History of Bright Horizons in Timeline

Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. is a US-based company and the largest provider of employer-sponsored child care. Headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts, it offers diverse services, including back-up child care, elder care, tuition program management, education advising, and student loan repayment programs. The company focuses on supporting working families by providing solutions for child care and other caregiving needs, alongside educational support.

1986: Bright Horizons Founded

In 1986, Bright Horizons Children's Centers, Inc. was founded by Linda A. Mason and Roger H. Brown, using Mason and Brown's Cambridge home as the company headquarters.

1987: First Bright Horizons Child Care Centers Opened

In 1987, the first two Bright Horizons child care centers were opened at the Prudential Center in Boston and at One Kendall Square in Cambridge, both on the same day.

1988: Horizons Initiative Founded

In 1988, the Horizons Initiative was founded to serve the needs of homeless children throughout Greater Boston, providing support and resources for vulnerable children.

1992: Back-up Child Care Launched

In 1992, Bright Horizons began offering center-based back-up child care with the first standalone back-up child care center for Chase Manhattan Bank.

1993: Bright Horizons Expands to California

In 1993, Bright Horizons expanded its operations to California through the acquisition of Cornerstone West.

1996: Founders Named Entrepreneur of the Year

In 1996, Bright Horizon's founders Roger Brown and Linda Mason were named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Ernst & Young.

1997: Bright Horizons IPO

In 1997, Bright Horizons conducted a successful Initial Public Offering (IPO) and began trading publicly under the stock ticker BRHZ.

1998: Bright Horizons and Corporate Family Solutions Merge

In 1998, Bright Horizons and Corporate Family Solutions merged to form Bright Horizons Family Solutions. The company also changed its NASDAQ ticker symbol from BRHZ to BFAM. Bright Horizons was also named to FORTUNE Magazine’s list of the “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” for the first time.

1999: Bright Horizons Foundation for Children Formed

In 1999, the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children was formed to support nonprofit organizations with a focus on programs for children and families. The Foundation's main program, Bright Spaces, creates play rooms for children in crisis located in nonprofit and community agencies.

2000: Headquarters Move and International Expansion

In 2000, Bright Horizons moved its headquarters to Watertown, Massachusetts. That same year, Bright Horizons expanded its global presence through the acquisition of London-based Nurseryworks and Dublin-based Circle of Friends.

2000: Mary Ann Tocio Named President and COO

In 2000, Mary Ann Tocio was named president and chief operating officer of Bright Horizons.

2002: David Lissy Becomes CEO

In 2002, David Lissy began his 17-year tenure as chief executive officer of Bright Horizons. During his time as CEO, he was responsible for the company’s international expansion.

2003: 500th Center Opens

In 2003, Bright Horizons opened its 500th center, the Child Care Center at Citibank Service Center in San Antonio, Texas.

2006: Bright Horizons Acquires College Coach

In 2006, Bright Horizons acquired College Coach, a college advising company, to expand its educational support services.

2006: Acquisition of College Coach

In 2006, Bright Horizons acquired College Coach, a college advising company. Stephen Kramer, College Coach founder and CEO, joined the Bright Horizons executive team.

2006: Back-Up Care Advantage Program Established

In 2006, Bright Horizons established the Back-Up Care Advantage program to provide in-home back-up child, and elder care.

2006: Notable acquisitions since 2006

In 2006, Bright Horizons made several notable acquisitions, including College Coach, EdAssist Solutions, EdLink, the nursery operators Kidsunlimited and Asquith Court, the childcare group Teddies Nurseries, Sittercity, an online marketplace for family solutions, and GP Strategies.

2008: Bright Horizons Returns to Private Ownership

In 2008, Bright Horizons returned to its roots as a private company through a partnership with Bain Capital.

April 2009: Acquisition of Teddies Nurseries

In April 2009, Bright Horizons acquired the British-based childcare group Teddies Nurseries from Bupa, expanding its presence in the UK childcare market.

2010: Tuition Advisory Services Launched

In 2010, Bright Horizons launched Tuition Advisory Services, an employer solution designed to help employers take a more strategic approach to their tuition reimbursement programs.

2011: Acquisition of EdAssist, Inc.

In 2011, Bright Horizons acquired EdAssist, Inc. to expand its existing Tuition Advisory Services group, which was later re-branded as the EdAssist Solutions group, enhancing its offerings in educational advisory services.

2011: Bright Horizons Buys Majority Stake in Kindergarten

In 2011, Bright Horizons bought a majority stake in the Dutch company Kindergarten, further expanding its international presence and network of childcare centers.

2013: Acquisition of EdLink, LLC

In 2013, Bright Horizons acquired EdLink, LLC based out of Chicago, IL to further expand the EdAssist Solutions group and broaden its service offerings in educational support.

2013: Bright Horizons Goes Public Again

In 2013, Bright Horizons went public for the second time and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock symbol BFAM.

July 2015: Mary Ann Tocio Retires

In July 2015, Mary Ann Tocio retired from her position as president and chief operating officer of Bright Horizons, remaining on the Board of Directors. The company’s internal training platform was later named after her, becoming the Mary Ann Tocio University (MATU).

2016: Acquisition of Asquith Court Group

In 2016, Bright Horizons bought out the Asquith Court Group, adding a further 100 nurseries to its care network, strengthening its presence in the childcare market.

January 2018: David Lissy Becomes Executive Chairman

In January 2018, David Lissy transitioned from CEO to executive chairman of Bright Horizons after serving 17 years as CEO.

2018: Stephen Kramer Becomes CEO of Bright Horizons

In 2018, Stephen Kramer, who joined Bright Horizons after the acquisition of College Coach, became CEO of Bright Horizons.

2019: Acquisition of GP Strategies' Tuition Program Management Business

In 2019, Bright Horizons acquired the tuition program management business at GP Strategies to further expand the EdAssist Solutions group and enhance its educational benefits offerings.

2019: Bright Horizons on FORTUNE Magazine’s list

In 2019, Bright Horizons was listed in FORTUNE Magazine’s list of the “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” for the 18th time since 1998.

2020: Acquisition of Sittercity

In 2020, Bright Horizons acquired Sittercity, an online marketplace for family solutions based out of Chicago, IL, to enhance its offerings in family care services.

2020: Priya Krishnan Joins Bright Horizons' Executive Team

In 2020, Priya Krishnan, the founder and CEO of India's largest childcare company, KLAY Schools, joined Bright Horizons' executive team.

2021: Conviction for Health and Safety Breach

In January 2021, Bright Horizons was convicted of breaching Scottish health and safety legislation and fined £800,000 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court following the death of an unsupervised 10-month-old boy who choked. The court investigation blamed inadequate staff training for the casualty.

July 2025: Child Abuse Arrests at New York Location

In July 2025, three Bright Horizons employees at the New York Columbus Circle location were arrested for child abuse involving incidents such as covering a child’s nose and mouth with tape, hitting children with metal, spraying a child in the face with bleach, and dragging a child by her hair.

October 2025: Employees Serve Bleach Solution to Children

In October 2025, employees at the Bright Horizons location in New York Columbus Circle served a bleach and water solution to the children, further compounding the child abuse allegations.

2026: Vincent Chan Sentenced for Child Sexual Abuse

In 2026, Vincent Chan, a former Bright Horizons nursery worker from north London, was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to more than 50 charges of child sexual abuse offences, including sexual assault of young children, making and possessing indecent images, and voyeurism. The offences involved very young victims and prompted scrutiny of safeguarding practices in nurseries.