History of Bright Horizons in Timeline

Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. is a U.S.-based company and the largest provider of employer-sponsored child care. In addition to child care services, Bright Horizons offers back-up child and elder care, tuition program management, education advising, and student loan repayment programs. The company's headquarters are located in Newton, Massachusetts.

1986: Bright Horizons Founded

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

1987: First Child Care Centers Opened

In 1987, Bright Horizons opened its first two child care centers at the Prudential Center in Boston and at One Kendall Square in Cambridge 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.

1992: Began offering center-based back-up child care

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: Expansion 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: Initial Public Offering

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

1998: Merger and FORTUNE Recognition

In 1998, Bright Horizons and Corporate Family Solutions merged to form Bright Horizons Family Solutions. The NASDAQ ticker symbol changed from BRHZ to BFAM. Also, in 1998, the company was 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 focused on programs for children and families. The Foundation, headquartered in Newton, Mass., runs Bright Spaces, which creates play rooms for children in crisis located in nonprofit and community agencies.

2000: Headquarters Relocation and Global Expansion

In 2000, Bright Horizons moved its headquarters to Watertown, Massachusetts. Additionally, in 2000, the company expanded its global presence through the acquisitions 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, and was responsible for the company’s international expansion.

2003: 500th Center Opened

In 2003, Bright Horizons opened its 500th center which was 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 offerings.

2006: Acquisition of College Coach

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

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

2008: Returns to Private Company

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 Teddies Nurseries, a British-based childcare group, from Bupa to expand its presence in the UK.

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 the existing Tuition Advisory Services group, which would later be re-branded as the EdAssist Solutions group.

2011: Acquired Majority Stake in Kindergarten

In 2011, Bright Horizons bought a majority stake in Dutch company Kindergarten.

2013: Acquisition of EdLink, LLC

In 2013, Bright Horizons acquired EdLink, LLC, based out of Chicago, IL, to further expand the EdAssist Solutions group.

2013: Second Public Offering

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 – Mary Ann Tocio University (MATU) – is named after her.

2016: Acquisition of Asquith Court Group

In 2016, Bright Horizons acquired the Asquith Court Group, adding a further 100 nurseries to its care network.

January 2018: David Lissy Becomes Executive Chairman

In January 2018, David Lissy transitioned from his role as chief executive officer to become executive chairman of Bright Horizons.

2018: Stephen Kramer becomes CEO

In 2018, Stephen Kramer, the founder and CEO of College Coach, becomes 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.

2019: Continued Recognition by FORTUNE

In 2019, Bright Horizons was recognized as one of FORTUNE Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work for in America.” This marked the 18th time the company made the list between 1998 and 2019.

2020: Acquisition of Sittercity

In 2020, Bright Horizons acquired Sittercity, an online marketplace for family solutions based out of Chicago, IL.

2020: Priya Krishnan Joins 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. This followed the death of an unsupervised 10-month old boy who choked two years earlier, a casualty blamed on inadequate staff training.

July 2025: Employees Arrested for Child Abuse

In July 2025, three Bright Horizons employees at the New York Columbus Circle location were arrested for child abuse. Incidents included covering a child’s nose and mouth with tape so that the child could not breathe, hitting children with metal, and dragging a child by her hair from room to room.

October 2025: Employees Served Bleach Solution to Children

In October 2025, employees at the Bright Horizons New York Columbus Circle location served a bleach and water solution to the children in their care.

2026: Vincent Chan Sentenced for Child Sexual Abuse

In 2026, Vincent Chan, a former nursery worker from north London who worked for Bright Horizons for 7 years, was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to more than 50 charges related to child sexual abuse offences committed while employed in childcare settings. The case involved very young victims and prompted public scrutiny of safeguarding practices in nurseries.