FAQ - Brella
Newport Beach, we're on our way!
Flexible, high-quality child care for infants through Pre-K is coming this fall.
Visit our light-filled classrooms.
How can we help you?
It's typical to have questions about child care. Start here for some basics.
Still have questions? Feel free to contact us directly any time.
What is flexible child care?
At Brella you can book and pay for child care by the hour. There are no long-term contracts, enrollments, or minimums. You only need to schedule and pay for what you need.
How do I schedule child care at Brella?
You can schedule through our mobile app. Just create an account, complete some forms, and start scheduling.
What ages do you accept?
We offer child care and education for children 3 months - 6 years old.
Can I really design my own schedule?
At Brella you choose how many hours you need. You can change your schedule day to day, week to week, and month to month. This is all done through our mobile app.
How much does Brella cost?
At Brella, you only pay for care. There are no hidden or extra fees. The first 10 hours cost the same for everyone. Every incremental hour booked after the tenth hour brings your average hourly cost down. The more you book the lower your average hourly price is. There are no additional fees.
You can see our pricing at: Brella Pricing
Can I guarantee my place at Brella?
Regular Brella customers may be eligible to join our Brella Early Birds program. As a Brella Early Bird, you have early access to booking so you can be confident that your child care needs are always met. Each month, we will release a set amount of hours for Early Birds to book during an early booking window. The early booking window is not a race, and you don’t need to book all of your allotted hours. For more information contact your home Brella center.
What is your cancellation policy?
If you cancel within our cancellation window, the dollar value of those hours is returned to your account as credit that you can use to purchase hours, lunches, or other products through the Brella app in the future. This credit expires 120 days after the original purchase. Hours are canceled in the opposite order they are purchased so when you cancel an hour, you receive credit for the dollar value of the last hour you booked and so on.
What is your cancellation window?
Customers will receive 100% credit back to their account for cancellations made with 48 hours (2 days) notice. Customers will receive 50% credit back to their account for cancellations made between 12-48 hours before the beginning of their appointment. Customers will not receive any credit back for cancellations made within 12 hours of the beginning of the appointment.
What are booking blocks?
During certain portions of the day, Brella has booking blocks. Booking blocks are hours that you are required to purchase together. You must purchase the entire booking block if you want to book during that time.
Why do we have booking blocks?
1.) This helps us ensure our center is booked during very high demand times so that we can cover our staff costs.
2.) Booking blocks allow us to provide an optimal and focused experience for the children during these times of the day.
What if I don't need the whole booking block?
You are welcome to drop off or pick up your child at any time during a booking block. However, you will still be charged for the entire booking block.
It's my first time- how do I transition into Brella?
We recommend a shorter appointment for a child's first few visits at Brella- typically 2-3 hours. Contact our center teams and they can help you schedule this.
What is your refund policy?
Brella purchases are non-refundable so we can maintain our high-quality program and our full-time center staff. Hours canceled within our cancellation window are returned as credits to the user’s account and may be used to purchase child care, meals, classes, or services from Brella in the future. Credits are non-transferrable. We encourage you to review our Payment Terms and Admission, Cancellation and Refund Agreement (signed during your initial enrollment paperwork at Brella) for further information regarding your rights and obligations with respect to your purchases.
All sales are final. We do not offer refunds or exchanges for any purchased child care hours, meals, classes, or services purchased through Brella.
Are there exceptions to your refund policy?
Brella may, at its sole discretion, consider refunds in exceptional circumstances. Exceptions to this policy will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and granted solely at Brella’s discretion.
How do I delete my account?
Please email us at hello@brellaspace.com to request account deletion.
Are you a licensed center?
Yes. Brella centers are fully licensed by the state and meet all of the required health and safety standards.
Do you have a curriculum?
Yes. We have a developmentally-appropriate play-based curriculum focused on developing a child's 3 C's: Compassion, Confidence and Curiosity. Our curriculum is inspired by well-known pedagogies including Montessori, Reggio and RIE. All children at Brella participate in our curriculum.
How are teachers qualified?
All teachers at Brella are incredibly skilled experts who have completed education and training in early childhood development. Teachers and staff are background-checked and trained in infant and child CPR and first aid.
Does my child need to be potty trained?
Children do not have to be potty trained to attend Brella.
Do you share information about my child's day?
Absolutely! You will receive photos and updates throughout the day about your child's experience at Brella via our mobile app.
What health protocols does Brella have in place?
Cleanliness and health have always been a priority at Brella.
Adults and children wash hands frequently and thoroughly during hand-washing routines incorporated into our regular class schedules.
Our center is professionally cleaned and sanitized nightly by a CDC-trained cleaning team. Throughout the day, teachers and staff wipe down surfaces with CDC-approved, non-toxic cleaning products.
Our center uses a single-source HVAC system that pumps fresh air into the center. We have replaced all of our filters. Our carpets are anti-microbial.
Linens are washed daily. Clean linens are used for each child and immediately removed and replaced. Cots and cribs will be wiped down after every use.
What is Brella's sick policy?
Brella is a well-child facility. Children must stay home if they are exhibiting any signs of illness. Signs of illness include but are not limited to: a temperature of 100 degrees or higher, consistent runny nose, consistent sneezing, consistent coughing, chills, aches, rashes, pink eye, fatigue, vomiting or diarrhea. Children must stay home until they have not had a fever and have been illness - and medicine - free for 24 hours or have a physician’s note. If a child becomes ill at Brella with any of the symptoms listed above, staff should separate them from the other children, and one of our staff will keep them comfortable while we notify their parents/guardians. Once notified, parents will be asked to pick up their child within 30 minutes or as soon as possible.
How does Brella handle conflict resolution?
During conflict resolution, teachers are facilitators, helping children compromise, negotiate and communicate effectively.
Conflict resolution at Brella, looks like a “check-in”. When we encourage children to check-in with one another, we empower them to use their words and advocate for themselves, or identify ways they can support each other.
What does Brella do in an emergency?
Brella has worked with a school security expert to design specific plans for any type of emergency from evacuations due to fire and earthquake to shelter in place situations. Our focus is always on protecting the children and staff. Should your child be at Brella during an emergency we will be in contact with further instructions. Our team practices emergency drills monthly.