We really appreciate our agency partners and the amazing services they are providing to children and families at this challenging time. We know how important it is to support families so that they can support their children.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children has had to temporarily put volunteering in …Read More

By Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces It is probably not a surprise that the numbers of both children and families experiencing homelessness is rising. Increasing rents and an overall shortage of affordable housing has forced thousands across the country to live in caravans, cars, doubled up with family, or in inadequate and substandard …Read More

We recently opened our first Bright Space in partnership with a police department in Aurora, IL. One way that Bright Horizons teams can stay connected to local Bright Spaces are Brightening Lives Activities. These volunteer opportunities connect Bright Horizons employees and center families to the Bright Space in simple yet meaningful ways. Lynn Fichtel, Bright …Read More

Moving to ‘Asset-Informed’ Care By Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces I recently read Ellen Galinsky’s article about a shift from “trauma-informed care” approach to the impact of trauma on children to a more strength based approach she calls “asset-informed care.” The asset-informed care really resonates for me as I work with children across …Read More

For kids facing trauma, volunteers can save their long term health By Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces Poverty, violence, homelessness, child abuse… there are so many ways our children can experience trauma!  And the impact of trauma is incontrovertible and more research every day shows us how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) cause lifelong …Read More

By Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces More than 50 Bright Horizons employees from across the Chicagoland geography recently gathered at the Kemper Lakes Child Development Center at the third Chicago Connector Summit to celebrate OUR Foundation. For the first time, we had attendees from the Ed Assist team, Human Resources, IT, and the …Read More

By Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces When Bright Spaces started 20 years ago, our mission was to serve homeless children and provide a safe place for them to experience their childhood.  Today, we still serve children experiencing trauma like homelessness, but the settings we find them in are as varied as the circumstances …Read More

By Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces The devastating news of the conditions for children at the border with Mexico is heart wrenching and devastating to those of us who hold our vulnerable children who are the next generation close to our hearts. As these children are relocated across the U.S., many care providers, …Read More

  By Bright Horizons Regional Manager Sara Hannah Sara volunteers to facilitate a parenting program called My Baby’s First Teacher at Bright Spaces in her area. Read more about her experience: I have been facilitating My Baby’s First Teacher classes for 4 years now.  Every time, I learn something new and I make a new …Read More

By Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces Epigenetics is an emerging area of scientific research that shows how environmental influences—children’s experiences—actually affect the expression of their genes. According to resources from the Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University, injurious experiences, such as malnutrition, exposure to chemical toxins or drugs, and toxic stress …Read More