Bright Future Early Learning Center
Oakland, CA
We have reopened, during this pandemic, for early care and education. Please inquire: 510.835.4012
Located in the Elihu Harris State Building in Oakland, this program serves children from 3 months to the start of kindergarten. Employees of the State of California, University of California Office of the President, and the City of Oakland receive priority when enrolling their children. We serve families from the community if there are additional openings. Bright Future provides a nurturing environment, rich with developmentally appropriate activities that challenge and encourage creativity. We support interactive, hands-on learning, knowing that children learn best when they have opportunities to use all of their senses.
Parent Q&A
Parent Reviews
Parents, please Sign in to post a review on this page.I’ve been sending my 2 year old daughter to Bright Future since she was about 5 months old. I was so excited when I got in off the waitlist and was able to move her from her previous daycare. I’ll be sending my second in a few weeks at around 4 months, too. Some things I like:
- The center is modern, clean, safe and well organized to be intellectually stimulating for each developmental stage
- The staff are trained in early childhood education and the results are clear: I am amazed at how advanced my daughter is in terms of emotional intelligence, playing well with others, and verbal abilities
- The staff and parents feel like a community, especially now during COVID. There hasn’t been one covid case at the center (open since July 2020) and it really feels like everyone is working together to keep each other safe. There are policies and protocols and extended cleaning time (which means shorter hours but I’ll take it if it means fewer closures and less risk)
- The staff there today are the same staff that were there when my oldest started at BF two years ago. One of the older posts discusses staff turnover, but that hasn’t been an issue in some time because the Board increased salaries to ensure the staff are well compensated and that has been successful in retention, which brings me to my next pro:
- The organization is a non-profit so there is a board overseeing the org to make sure that all relevant policies and best practices are being instituted and you know that the daycare fee is fair
- During normal times, I work across the street and was able to go over and nurse my daughter whenever I wanted, and I’d take her out for lunch on Fridays to the farmers market in Chinatown. It really was so special (can’t wait to get back to that!)
- During covid times, I feel really grateful for this space and that my daughter can continue to thrive in the center
I’d definitely recommend Bright Future for anyone looking for childcare or a preschool in the Oakland area.
I highly recommend this daycare for infants, toddlers, or preschool age kids. Both my son and daughter went to Bright Future and loved it. The teachers are warm and caring. The Center is spacious inside, and includes an enclosed outdoor play area.
Archived Q&A and Reviews
July 2011
Re: Infant care at Small Trans Depot in Oakland?
While I cannot comment on Small Trans Depot, my 5-year old son has gone to Bright Future Early Learning Center since he was 13 months old. It is in the base of the State of California Building at 14th and Clay in downtown Oakland. Like Small Trans Depot, they have an infant room, a toddler room and a preschool. I particularly liked that the preschool is mixed ages; there are not many children in our neighborhood. I was looking for my son to experience being the little kid, the middle and the ''big'' kid. We have had a wonderful experience and will miss it when he graduates next month.
The facility is bright and clean, has warm and loving teachers, and some flexibility on the number of days per week. The childcare center was originally started as an employee retention tool so there is a priority list based on your employer. There are also a limited number of sliding scale spots. The parents group is flexible in that if you have time, you can volunteer for a while, then ease off when your schedule is crazy.
We started this year in the toddler room and really like it! Our daughter is on the younger side for the room, and initially we were concerned about her adjustment to a mixed age classroom with a lot of kids, but she is happy and thriving and genuinely loves her friends and teachers. The transition from a small in-home daycare setting was at first a little rough but once we got past the first week, it's been smooth sailing. She's also learned to be quite independent, her language has really blossomed, and she's picked up good ways of interacting with other kids. The teachers do a great job of coaching the kids and there's a good little parent community. Overall, very happy with our choice to go to Bright Future!