Bright Horizons Partners with Kindergarden to Expand Early Education and Preschool in the Netherlands

BOSTON and AMSTERDAM, July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Bright Horizons Family Solutions® LLC, the world's leading provider of employer-supported early education and preschool, today announced that it has joined forces with Kindergarden, a premier operator of child care centers in the Randstad. Together the two organizations are committed to expanding high-quality child care, early education, and preschool as well as after-school care throughout the Netherlands at a time when the Dutch government has been investing in initiatives to increase opportunities for workforce participation among women.  

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"We are very excited to welcome Kindergarden to the Bright Horizons family. We share a commitment to excellence and innovation in child care and early education. The Kindergarden Academy for training the best early education professionals is just one example of what makes them the leading quality provider in the Netherlands. Together with their wonderful team of dedicated professionals we hope to expand this mission and broaden our horizons further in Europe. We believe there is strong opportunity for growth of high-quality child care in the Netherlands, and Kindergarden is the perfect partner for us to embark on that journey with," said Bright Horizons Chief Executive Officer David Lissy.

Olivier de Monchy and Joost Leendertse, Founders and Directors of Kindergarden Netherlands shared their enthusiasm for the partnership, "We are happy to have found a wonderful partner in Bright Horizons with whom we can build and plan our long-term future and glad to have them with us as we develop and grow Kindergarden in the Netherlands.  Bright Horizons is the best international player in the field of high-quality child care. We know that the early years are the most important to the development of young children, and Bright Horizons' expertise and experience in the field will enrich our offerings."

Bright Horizons Family Solutions, founded in 1986, is highly respected for an unwavering commitment to quality and as an employer of choice in the field.  Bright Horizons has been selected by the Great Place To Work Institute and the Financial Times as one of the "50 Best Workplaces in the UK," is one of the Irish Independent's "Best Companies to Work for" and is one of Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work for in America." It currently operates more than 600 child care centers across the US and more than 100 nurseries in the UK and Ireland. In every community where Bright Horizons operates, its child care centers and schools reflect the local community and culture.

Kindergarden, founded in 1998, operates 20 child care centers in and around Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, and Utrecht, comprising the populous Randstad region of the Netherlands. Kindergarden has built an outstanding reputation for quality care, serving children from infants through age 4, as well as after-school care in select locations.

About Bright Horizons Family Solutions®

Bright Horizons Family Solutions® (www.brighthorizons.com) specializes in managing high-quality child care centers and preschools that meet the needs of working families. Bright Horizons has been named a Great Place to Work by Fortune Magazine, the Financial Times and the Irish Independent.  The organization was founded in the US in 1986 and is the world's leading provider of employer-sponsored child care.

About Kindergarden

Kindergarden (www.kindergarden.nl) is a child care organization with 22 sites, scattered throughout the Randstad. It is distinguished by its focus on high-quality child care, because a well-organized child care contributes to the early development of the child. The quality is ensured by including its own internal training in collaboration with NCOI: The Kindergarden Academy. This year, Kindergarden has opened nurseries in Leiden, Haarlem and Amsterdam

SOURCE Bright Horizons Family Solutions