Daycare Chain To Open First NYC Location In Prospect Heights

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — A daycare chain will soon open its first New York City location in Prospect Heights, the first of four facilities planned for the five boroughs.

Lightbridge Academy, a New Jersey-based childcare company, is preparing to open the outpost at 243 St. Marks Ave. in April, bringing early childhood education, summer camp and after-school programs to the neighborhood.

The Prospect Heights faculty, opened by two moms who once worked on Wall Street, will fill what the owners say is a gap in child services in the neighborhood.

"...It was rare to find a quality pre-school that served children under the age of 2 years old," co-owner Belinda Nti said. "We were determined to bring that to the Prospect Heights area ."

Nti and April Bethune started looking for a location back in 2016 and settled on the 11,300-square-foot space on St. Marks Avenue.

The ground floor facility will serve children 6 weeks old through kindergarten with year-round early education and childcare. Lightbridge's curriculum meets the standard of the accreditation for the Association for Early Learning Leaders and National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs.

"With young children ourselves, we recognized that there had to be better solutions for working parents in this neighborhood," Nti said. "Access to quality child care and early education programs are a need—not a want—for parents everywhere and especially in Brooklyn."

Lightbridge includes an internet monitoring system for parents, an eCommunication app for updates throughout the day and extracurricular activities. Parents can choose between five, three or two day programs with hours ranging from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Prospect Heights facility will be followed by a Downtown Brooklyn, Greenpoint and Manhattan location for Lightbridge, all set to open in June.