GREAT FALLS — Bright Beginnings Learning Center child care and Great Falls College-MSU announced on Thursday that they are ending their partnership due to financial and operational ramifications brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scott Thompson, spokesman for Great Falls College, said in a news release that Bright Horizons and the school had partnered together since the center opened in 2013 and are both proud to have had the privilege to serve hundreds of families through the program.
The college is exploring other opportunities to eventually reopen the center for children of students, faculty, and staff at a later date, according to Dr. Susan Wolff, CEO/dean of the school. The center, which is closed because of the pandemic, will not reopen until another arrangement is found.
“Having Bright Beginnings right next to campus has been a huge help to our campus community,” Wolff said. “We are working to find someone else to run the beautiful facility as quickly as we can, and we appreciate our tremendous partnership with Bright Horizon all these years.”
The news release says that Bright Horizons is supporting the teachers and leadership team through this process over the coming weeks and months, and "the employees will have the full support of the Bright Horizons Human Resources and Talent Acquisition teams as they navigate other opportunities in the community."
