Full-Time
Lead Educator
Updated on 7/27/2026
Bright Horizons
10,001+ employees
Employer-sponsored on-site child care provider
Compensation Overview
$23.60 - $26.20/hr
Arlington, VA, USA
In Person
In-person role based in Arlington, Virginia; on-site work required.
 Education |
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- Candidates must pass required state and company background checks and meet state and company minimum education and experience requirements
- CDA with an educational plan to complete associate degree is required
- At least three years of professional experience teaching in high-quality child care, daycare, or preschool settings is required
- Lead a team in implementing high-quality, developmentally appropriate curriculum aligned with our philosophy and anti-bias education
- Be a curriculum expert and use educational quality tools to assess and enhance program implementation
- Partner and communicate effectively with families, while mentoring new teachers and serving as a role model for the teaching team
- Associate or higher degree in early childhood education or child development related field is preferred
- Experience working in a NAEYC-accredited center is preferred
Bright Horizons provides employer-sponsored child care and early education services through a network of dedicated centers. The company works by partnering directly with corporations to build and manage on-site or nearby facilities where employees can enroll their children in structured learning programs. Unlike traditional independent daycares, Bright Horizons focuses on large-scale business partnerships and integrated family solutions to help companies support their workforce. Its goal is to provide working families with reliable, high-quality care while helping employers attract and retain talent.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Watertown, Massachusetts
Founded
1986
Get referred to Bright Horizons
Find people who can refer or advise you
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Care Advising targets the #2 reason employees leave workforce, supporting 73% of adults with caregiving responsibilities.
- Q1 2026 revenue grew 7% to $712.2 million, with $225 million share repurchase signaling cash flow strength.
- Backup Care growth compensates for Australia enrollment weakness and margin pressure from 90 center closures over three years.
What critics are saying
- Securities fraud investigations stem from $45M impairment charges and 45–50 planned 2026 center closures, threatening delisting.
- NYC settlement bars new center applications until January 2027 after July 2025 abuse case, blocking expansion in key market.
- Tuition hikes driving margin expansion face enrollment resistance as childcare costs hit 8.9–16% of median household income.
What makes Bright Horizons unique
- 40-year employer partnership model grounds 1,000 centers across five countries serving 1,450 leading employers.
- Care Advising launched May 2026 unifies eldercare, neurodiversity, and Medicare navigation via Homethrive integration.
- Backup Care delivers double-digit growth, offsetting core center declines and projecting 11–13% annual long-term growth.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
Professional Development Budget
Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 6%1 year growth
↑ 6%2 year growth
↑ 6%Employers risk losing skilled talent without support for working parents and carers, HR leaders told at CIPD Festival of Work. Bright Horizons Work+Family Solutions and Marsh shared new evidence at the UK's flagship HR event that family support now sits at the centre of engagement, productivity and retention Speaking at a fireside session at ExCeL London on 11 June, Jennifer Liston-Smith, Strategic Advisor for Bright Horizons Work+Family Solutions, and Leah Gray, UK & Ireland Benefits Manager at Marsh, told an audience of HR and people professionals that support for working parents and carers has become essential to organisational performance. The session, titled 'Easing the squeeze: Why supporting every family life stage is the future of wellbeing', drew on findings from the Work-Life Gap Report 2026, the latest research from Bright Horizons Work+Family Solutions comparing the experiences of employees with and without access to practical care support. Around half of the UK workforce has family dependants, making work and family pressure a structural feature of the modern workforce rather than a marginal concern. The research finds that among the wider UK workforce, only 37% of working parents and carers feel able to switch off and maintain healthy boundaries between work and life. Among employees using Bright Horizons Back-Up Care, that rises to 67% who say their family friendly benefits help them disconnect, maintain balance and stay focused at work. The productivity effect is equally direct, with 79% of back-up care users saying it enabled them to work on days they otherwise could not have. The career consequences are sharpest for women. Among unsupported working mothers, 48% say caring responsibilities have negatively affected their career. Among mothers with access to back-up care, 83% say the support helps keep their career on track and 85% say it increases their likelihood of staying with their employer. Jennifer Liston-Smith said: "Every stage of family life is crucial to wellbeing, and crucial to allowing our organisations to do what they need to do." Leah Gray shared Marsh's experience of building support for employees across every life stage, and the measurable impact on engagement, productivity and the retention of skills and talent. She also offered a candid view of the challenge facing HR decision makers seeking to introduce similar provision. Leah Gray said: "The hardest thing is securing the budget and quantifying the return on investment. The people who hold the purse strings need to be convinced." However, she added that when Back-Up Care directly saves many days of absence, the ROI for the business is clear, even before quantifying the positive impact in wellbeing, retention, or engagement. The Work-Life Gap Report 2026 addresses directly that challenge of demonstrating evidence, setting out the mechanism by which practical support delivers a return: support at moments of disruption reduces stress and mental load, enabling focus and presence, which in turn sustains productivity, retention and workforce resilience. Even more simply, the employee is present and working when they'd otherwise be absent or juggling care and work unproductively. The findings also point to a cultural dividend. Employees with access to practical support are 16% points more likely to say their manager cares about their work-life balance, and 81% of back-up care users report a positive impact on their mental and emotional wellbeing.
Bright Horizons launches Care Advising to support families across complex caregiving needs. May 12, 2026 - Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc., a leading provider of employer-sponsored care and education benefits, is launching Care Advising, a new offering that helps employees navigate complex caregiving needs - from aging parents and neurodiversity to life transitions. The solution brings together expert guidance and digital care navigation in one seamless, comprehensive experience. Powered by Homethrive and fully integrated into the Bright Horizons ecosystem, Care Advising enables employers to support the entire caregiving journey through one unified employee experience, one platform, and one partner. "Many working families today are navigating deeply personal and often complex caregiving challenges, and employers are looking for a more streamlined way to connect their employees to meaningful support," said Phil Barr, Chief Development Officer at Bright Horizons. "In partnership with Homethrive and their deep expertise in senior care and neurodiversity, Care Advising gives organizations a meaningful way to support their people with both guidance and direct care during critical moments. Care Advising leverages skilled Care Guides to work with families to create personalized action plans, organize critical information, connect to relevant employee benefits, and access trusted service providers. Additionally, through a digital care hub, employees can find specific, vetted information about a range of caregiving needs. "This partnership reflects a broader shift we're seeing from large employers who are moving away from fragmented solutions and toward a few trusted platforms that make it easier for employees to find and get the support they need," said Dave Jacobs, CEO of Homethrive. "Bright Horizons has built one of the most trusted family care platforms in the market, and by embedding Homethrive into that experience, we're bringing high-impact caregiving support to millions of employees in a way that's easier to access, easier to use, and ultimately more valuable for both employers and their people." About Homethrive Homethrive is the only all-in-one caregiving platform combining predictive technology with 1:1 support from credentialed Care Guides to help families navigate the full spectrum of care. Its comprehensive solution addresses every caregiving need, including backup and ongoing childcare, eldercare, neurodivergence, chronic conditions, and aging, while also providing integrated estate planning services along with hands-on support through loss and bereavement. Homethrive saves members an average of 16.4 hours of care coordination each month and delivers industry-leading utilization. Distributed through leading employers, insurers, health plans, financial institutions and partner platforms, Homethrive helps organizations support the 73% of adults navigating caregiving responsibilities - improving engagement, outcomes, and measurable business impact. Learn more at www.homethrive.com.
Employers add pet care to benefits packages. 2026-03-30 A growing number of employers are adding subsidized pet care to benefits packages, according to Wellthy CEO and co-founder Lindsay Jurist-Rosner. Wellthy started out providing backup caregiving for older people and children and expanded to include pet care. Bright Horizons partners with Rover and Wag! to provide pet care services. Full story: Animal Health SmartBrief Animal health news Designed specifically for veterinarians, Animal Health SmartBrief is a free, daily email newsletter. It provides the latest news that matters to animal health professionals, including veterinary medicine updates, animal welfare and pet product news, best business practices and regulatory updates.
Robert Gordon University nursery first in Grampian to achieve Breastfeeding Friendly Scotland status. Published: 11/03/2026 11:00 The Treehouse Early Care and Education Centre, on the Robert Gordon University (RGU) campus, has become the first nursery in Grampian to achieve the national Breastfeeding Friendly Scotland Early Learning Award. Operated by Bright Horizons in partnership with RGU, the nursery has been recognised for its commitment to supporting breastfeeding families after successfully completing the process, which is delivered in partnership with the NHS Grampian Public Health team. The award acknowledges organisations that create welcoming, inclusive and supportive environments for breastfeeding parents. To achieve the award, Treehouse Early Care and Education Centre demonstrated strong policies, staff training and practical measures that ensure parents feel confident and comfortable breastfeeding or expressing milk on the premises. Fiona McQueen, Nursery Manager at the Treehouse Early Care and Education Centre said: "Receiving the Breastfeeding Award means so much to our whole team. Creating a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment for children and parents is at the heart of everything we do and we're very proud to have this commitment recognised. Every parent has their own journey, and we're committed to supporting each and every one" Emma Hay-Higgins, RGU Lecturer and Treehouse Nursery parent said: "It is fantastic the Treehouse Nursery has achieved the Breastfeeding Friendly Award, reflecting its commitment to creating a culture of inclusive support for all families. This builds upon wider work across RGU in relation to the Breastfeeding Friendly Scheme and the re-validation of the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Gold Award demonstrating sustained commitment to supporting infant feeding and relationship building across our community." The Breastfeeding Friendly Award is designed to help local authorities, workplaces, public venues and community organisations promote positive attitudes toward breastfeeding. The scheme also supports Scotland's national ambition to give all children the best start in life by normalising and protecting breastfeeding in everyday settings. Emma Williams, NHS Grampian Advanced Public Health Practitioner said: "The Treehouse Early Care and Education Centre and the whole RGU campus has shown fantastic commitment to supporting families. Their proactive approach and enthusiasm for the award demonstrate the importance of creating environments where breastfeeding parents feel respected and encouraged. Normalising breastfeeding strengthens health for babies, mothers and communities by reducing illness, protecting long-term wellbeing and supporting the best start in life." By creating positive attitudes and removing stigma, we give every child the strongest start and make our communities healthier, more inclusive places for families." In receiving the award, the RGU nursery joins a growing number of early years settings across Grampian taking positive steps to support parents. NHS Grampian is encouraging other nurseries, childminders and early learning centres to take part in the scheme. Participating nurseries benefit from: * Clear, supportive policies for families and staff returning to work * Improved staff confidence in supporting breastfeeding parents * Positive feedback from families * Recognition through a Scottish Government-endorsed award * Visible signage that reassures parents they are welcome Organisations interested in participating can contact the NHS Grampian Breastfeeding Friendly team to find out more about the simple steps involved by emailing [email protected]
Employer Child Care toolkit. Over the past several years, as Utah employers have faced challenges in recruiting and retaining employees, many companies have begun reviewing options to best attract and retain talent. One of the strategies that employers can consider is related to employee access to child care - ways in which to support parent access to care, choices for care, and affordability. In 2022, a U.S. Chamber Foundation study, Untapped Potential: How Child Care Impacts Utah[[ʼ]]s Workforce Productivity and the State Economy, found a $1.36 billion annual loss to Utah's economy due to child care challenges. The report found a $1.1 billion cost to employers due to employee absences and turnover related to parent challenges with child care. Voices for Utah children, promise partnership Utah, and Utah community builders (a program of the salt lake chamber Foundation) worked together to develop an Employer Child Care toolkit. The concept of the toolkit is that it provides a menu of options for employers to consider in better supporting parents in accessing child care. Prices for child care may include some options at no cost, others at a low cost, some at a medium cost, and others are more significant investments. What Utahchildren found in discussions with employers across the state was that many were unaware of the options or how they might be able to "lean in" to help make a difference for both their employees and boost their own company's productivity. The toolkit offers a menu of strategies and resources to inform management discussions. For example, employers should start with a survey of employees - what is their need for child care? Their challenges? What are the ages of their children who might need care? What are their preferences as to center-based care or home-based care, closer to home or closer to work, whether they need care during nontraditional hours, or if they have a child with special needs? The survey can be downloaded and used as is or customized by companies. Responses to the survey can help inform company leaders as to approaches that best fit their company. * Information related to federal and state child care tax credits for employers and employee benefits such as Dependent Care Assistance Plans (DCAPs), which enable employees to put aside wages annually that are tax-free, that can be used to reimburse child care expenses. * Links to Child Care Resource Agencies throughout the state that can help employees find care, as well as links to the state child care subsidy program for low-wage workers. * Some "quick wins" for employers, such as placing child care information in onboarding packets for new-hires or in places where employees frequently gather (e.g., the lunchroom). * Link to help employees understand if they can qualify for Child Care subsidies in Utah. * An Employer Champion page spotlights Utah employers who are leaning in on behalf of their employees (e.g.,Qualtrics in Provo partners with Bright Horizons to offer an on-site child care center, Cloud Village, which serves 250 children aged 3 months to 5 years). The intent is to offer employers an array of options to expand child care access for employees. As Utahchildren learn about new strategies or the state legislature passes new incentives or strategies for public-private partnerships to support child care, Utahchildren'll grow the toolkit. Child care challenges are complicated. It's about supply, affordability, and quality. Its vision is to support employers in understanding how they can be part of the solution. There's no one way to address child care access challenges, but Utahchildren all can lean in to play a role. Children, parents, employers, and communities depend on it. Jennifer stout. Jen is a policy analyst at Voices, focusing on early learning and care. She brings a background in government, community partnerships, and child advocacy, and holds a Master's in International Affairs. Her work is driven by a deep commitment to improving outcomes for young children and families.