Meet our Founder

Peggy Dacoros graduated from Carlow University with a degree in elementary education and began teaching right out of college. After marrying the love of her life, Bill, they started their family of 3 girls. After taking some time off to raise her family, Peggy returned to work taking a job at a childcare center. Through this experience, and being a working mom herself, she gained a new perspective and understanding of what childcare should look like. 

In 1985, when Peggy realized that there was a need for working women to have a safe, nurturing place to care for children, she heard of a center for sale, and with support from her husband and daughters, she purchased and created the first Bright and Early Learning and Child Care Center. The then-located center in Whitehall Elementary School was the flagship center which would later grow into 3 additional locations serving the Baldwin-Whitehall area. For almost 40 years, Bright and Early has continued to provide quality child care to the families in the area. When asked why she thinks her center has lasted so long Peggy’s response is “It’s because we treat each child as an individual, our goal is to provide quality childcare in a warm, secure environment.”

Peggy has fostered a caring environment that runs far beyond caring for the children. We care for the entire family, as well as the staff, giving Bright and Early a true family feel. We have staff that have been with us for 5, 10, and 20+ years. We would love to have you be part of our family.