Bright And Happy Beginners, Vienna

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Bright and Happy Beginners daycare. Like any first time parent, I was very anxious about the idea of sending my child to daycare once he turned 4 months old. I was looking for a place that would nurture my child with warmth and care, that would be safe and clean, and that would feel like a second home for the children there. Every place I toured lacked at least one of these qualities - until I found Bright and Happy Beginners. When we toured this facility, Carmen told us, "this place is full of love," and this is so true. My son LOVES coming here, he knows each of the fantastic teachers by name, and has been cared for with extreme kindness, attentiveness, and professionalism. I tell everyone I know that I won the lottery when I found this daycare. My son comes home singing songs in Spanish, telling me about his day, and often times bringing wonderful artwork he works on with his friends and teachers. The children spend most of their time outdoors playing and learning together, and Carmen cooks delicious food for their breakfast and lunch (one less task for me to prepare ahead of time!). If you are lucky enough to reach out to Carmen during a time in which she has availability (which is rare), you will be so grateful to have found this gem.

My family has sent a total of 5 children through Carmen’s daycare. She and her staff have become like family. As a new mom, she was incredibly helpful to me as I navigated feeding and sleeping patterns. It always felt good to know that my children (and nieces and nephews) have been well cared for and loved at Carmen’s. Carmen’s program is well structured and designed to foster growth and development for kids of all ages. She allows the children plenty of time outside, they create crafts and she goes above and beyond for holidays and birthday parties. I whole heartedly recommend Carmen and Bright & Happy Beginners.

I can't say enough good things about Carmen and her daycare. We have had our daughter here since she was 3 months old and have loved every day of it. The provider creates an atmosphere that encourages active play and learning and all the kids get along. It really feels like home, where all the kids feel loved and cared for as if they were family. Our daughter loves being dropped off every day, always with a huge smile and hug. Carmen and her assistant are very attentive to every kid's needs and maintain a healthy and safe environment for them to thrive in. On top of enforcing a strict sleeping and eating schedule, the owner teaches Spanish and her assistant teaches Nepalese, and they take the kids outside in the fenced-in backyard to play. She has lots of fun toys suitable for a wide range of ages and interests and is constantly adapting the arrangement of the furniture to adapt to the growing ages of the kids. We feel so lucky to have found this daycare and can't imagine our daughter anywhere else! The only reason I didn't give it a perfect score for the facilities category is because the front door is at the bottom of some steep steps that can be scary to navigate while carrying a baby in a car seat. The steps also have a tendency to ice over during the winter.

I started to take my children to this daycare in May 2014 when my son was 2.5 years old and my daughter was 2 months old. My son is now 3 years old and my daughter is 10 months old. We absolutely love Carmen and she is maternal, wonderful, kind, gentle, and thoughtful. My son tells me that he loves her and although my daughter doesn’t yet talk, I can tell from her body language and actions that she loves her as well. There is great socialization and group interaction with other children. She operates her daycare out of the basement of her home. The basement is bright, cheery and open. She keeps things very clean and organized. There are lots of fun, engaging, safe and age appropriate toys for the children to play with. She is great with the baby and keeps a log of bottles/naps/eliminations and any other events that happen during the day. My son is learning to understand Spanish and has come home speaking new Spanish words often. When it came time to potty train my son, she was very helpful and followed my methods. She texts me with updates on the kids (pictures and how things are going). She throws parties for the children’s birthdays and holidays. She has always been very flexible if my work schedule gets crazy. The kids always come home well fed, well tended to, and happy. She is located off Electric Avenue in Vienna, which is convenient to those commuting to Tysons Corner. My only compliant is that the stairs to the basement are a little steep and narrow. Otherwise, everything is great!