WASHINGTON--(BW HealthWire)--Oct. 19, 1999--The Business Women's Network (BWN) gave top honors at its Global Business Summit tonight to Bright Horizons Family Solutions (Nasdaq:BFAM) for its leadership in the corporate work/life field. Bright Horizons, headquartered in Cambridge, MA, is the nation's leading provider of employer-sponsored child care, early education and work/life consulting services.

"We are extremely impressed with the important accomplishments Bright Horizons has achieved in leading the field with work/life solutions nationwide," said BWN President Edie Fraser. "Bright Horizons has not only improved work/life through the services it offers, but the company also leads by example both in their own workplace and through their philanthropic efforts."

Linda Mason, Co-Chairman of Bright Horizons, was on hand to accept the award, and noted, "We are thrilled to be recognized for our efforts to help parents, their children and the companies they work for solve work/life issues. Nothing is more important to working parents than knowing their children are being well cared for. And a parent's peace of mind translates to increased productivity in the workplace. In fact, a survey of parents about turnover rates shows that high-quality on-site child care outranks both salary and job security as the key factor in a worker's decision to stay with their current employer."

Mason co-founded Bright Horizons with her husband, Roger Brown, in 1986 and now serves as Co-Chair of the Board. Brown serves as CEO and President. Mason and Brown also co-founded The Horizons Initiative, a Boston-based organization that serves the needs of homeless mothers and children throughout the Boston area.

Bright Horizons employs more than 9,000 associates at its 295 Family Centers in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Strongly committed to the advancement of women in business, 94 percent of all the company's officers and senior managers, as well as 97 percent of all middle managers are women. Some of Bright Horizons' clients include EMC, Chase Manhattan Bank, Mattel, Johnson & Johnson and Motorola.

The Business Women's Network is a coalition that links 4,000 women's organizations and Web sites around the globe, and serves as the clearinghouse of information for professional women's organizations, corporations, international and government agencies.