect payment and pay us... smells like an agency to me.

Funnily enough it seems that BH have said they will be interested in operating as an agency if proposals go ahead.

Am I overly suspicious to think they are creeping in the back door while we guard the front

I agree, they are acting as an agent on your behalf. I phoned up to enquire, and got sent an agreement contract which extends to 12 pages of do's and don'ts, which seem to give Bright Horizons rather more control over your business than I would like. Think I will give it a miss. Depends rather on how desperate you are for more business!

[hectors house]

I have heard the name for a number of years - think they did all the funding for Wiltshire, I live in Somerset on the Wiltshire border so it was easier for me to do training courses in Wiltshire, 7 miles away rather than travel 25 miles for training in Somerset. I used to get fed up paying full price for my courses and hearing then everyone else who lived in Wiltshire had their place subsidised by Bright Horizons.

[catlyn]

the latest Pacey newsletter has a link to this for South of England members

[cbj1609]

I got this from Pacey yesterday, having read about them the impression I got was that they are an agency. With that in mind I figured that I wouldn't sign up to them as we are trying to stay away from agencies.

They were all for agency set ups as well as LauraS also said.

My concern was that if they are an agency why are PACEY advertising them?