Rainbow Academy Coming to Westwood

Brenda Febbo was working at an advertising agency in New York when she got the kind of phone call that mothers dread — her 2-year-old son, Nicholas, had run away from his nanny and was lost.

Nicholas was found safe, but Febbo said the incident made her question the kind of child care she was using.

"I thought I was providing the best care for him," Febbo said. "That very quickly snapped some perspective in my life."

It was then that she found in Rutherford, a day care center that lets parents watch their children via the Internet. Just a few years later, Febbo is the director of marketing for Rainbow Academy and she is on the verge of opening a new location in Westwood with her husband, Anthony. It made sense to invest in something they knew and cared about, Febbo said. Their daughter still attends class at the Rainbow Academy in Rutherford.

"It was best for us to invest in something we had control over and believed in," Febbo said.

According to Febbo, Rainbow Academy appealed to her because of the center is involved with both children and parents. In addition to the live video, the center's staff regularly update parents on their children's progress. The centers also stay late when parents need them to and there are often family events on weekends.

"I could see that they were there to support me as a parent," Febbo said.

For the new Westwood location, the Febbos have hired Ridgewood resident Danielle Briody to be the director. Briody, who has a master's degree in education, has experience in both child care and tutoring. Febbo said the real connection was based on their values. She described Briody as having "a real passion" for educating children.

Westwood will be the fourth Rainbow Academy location in Bergen County, joining Fair Lawn, Rutherford and Mahwah. Construction of the facility, located on Kinderkamack Road, is expected to be complete in April or early May. Febbo said it should open soon after.

Febbo said Westwood was an easy choice because she was already familiar with the borough.

"Westwood is a tight-knit community," Febbo said. "There's a downtown. There's a heart."