Latest news with #BrightHorizons
Forbes
10-08-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How CVS Health Is Helping Employees Earn Degrees (and At No Cost)
While tuition assistance programs are common among large companies, only 2% of employees take advantage of the benefit. A collaboration between CVS Health and EdAssist is changing that with an innovative program that lets employees earn college degrees — and at no cost. The goal? To help CVS Health's employees take the next step in their personal and career journeys, while also helping the company fill hard-to-staff roles. The Problem With Existing Tuition Reimbursement Programs Why do so few employees take advantage of tuition reimbursement programs? It's a question I asked Diane Bartoli, SVP of EdAssist, a division of Bright Horizons that's a leading provider of workforce education and student loan solutions in a video interview. Bartoli believes that a key barrier for most employees is that typical programs are designed so employees must pay for and complete courses before they are reimbursed. 'Many employees, especially front-line workers, can't always readily afford to cover the cost upfront.' A second barrier is that the amount of the benefit is often less than the actual costs. A review of 25 tuition benefit programs from well-known companies shows that typical tuition reimbursement programs are often capped at $5,250 per year per employee. What's the magic number of $5,250? 'It's the limit the IRS allows companies to pay tax-free to its employees,' shared Bartoli. CVS Health's Prescription For A Win-Win Tuition Assistance Program Carmilla Tan, head of benefits at CVS Health, recently shared with me how the company collaborated with EdAssist to reimagine its tuition assistance program from a traditional tuition reimbursement program to an innovative one that allows employees to access over 80 programs at no cost, ranging from high school diplomas to graduate degrees. Tan explained the program's four key attributes that make it easy for employees to begin their upskilling efforts. First, the program eliminates the need for employees to enroll and pay for their courses upfront. Rather, employees simply enroll in any courses from four pre-approved universities and the cost is covered. Second, there is no limit to the number of courses employees can take. So, employees who want to fast-track their education don't have to hold back on the number of courses they take, because they don't have enough tuition assistance money to cover the costs. Third, many of the course options allow for both traditional courses and self-paced online courses, which gives employees flexibility to fit the courses they take into their schedules. Lastly, employees are paired with an EdAssist coach who works with them one-on-one to create a customized education plan based on the employee's educational interests and the amount of time they are willing to commit. Tan believes hands-on support is key to helping employees feel comfortable with getting past their hesitations. But what if employees don't want to use one of these options? Fortunately, they can still participate in a traditional reimbursement program to pursue job-related degrees from any accredited university nationwide. A Textbook Example Of Optimizing Tuition Assistance Cecilia 'Cece' Smith is a textbook example of how tuition assistance programs can transform careers. When she joined the company five years ago, she couldn't have imagined she'd soon earn both bachelor's and master's degrees. But when she heard about the CVS Health Tuition Assistance Program during the onboarding process, her life changed. With support from the program, she earned consecutive degrees in health administration — and all this while balancing full-time work and motherhood. The program stood out to her, in part because it did not require any out-of-pocket expenses for enrollment. Cece already had an associate's degree, but she wanted to further her education, and the program offered her a path to achieve this without incurring additional costs. She also appreciated that she could take classes at her convenience, including early in the morning or at night after she put her son to bed. 'I really wanted to show my son the value of working to make yourself better. So we would sit at the dinner table and do homework together. It was really cool to have study time together and taking the time to study didn't seem like such a burden,' she noted in an interview. As Cece became comfortable taking classes, she grew more confident about increasing the number of courses she was taking, fast-tracking her to a bachelor's degree in health administration with a specialization in healthcare informatics. From there, she went on to earn her master's degree. She earned both in less than three years. 'I learned my skills and I earned my degrees,' she shared. 'Nobody can take that from me.' While Cece openly knows she can take her skills to another company, she is loyal to CVS Health: 'I am very thankful that my managers encouraged me to continue learning and growing.' Cece has become a huge advocate for the program and actively encourages other employees to take advantage of it. A Tuition Assistance Program Win-Win The CVS Health tuition assistance program is a prescription for success, creating a true win-win for both employees like Cece and CVS Health. For example, since Cece participated in the joint CVS Health Tuition Assistance Program, she has been promoted twice and is now a senior manager supporting patient safety as part of the company's Medicare Star Data projects. However, CVS Health is also winning with the program. Tan explained, 'The program is helping us upskill our current employees and fill critical skills gaps, such as how Cece has stepped into a high-demand, advanced data analytics role.' While upskilling all employees is important, one job that's essential for CVS Health is its pharmacist positions. Pharmacy school applications have decreased by 60% in less than a decade. To fill this gap, the company created a special tuition assistance program targeted to help CVS Health pharmacy interns complete their education. 'Core to our business is making sure we have a good supply of pharmacists who can then help run the many facets of CVS Health and Caremark,' stated Tan. Tan explained that CVS Health's PharmD tuition assistance program lets retail pharmacy interns take advantage of up to $20,000 per year for their last two years of pharmacy school. "We're the leaders in providing the next generation of pharmacists. It's been so successful that we actually have deans of pharmacy schools thanking us for introducing a program that removes barriers and allows for broader student benefit.' CVS Health's innovative approach is paying off. Recall that only 2% of employees take advantage of the benefit. At CVS Health — that number is 4%, making their program twice as effective as the typical program. And a critical intangible? Happy employees like Cece, who are leading other employees to invest time in upskilling, while CVS Health supports their journey. The Bottom Line Tuition assistance programs, such as the CVS Health/EdAssist partnership, are an excellent way for companies to empower and upskill their workers. The program represents a win-win, both in terms of the partnership between the two companies and in terms of the benefits for CVS Health and its workers.
Associated Press
08-08-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
AM Best Assigns Credit Ratings to Apex Insurance Inc.
OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 8, 2025-- AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of 'a-' (Excellent) to Apex Insurance Inc. (Apex) (Burlington, VT). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect Apex's balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. Apex Insurance Inc. covers general liability exposures in North America, including coverages for professional liability, physical and sexual misconduct, and personal and advertising injury, for its parent, Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliated companies (Bright Horizons). Bright Horizons is a leading global provider of high-quality early education and child care, backup care and workforce education services, serving more than 1,450 of the world's leading employers. The ratings reflect AM Best's expectations that Apex will execute its projected business strategy and will continue to benefit from the implicit and explicit support of Bright Horizons given Apex's level of integration within the enterprise and its strategic importance to the organization as an effective alternative risk transfer vehicle. AM Best remains the leading rating agency of alternative risk transfer entities, with more than 200 such vehicles rated in the United States and throughout the world. For current Best's Credit Ratings andindependent data on the captive and alternative risk transfer insurance market, please This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best'sRecent Rating Activityweb page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please viewGuide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best's Credit Ratings, Best's Performance Assessments, Best's Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please viewGuide to Proper Use of Best's Ratings & © 2025 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on CONTACT: Fred Eslami Associate Director +1 908 882 1759 [email protected] Daniel Ryan Senior Director +1 908 882 2290 [email protected] Christopher Sharkey Associate Director, Public Relations +1 908 882 2310 [email protected] Al Slavin Senior Public Relations Specialist +1 908 882 2318 [email protected] KEYWORD: EUROPE UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW JERSEY INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INSURANCE FINANCE SOURCE: AM Best Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 08/08/2025 12:43 PM/DISC: 08/08/2025 12:43 PM
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AM Best Assigns Credit Ratings to Apex Insurance Inc.
OLDWICK, N.J., August 08, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "a-" (Excellent) to Apex Insurance Inc. (Apex) (Burlington, VT). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect Apex's balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. Apex Insurance Inc. covers general liability exposures in North America, including coverages for professional liability, physical and sexual misconduct, and personal and advertising injury, for its parent, Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliated companies (Bright Horizons). Bright Horizons is a leading global provider of high-quality early education and child care, backup care and workforce education services, serving more than 1,450 of the world's leading employers. The ratings reflect AM Best's expectations that Apex will execute its projected business strategy and will continue to benefit from the implicit and explicit support of Bright Horizons given Apex's level of integration within the enterprise and its strategic importance to the organization as an effective alternative risk transfer vehicle. AM Best remains the leading rating agency of alternative risk transfer entities, with more than 200 such vehicles rated in the United States and throughout the world. For current Best's Credit Ratings and independent data on the captive and alternative risk transfer insurance market, please visit This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best's Credit Ratings, Best's Performance Assessments, Best's Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best's Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit Copyright © 2025 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on Contacts Fred Eslami Associate Director +1 908 882 1759 Daniel Ryan Senior Director +1 908 882 2290 Christopher Sharkey Associate Director, Public Relations +1 908 882 2310 Al Slavin Senior Public Relations Specialist +1 908 882 2318
Business Wire
06-08-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Parents Want More Than ABCs from Early Education
NEWTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In today's AI-driven world, parents are rethinking the role early education plays in preparing their children not only for kindergarten, but for lifelong success. New research from the Modern Family Index (MFI), commissioned by Bright Horizons (NYSE:BFAM) and conducted by The Harris Poll, reveals that 73% of parents feel the rise of AI has made durable skills, such as creativity, social skills and emotional skills, just as important as traditional academic skills like reading, writing and math when it comes to their children's development. This aligns with national conversations around early education. As U.S. News & World Report noted, experts are increasingly advocating for play-based, holistic preschool experiences that emphasize social and emotional development alongside academics. 'Parents today are navigating a rapidly changing world and want to do everything they can to set their children up for success,' said Rachel Robertson, Chief Academic Officer at Bright Horizons. Share These findings illustrate emerging shifts in what parents consider important in early education, emphasizing not only the value of academic preparation, but of skills that will help children be successful throughout their lives. In fact, the survey found that 82% of parents agree children entering kindergarten with confidence is just as important as being able to say the alphabet. Additional Results Identified: 73% of parents feel that AI will have a significant impact on the skills that are important for children to develop early in life. 79% of parents feel that developing creative skills will be crucial for children growing up in an AI-driven world. 71% of parents with children under age 6 worry about properly preparing their child(ren) for kindergarten, with the majority (83%) recognizing the need for their child to develop holistic skills (both traditional academic skills and soft / durable skills) to be prepared for kindergarten. 80% of parents with children under age 6 expect their child's preschool to teach them the skills they need for kindergarten, while an equal number (80%) wish they had the resources and support to better understand how to prepare their child(ren) for kindergarten. Most parents deem durable skills like socially responsible behavior (75%), social skills (74%), self-help skills (73%), creative skills (72%) and emotional skills (69%) as absolutely essential or very important for children to develop to prepare for kindergarten, similar to that of traditional academic skills like reading (73%), math (70%) and writing (69%). 'Parents today are navigating a rapidly changing world and want to do everything they can to set their children up for success,' said Rachel Robertson, Chief Academic Officer at Bright Horizons. 'This research makes it clear that parents are looking to preschools not just for academics, but for support in building a variety of both social and emotional skills. High quality early education that fosters curiosity, builds confidence, and nurtures the whole child is what truly lays the foundation for kindergarten and beyond.' About the Bright Horizons Modern Family Index Over the past decade, Bright Horizons has tracked trends impacting working families through its annual Modern Family Index (MFI), highlighting the unique challenges and priorities they've faced. In 2025, the report has been refreshed and encompasses several waves of survey data focused on timely topics to be released throughout the year. To download Wave Three of the 2025 Bright Horizons Modern Family Index, click here. Research Method The research was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll between June 17-20, 2025, among 2,100 adults ages 18 and older – among whom 653 are a parent or guardian of child(ren) under 18 years of age ('parents') and 235 are a parent or guardian of child(ren) under 6 years of age ('parents of younger children'). Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender, region, race/ethnicity, household income, education, marital status, size of household, and political party affiliation to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Respondents are selected among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. The sample data is accurate to within ± 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. About Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. Bright Horizons® is a leading global provider of high-quality early education and childcare, back-up care, and workforce education services. For more than 35 years, we have partnered with employers to support workforces by providing services that help working families and employees thrive personally and professionally. Bright Horizons operates more than 1,000 early education and childcare centers in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, and India, and serves more than 1,450 of the world's leading employers. Bright Horizons' early education and childcare centers, back-up child and elder care, and workforce education programs help employees succeed at each life and career stage. For more information, go to
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's What Key Metrics Tell Us About Bright Horizons (BFAM) Q2 Earnings
Bright Horizons Family Solutions (BFAM) reported $731.57 million in revenue for the quarter ended June 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 9.2%. EPS of $1.07 for the same period compares to $0.88 a year ago. The reported revenue represents a surprise of +1.08% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $723.73 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.00, the EPS surprise was +7%. While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance. Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance. Here is how Bright Horizons performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Revenue- Back-up care: $162.67 million compared to the $155.94 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +19.2% year over year. Revenue- Full service center-based child care: $540.27 million versus $540.39 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +6.6% change. Revenue- Educational advisory and other services: $28.63 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $27.59 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +8.1%. Adjusted income from operations- Full service center-based child care: $40.28 million compared to the $36.85 million average estimate based on two analysts. Adjusted income from operations- Educational advisory and other services: $4.85 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $3.89 million. Adjusted income from operations- Back-up care: $40.92 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $37.62 million. View all Key Company Metrics for Bright Horizons here>>> Shares of Bright Horizons have returned -6.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. (BFAM) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
