After 1 year of being out of daycare due to Covid, my son has been attending Apple Tree Learning Center for 3 months now. I've noticed a big improvement in my son's speech development. Before he attended Apple Tree, he was barely putting words together. Now, he's saying things like "goodbye momma" and even pointing to colors an animals. He's 2 1/2, so I was getting concerned about his speech. I feel better knowing that his learning (especially speech) is improving. I also really like the teachers at Apple Tree. It's amazing to know that many of them have been at Apple Tree for a long time - years! It shows that they really do love kids and enjoy working there. My son is happy to walk over to Apple Tree every day - he literally runs to the door when we say "time to go to school." Thank you Apple Tree for giving us an affordable, quality daycare option! read more

We started sending out oldest daughter to Apple Tree when she turned 2. My wife and I love this daycare so much we always recommend it to friends/associates looking for a new daycare. The owner cares about her employees and the children attending. The staff consistently educate the children and love them as if they were their own. I agree with Elizabeth with the place being a bit dated however, my wife and I are more concerned with our daughter getting the attention, education, and care she needs to develop. Plus, I always see the staff cleaning and wiping down everything. As long as its clean, my daughter is getting some lovin, and is learning......all good with me. =) There is no doubt in my mind when out 2nd daughter is old enough, she will be going to Apple Tree too. Ms. Flor and her staff do an awesome job! Keep up the good work Apple Tree! read more

Ms. Flor was rude over the phone. I scheduled a tour with an "Apple Tree Learning Center" via care.com and was trying to confirm a tour. Turns out it was one on N Elston that I was coordinating with and not this. My issue is how dismissive she was and the angry tone she used with me. Saying things like "I dont care for it/them" since I was confused and trying to understand if they were one and the same company or a different branch. She said she was on her way home and obviously so because she wanted me off the phone and mind you it was only 5:55pm and this location says they close at 6pm. This was a lost opportunity. Had she treated me better, I would have asked if we could connect at a later time and discuss possibly bringing my daughter there. Rudeness is a huge turn off especially when exuded by child care providers -- not the kind of behavior Id want my impressionable child to be around with. read more

My Daughter has been a student here for two years and it has been a wonderful experience. She has learned a lot and I continue to see her develop mentally. She is always eager to go to school and see Miss Melanie. The teachers are attentive and, compared to other daycare centers, the rates are reasonable. Also, there is no time limit on when your child can arrive at school. I would recommend Appletree learning center to other parents looking for a good daycare center for their children read more

I am the mother a 5 year old at APLC. My son has attended Apple Tree since before he was 2yrs old. My son was a child who received professional therapy until the age of 3 and none of the therapist ever mentioned anything to me about the treatment of the children. I'm only guessing that the previous comment was not from one of them. Apple Tree has been a wonderful place for my son. He has grown and learned A LOT from the teachers there. They actually care about the children. I am extremely pleased with the center and I have and will continue to refer anyone to Apple Tree. read more

My son went here from daycare through preschool. The teachers here did an amazing job and my son is a straight A student and going into second grade now. He was completely prepared for kindergarten and already had all the skills required ahead of time because of what he'd learned from the teachers at Apple Tree. He's an advanced reader, too! I was so pleased with Apple Tree and his education that I didn't hesitate to enroll my daughter here when she turned three. She loved it from day one! I know she'll gain the same love of learning my son has. I wholeheartedly recommend this center to anyone. The teachers here are responsive and loving. And here's the kicker ... it's actually more affordable than most daycare centers in Chicago. I love, love, love Apple Tree! read more

We love this school. My child is always happy to go. I can tell he is having fun and learning.

Appletree has been great for my daughter. This is not a fancy centre and the teachers here are firm with the kids, which I like as I never see unruly behaviour here. The ladies that work here are warm and friendly, mothers and grandmothers themselves. Everytime my daughter is greeted by her teachers with a hug. They have been great with assisting me toilet train her and provide me with feedback happily on her progress. This also really is a learning centre, not just a daycare. For the recent christmas show the kids learnt a traditional Filipino carol. I was impressed! read more

I am a professional therapist who provides services to kids aged birth to three in their home or daycare. I worked with a child at this center and was appalled by the treatment I consistently witnessed with 2 year olds. The caregivers who I observed constantly said something negative to a child, and there was nearly always at least one child in time out. This occurred over several months- I did not have one observation where someone happened to be having a bad day. As a professional, I know the value of treating a child with respect to gain their respect and the benefits of using positive reinforcement to increase positive behaviors- these are both foriegn concepts at this center. While I recognize that childcare work can be stressful, the atmosphere at this center stands out dramatically from all the other daycares I have been in. I don't feel it's a healthy environment for a child and I feel so strongly that I had to post this review. There are better options; parents- keep looking!! read more

I am writing this review about my experience with Apple Tree Learning Center. My 3 yr old son has been attending for 2 1/2 years. Just like any new parent I was nervous about leaving my son in day care. He was attending a different day care in the suburbs which we really had a bad experience with. I went to speak with Ms. Flor and told me more about her program. Don't let the older toy's fool you. Ms. Flor was very genuine and explained what is to be expected from the children and parents. The first time speaking with her I noticed all the kids looked like they REALLY loved it there. The kids are polite and well behaved. The parents kept pouring in to have a word with Ms. Flor just to say hi or give her hugs/ presents. All the teachers are very polite and genuine. I can't put into words how much the staff really cares about the children. My son has learned so much from them. From writing, counting etc. (My son surprised me one day when he was 2 1/2 and wrote the entire alphabet on his own). They have amazing shows during special holidays where all the parents attend and watch their children perform songs and show off what they have learned. ( Mother's day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving etc). Ms. Flor and the teachers are very open and easy to speak with. Field trips are a blast for the kids and they always encourage parental involvement none the least. Apple Tree is my son's second home where he is genuinely loved and his growth is nurtured by really caring people. BTW Ms' Flor's teachers have all been working for her from 10-20 yrs. That says a lot about Ms. Flor and her program. If you want your child to spend most of his days at a place where you will feel that your child is being cared for by loving individuals, learning advanced skills and respect plus good behavior.. Apple Tree Learning Center is the place for you. P.S Like the other posters said.. Don't let the older toy's or location fool you, I've been at a" higher end" day care , it seems those places are just money hungry unlike ATLC. read more

My son, now 3 years old has been attending apple tree for about a year and a half now and not only is he happy there but so are we. He was at another facility prior to ATLC and he was not happy. It was also hard to put full faith in their staff as most of them were college students with no actual experience. ATLC has been very good to our son and to the parents. They show that they care about the children and as a parent you can feel it in their warm spirits. Although they show love, they also teach the kids discipline and how to be kind to one another. My son has learned to count in three different languages, write his letters, colors, shapes and much more ! I highly suggest ATLC if you are looking for a place where your kids can learn and play under the care of some of the most caring teachers. read more

Both of my sons, 3 & 5, go to Apple Tree. We have been there for almost 1 year now. They had been at another daycare/preschool since they were 6 months old. When I got a new job, I needed to get a more convenient location for their school. I did an exhaustive search of all the daycare & preschools in the area. I needed to find one that provided all day care, year round since I am a working parent. I visited a lot of places and settled on Apple Tree. I visited Apple Tree 3 separate times before deciding on it. My first visit...I loved Miss Flor, the Center owner & director. You can tell she is very involved with the kids & teachers and has a real passion for educating the kids, teaching good manners and taking care of the parents. But I was concerned because the facility is older and all the toys/books seemed old. So I went on visiting other centers. Then I came back to Apple Tree to talk with the teachers and really observe the kids in action. What I saw were very well behaved AND HAPPY kids. That pretty much did it for me. I only went back a 3rd time to bring my kids to show them their new school. I could not be happier with Apple Tree! They are so easy to work with...and I ask a lot of questions! They always share with me how the boys did that day, where they struggled, where they triumphed...all without me always having to push for information. The teachers are strict...which I appreciate...because they show love just as much. The boys always give hugs to their teachers when we leave every day along with hugs for the director. Having an involved director is KEY! My 5 year old is ready to start kindergarten and a lot of that is due to the preparation he received from Apple Tree. I would happily refer anyone to Apple Tree, and have done so on a couple of occasions already! Don't let the dated toys or appearance fool you...this is a fantastic learning center for your children!! read more

I have sent two of my daughters to AppleTree for over a year and a half. Ms Flor (the Director) and her staff care tremendously for the children. Both of my girls look forward to going there everyday and have made good friendships with the other children. Beyond the normal daycare curriculum that is part of any city institution (ABCs and 123s), Appletree puts additional focus on music and the arts. They produce themed shows, take field trips to arts institutions, create projects, and more. Appletree is consistently building my young daughters' cultural awareness and confidence. Appletree is NOT fancy. The toys are not new and the facilities are average. I'm okay with that. Appletree is NOT overly coddling. The teachers are given the authority to say "no" to children and misbehavior is not tolerated. In reference to the review below, I am GLAD to send my children somewhere with this type of policy. Everyone comments on how polite my children are - this is largely due to Appletree's standards and expectations. I recommend Appletree to anyone looking for affordable, consistent, quality daycare on the Northside. read more

My oldest daughter whom is now 6 went to apple tree from the age of two till kindergarten,I have a son whom is 2 attending now,so i have had kids there for the last 4 years.Ms.Floor whom is the principal at Apple Tree is terrific, she loves the kids and loves what she does. I was so surprised to see a negative post by Erica H. About Apple Tree, She is completely wrong about Apple Tree,probably the fact shes a child therapist has something to do with her negative opinion.My daughter is now in 1St grade at St.Josaphat school and is doing excellent,The curriculum and the teachers are terrific.I realize you dont know me but ill tell you what, if you are looking for quality people and a great place for you kids, that is very reasonably priced this is it ! Cheers read more

We enrolled our daughter a little after she turned 2. Typical of every child going to daycare for the first time, she cried everyday and as a parent I was concerned if she is not having a good time or treated well. The ATL staff continuously reassured me that this is common and usually takes about a month before they stop crying. Sure enough, she stopped crying after exactly a month! Later, I witnessed another new enrollee going through the same thing and I voluntarily reassured the worried parent that it is fine and the crying will stop. The staffs have been wonderful, understanding and caring with our child and also us - the parents. When we first did a walk through of the center, I agree that it does not look brand new or high end but the reason we decided to enroll is the closeness to our home, convenient on the way to work, cost, diversity, windows to look in or out (we noticed most daycares in our area are enclosed and the child cannot see outside or for parent to see our child), positive feedbacks from brief conversations I had with parents who were dropping off their kids at ATL (i did this when i was on the way to work walking to the el - I was doing my research when she was a baby) plus we got grandma's stamp of approval (she was a teacher and she did a separate walk through with the ATL staff). Then we got to know the staffs and see how much our daughter enjoys going there and how fast our daughter has developed since going to ATL. Just like any parents sending their child off to daycare, you are concern if the teachers will take good care of your child as in really care about the wellbeing of your child after you walk away. I can attest that ATL's mission is about the kids. Everyone have their own of expectations but for us ATL has been wonderful and a blessing. All I can say is, do not judge a book by it's cover. From, Happy Parents, Child and future ATL enrollee read more

My son attended Apple Tree for a little over a year. We moved to the suburbs and it was heartbreaking leaving this "family". Ms. Flor is amazing and runs a tight ship but that only makes for a great environment for the kids to learn. Ms. Jeanette was truly amazing and my son loved being in her class. I will forever be grateful for all that my son learned at this school. Anyone looking for a safe, healthy learning environment for their child should definitely consider enrolling their child here. Without a doubt your child will be engaged in learning and having fun all at the same time. No worries about being ready for kindergarten when the time comes. After leaving here I will never feel another daycare is quite suitable for my little one. Miss all the teachers everyday! read more

I am a father that takes a serious role in my son's life. We just entered our son into Apple Tree Learning Center. We have had are son enrolled into a few since my wife decided to go back to work. The first daycare was in Los Angeles which was ok, but he kept getting sick so we eventually rethought the value of day care versus my wife working. When a career opportunity brought me to Chicago, we decided it was time to try again. As first time parents who care, we might be over cautious. The first placed we looked at in Chicago told us they could enroll him on a certain date and when that day came, the director never even called us and waited till three days after the original start date to tell us they couldn't enroll our son any longer. Fortunately I have an understanding company. We then placed him in a daycare in Little Italy. We thought we found a great place... we were wrong they always had a sign in the front door "open come on in". Now it doesn't take a genius to figure out why there should be locked doors on a day care. Besides that, the sharp scissors within children's reach and uninteractive staff made us look else where. Most places were asking for 1600 to 2000 dollars a month for daycare. Now I will never put a budget on my child but Jesus Christ really? My two year old does not need an iPad of his own, nor does he need to eat all these organic, wheat grass, three hydrated soy bean salad diet. Nor do I need a website that I can log in to view my kid. Even if that is possible just goes to show the parent doesn't trust the facility. At ATLC, we were treated with more care and concern. The director, Ms. Flor sat my wife, son and my self down and thoroughly spoke with us about their program. So ok, they don't have iPad for each kid, or teach your kid calculus by 3 or how to speak in 9 languages. I tell you what they do have is a very caring staff, all the kids there our amazingly happy and you can feel it as soon as u walk in. If you are looking for that amazing high tech over prized sham of a place, yea go some where else. If you are looking for a place to take your child because you work or what ever reason, a place you know your child won't just be watched but interacted with and loved, and most importantly cared for, ATLC is definitely the place. Thank you Ms. Flor and all your wonderful staff. You make the Clark family confident in your day care! read more

Our daughter attended here for one year. The director was so accomidating of our family's financial situation -- pay weekly, monthly, etc. Our family had fallen on hard times & Ms. Flor helped with all the paperwork for "Action for Children". I have an education background. While I think the teachers could use some staff development, (improve the way they speak to the kids) they really do have the kids at heart... giving out lots of hugs as well as discipline. Our child was in the 2 yr old class & 3-4 yr old class and had a good experience. This was really the best care our money could buy at the time. Most of the teachers have been there for years, which often says something about a center. read more

I put my daughter when she turned 2 in January of 2010, and all we can say are good things about the day care providers and the Director, Ms. Flor. We had also put my now 5yr old there for summer camp, and intermittlently when she has days off from school. How I've heard of this place is from another Mom, where both her kids went here. When I was looking for a day care, Apple Tree is one of the recommended places at the hospital I work at. So, there were 2 good recommendations that lead me to check out the facility. Actually, 3 because, my coworker has just transferred her daughter from one day care to here at that time. Yes, it's at a basement and some stuff are dated, but look beyond that and it's fine and the kids doesn't know any difference. They keep the place clean, both my daughters are happy to come. When I pick one of them up or both of them up at the end of the day, they're not hurt, they like coming back. I think it just depends on the type of parenting you do. Yes, they are strict, but for reasons that they have to maintain control of 8-10 kids, or however per class. The best thing for us is, it's close to our home, the other school my daughter goes to, my job, and it's affordable. read more