FORMERLY PE OWNED
Bright Horizons
Includes Bright Horizons Family Solutions
childcare · Newton, MA
- PE Firm
- Bain Capital →
- Year Acquired
- 2008
Bain Capital bought your daycare. Then took it public. Your toddler is now a line item.
What Happened
- Bain Capital bought Bright Horizons in 2008; took it public in 2013
- Now publicly traded but PE-era practices remain, including citing unionization as a profit risk factor
- Launched pilot 24-hour onsite daycare centers in 2025 for corporate clients
- Serves over 120,000 children globally — from PE-owned brand to daycare conglomerate
The Damage Done
- In July 2025, three employees at the NYC Columbus Circle location were arrested for child abuse — allegations include placing packing tape across a toddler's face and dragging children by their hair
- NYC centers faced 47 complaints filed with the Health Department from July 2024 to July 2025 — 40% were substantiated
- In Scotland, Bright Horizons was convicted and fined 800,000 pounds after an unsupervised 10-month-old died by choking
- Tuition runs $1,100-$3,000 per month per child, with staffing shortages forcing some centers to restrict enrollment
Sources
- Bright Horizons workers charged with abusing toddlers — Manhattan DA(2025-07-01)
- Former NYC day care employees accused of abuse — CBS News(2025-07-01)
- PE and Shareholders Reshaping American Child Care — Early Learning Nation(2024-04-01)
- Nursery fined after baby chokes to death — Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service(2022-01-28)