When we first enrolled our son at Kids and Co the staff and director, Vanessa were amazing but things got very bad when the owners decided to merge the Harrison location and another location. The original staff took time to do activities with kids and teach them manners and work on developing their milestones. After the merger the new staff were extremely neglectful and lazy at their jobs. Things got so bad the original staff who had worked there for years were all gone within a month. I feel bad for Vanessa the wonderful environment she had worked to create was destroyed by the greed of the owners and the children suffered for it. After the old staff had all left we noticed a dramatic change in our son. He was once talkative and engaging but with the new staff after coming home he would be very quiet and still for an hour before he began interacting with us. We started paying more attention to the cameras and we saw the staff were locking up all the kids in seats with seat belts over an hour before closing time!!! We brought this up and they made excuses like "the kids want to run around while I'm cleaning". So we immediately removed our son. He has since been thriving at his new pre-school. One of the other parents who took longer to leave the school said her son started coming home saying swear words. Our son has been in a new preschool for a few months now and is happy and thriving. read more

Poor leadership, They have an app ,But it is hardly used by the staff .And with the holidays coming, The staff is suggesting not to come before and after Christmas, I mean 1 people have to work 2 what are we paying for . read more

Chicago Harrison - Preschools Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Our 21 month old son is enrolling next month and I can't say enough great things about the center. I was beginning to think I would never find a place I would feel 100% comfortable with and maybe it was just me and I should be more relaxed/less overprotective and I need to pick the one I was the least uncomfortable with. But when I toured the Harrison Kids & Company center, the environment was so open/spacious, the teachers were so friendly, the Director was warm and inviting. I was so grateful and relieved I finally found a place where I knew both my son and I would be happy with. The Director Ms. Jacobo is simply amazing. I toured ITAV at River City and they don't offer a transition program to ease into the change. Because we live within 5 min or so of the center, Ms. Jacobo is allowing us to stop by everyday this month for 5/10 min just so our son can get acclimated with the other kids, staff, and environment. What's more, Ms. Jacobo is allowing us to come by the day before his first official day next month for 3 hrs with our son for him to get even further immersed before we leave him for the day. The meals for the kids are what also drew us to Kids & Company. Other centers are limited in its variety (e.g. ITAV only serves chicken as it's only protein). Kids & Company aims to widen the kids's taste palettes so they don't become picky eaters when they get older. They have foods like baklava, etc. which my husband and I have never tried. Not trying to say that ITAV or other daycare centers are not great but at least for my family, Kids & Company felt most "homey." I am so grateful for Ms. Jacobo, Ms. Ochoa, Ms. Ashley, and Ms. Petty -- and we're excited for this next chapter in our son's life! Important Note: This Harrison Kids & Company center is not correctly shown on Google maps here in Yelp; it's not on the South Side - it's on the corner of Clark and Harrison in the Loop. read more

At first, my husband and I were thrilled to send our toddler to this daycare - their previous location on State street. My son came out of his shell - responding extremely well to the teachers and environment. I enjoyed the daily reports, giving us a snapshot of my child's day. We were happy with our choice. Then one day I came into pickup my child, and was informed that the State street location was going to be closing down because they "lost their lease". We really felt bad for the director - he now had to shift all of his existing families to the new location in the south loop. We were in JTA's corner - and we wanted to continue on with them so we agreed that we would transfer to the new location after the short holiday weekend. The next week I came to pickup my child and the story changed. Suddenly, they hadn't gotten the correct permits/certificates and we were told there would be no school for 2 weeks. WHAT? So now I'm left with no childcare for 2 weeks. Parents were scrambling to try and figure out what to do with their children; working out schedules with the JTA's teachers and trying to make it work. My family was still struggling to be on board, feeling terrible for the director and the situation. The next week we received an email stating that it would be another week of closure and no school. At this point I had to interview nannies, and using our family members to help out watching our child, sometimes spending double the cost. I talked to the director and voiced my concerns, and that's when communication from JTA to us ceased. Long story short - there was a total lack of communication and in all, were were out of childcare for about 8 weeks. We held on as long as we could, but realized we were being had. When we interviewed the new daycare that moved into the same State street location we were told the truth. The director knew that they had to move for 6 months prior to when he let the rest of the families know. This isn't just our story, but many other families that trusted them - some of which losing tuition that was paid ahead of time. There are many other trustworthy daycare providers in the south loop area - I urge any parent to do their research before sending their children. read more

After 3 years of service, the director decided that my 3 year old grandson could not remain at this place and terminated him via email to his father. I am in the early education field, but you don't need to know the field to know that this is a poor way to handle the situation. If the "teachers can't handle" a 3 year old they have cared for since he was 3 months old, and you can't sit down with parents and talk about how you can work on whatever issues you likely contributed to, then he doesn't need to be there anyway. No way would I recommend this place to anyone. My grandson seemed to love it, though, made great friends and still gets invited to all the birthday parties. read more

We can't be happier with his school. I leaves him there everyday with an ease of mind that he will be safe and happy. The director and the teachers are wonderful people and very nice and responsive. He learns about practical life everyday. I recommend JTA to everyone who is looking for a perfect educational and caring environment. The administration is very receptive to parent concerns and are always available by phone, email and are on site . They know every child's name and always update me with what My son have been doing in class , and ever single field trip. The lead and assistant teachers are wonderful, thoughtful and friendly. They have parent-teacher conferences twice yearly and I am impressed with the detail of the written assessments. The lead teacher is very enthusiastic and accessible in terms of communication and the children love her. I also find this to be a very involved and nice parent community. Most important, however, I am impressed with how my kid have progressed over the Year . We Just Love it JTA Family ! Guimaraes Family !!! read more

Both my children attended Kids&Company for over 5 years. We loved it there!The teachers were always so thoughtful and caring. We miss them a lot but know our kids entry into kindergarten has been much smoother because of their time spent there. Mrs.Jacobo is awesome! read more

We moved our son from a nearby daycare to Kids & Company. It was a very hard decision for me because I didn't want to turn his whole world upside down if the move wasn't going to be for the better. After a month, I can say that I am glad we are at Kids & Company. By his second week, he already had a favorite teacher. When he sees her in the morning, he goes to her and my drop-offs have never been easier. Both the staff and the director so far have been warm and friendly. My son is learning about letters, numbers, and colors. There seem to be different learning and play activities every day. The daycare also has field trips for older children, like visiting a pumpkin patch, and I look forward to being a chaperone one day. One of the factors for me in looking for a new daycare was the food menu. Our prior daycare had menu items like ramen noodles, ballpark nacho cheese sauce, all fruit was canned (with added sugar), and there were lots of carbs (saltines, Ritz, animal crackers, graham crackers, etc.). The Kids & Company menu has items like lemon salmon, BBQ chicken, pulled philly beef, smoothies, and actual fresh fruit! The menu also changes seasonally. My son is eating more and the food is better for him. I am happy with our new daycare and hope the goodness continues for our son and us. read more

My daughter has been attending this location since she was an infant. The teachers here are great. They care so much about the children and they are very professional. They offer a great meals and snacks throughout the day. The center director, Ms. Jacobo enjoys what she does and greets us every morning with a big smile and takes her time to get to know everyone. I highly recommend this center to anyone that is looking for high quality care. read more

Friendly, nice and good school staff. My lil one is so happy to be there. Classrooms are organized. Caring teachers. I like that they have lots of activities like dance, yoga and jump bunch classes and the outings and field trips. Would definitely recommend it to anyone! So glad I chose this school for our LO. read more

Our son started at JTA (now Kids and Company) at 6 weeks old. We moved across the country when he was 26 months old and unfortunately that meant saying goodbye to the wonderful people who make this daycare such an amazing place. Every single day, our son was nurtured and loved. He received amazing care and great developmental aids in reaching and exceeding all milestones. It is absolutely impossible to list all the things we loved about this daycare, but I'll try briefly below: 1) Amazing, dedicated, kind, attentive staff. These amazing women have become like extended family to us. 2) Diverse meal options that expose kids to all types of foods 3) Clean, colorful, and engaging environment full of age-appropriate toys and projects 4) Great help with potty training. They often even do a load of laundry in the middle of the day (!!!) so if my son had an accident at the beginning of the day, more often than not, I would pick him up in the same, clean outfit I dropped him off in. 5) Nice, age-appropriate curriculum. It's amazing what he soaked up and would tell us about at home. 6) The weekly Jump Bunch add-on available for toddlers is great. I was a little weirded out about paying for an extra option (it's not required) but his motor development really sky-rocketed and it gave him a lot of confidence. He always had a huge smile on his face on Jump Bunch days. If you are looking for a daycare for your child, this is a wonderful place. During our two years there, we got to know lots of fellow parents and all of us remark constantly how much in awe we are of the care and standards at Kids and Co. It's hard to trust someone else with your little ones, but at Kids and Company, your kids are in great hands! read more

There are so many things my husband and I like about this school for our little one who is currently in the infant room. First and most importantly, the teachers are wonderful. They are caring and friendly and have been there for years. When my son first came to the center, they gave him a little more one on one time which helped him get adjusted quickly. Also, the director very happily gave us status reports over the phone my son's first weeks. It certainly made the transition for me easier! As for activities, they center the school around learning. They take the infants on stroller walks to the park twice a day, sing songs, read books and even have bubble time. The infant room is also connected to the toddler room which has been especially nice since my son (who will be moving there in a month) has gotten an opportunity to spend parts of his day with those kids which will hopefully make it an easier transition when the time comes. The older kids (I believe 3+) have an even wider range of activities including field trips to the Children's Museum, Zoo, Movie Theater and Pump It Up. They even have a cooking and crafts teacher who comes on a regular basis. As far as food, JTA provides kids snacks like fruit, crackers and sandwiches and caters organic lunch through Gourmet Gorilla. I haven't eaten the food myself, but have been very happy with the variety and the fact that the food is organic. Other great things about this school are the longer hours and their overall flexibility to cater to the needs of your child. Things I wish they had were an indoor playspace and secured web viewing during the day, but overall, this center has this intangible feeling that every parent looks for when choosing a daycare facility - healthy, happy kids. read more

My son has been at JTA for over a year and I have nothing but good things to say about it. Let's talk education. My son is 4 in the pre-k program and thriving there. The teachers are great, patient, very professional, and you can tell they really care about providing a quality early childhood education. I am thrilled with the progress he has made in reading, writing and spelling. If there is something you'd like the teachers to work on with your child, tell them and they will work on it with your child. This seems fundamentally simple, but the open communication is really refreshing. I really feel he is getting a solid start and that's what's most important. I also love that he's learning Spanish and that the school is wonderfully diverse. There are a variety of other optional activities the kids can get involved in. There are programs for crafts, JumpBunch, cooking, dance and more that the kids can do for after school type activities. Overall, it's a great place for my son and I would recommend JTA to other families as well. read more

Our son started here when he was just EIGHT weeks old. We were extremely apprehensive about placing him in daycare, but because my husband and I work long hours, we couldn't really afford anything other than daycare. After just a few days though, I felt completely comfortable leaving him at JTA. The infant room staff at JTA is wonderful, and you can tell that they love what they do and they pay close attention to all the children - they learn all the children's habits and likes/dislikes. The staff is very knowledgeable and accommodating. They are constantly updating me with the new fun things my son has learned and showing me pictures/videos of the day. My son often comes home with cute little art projects. My son loves it here and is always so excited to see all his teacher and friends - he's literally jumping out of his stroller every morning. When he started solids, they offered to puree any of the items on their daily menu at no extra charge, which has been great! They're open 7am-6pm and the monthly tuition is very reasonable for the Chicago area. Additionally, if you pay 6 months of tuition in advance, they will offer you a discount on tuition. I highly recommend JTA to everyone! We are moving this summer and so incredibly sad to leave JTA! read more

My eldest started at JTA when he was 18months old. He is going to 1st grade soon, but I also have my 2yr old son there. My whole family loves JTA and I always recommend them to my friends who are looking for daycare in the South Loop area. Everyone that works their is always super friendly, very attentive, loving and caring. I really couldn't ask for much more! I also like the field trips they have in the summer as well as the other activities they have as extras like jump bunch and dance classes.. read more

Our two children attend JTA and we are thrilled with the level of care and education provided by all of the wonderful teachers and staff there. Our eldest son started at the previous location when he was about 4 months old, and now both of our children (ages 3.5 and 20 months) attend the location on Harrison. They are excited to run out the door each and every day to go to school. At times, I almost cannot believe how much they are learning there! The teachers are so caring and personable. Our youngest son has multiple food allergies, and I am so thankful that they go above and beyond to ensure that he is safe. I highly recommend JTA! read more

This is the best daycare in downtown, and I wouldn't take our sons to any other daycare in the downtown area. Our twin baby boys were in their care from April 2017 to September 2017. Everyone was absolutely so wonderful and nice, and they took excellent care of our boys who started there at 5 months old and ended at 11 months. We also saw improvement in their development. Unfortunately under circumstances with my job, we had no longer needed daycare. Our last day was a very sad day. Miss Jacobo who is the director is extremely pleasant and nice. The teachers in the infant room are very loving and handled our boys with calm, nurturing care. They truly loved our boys, and we are very thankful for the warm, loving, safe environment they provided for our boys. And we are forever grateful for the love and support they provided us as parents as well. read more

I can't say enough wonderful things about JTA Schools especially their Infant Room staff and the front desk ladies. My son started there at 3 months and from day one they provided a loving and caring environment for him to develop and grow. JTA was a safe, nurturing and fun place for our son to spend his days while we worked and we are extremely grateful for all that they did for him (and us). It is hard to leave your child with someone new when you are going back to work, however JTA did an amazing job of informing us of all of his activities throughout the day and often times sent him home with fun arts and crafts that we could put on the fridge. We had to leave due to us moving to the suburbs and it was incredibly difficult to say goodbye to our extended family at JTA. read more

The school at State St. did close but they have moved to their new location at 80 W. Harrison St. which is open and wonderful! My daughter has been going to JTA for 1 1/2 years and we are very pleased! The staff is amazing and have a true passion for what they do! My daughter was very shy and reserved before starting at JTA and now she has really opened up- a great start to her education! Thanks JTA! read more

We are so incredibly happy with our decision to send our son to JTA for daycare. The teachers and staff are always friendly and welcoming. We feel at ease knowing that the environment is safe and clean!! It's also such a treat to have smiling faces greeting us when we drop-off and pick-up...we know that our son is getting the attention and care that he deserves when mom and dad can't be there. We love JTA! read more

This is an outstanding school in every way. From the clean, safe, and fun facility, to the warm, caring, and professional educators and staff, this place is top-rate. Of particular note is the wide variety of activities and field trips that are available to the children, and the detailed daily progress reports that the teachers prepare on behalf of each child and provide to the parents. Our daughter has learned a great deal here, made many friends, and enjoyed herself thoroughly. We recommended this school without reservation of any kind. read more

I've been touring all the early education centers in the Southloop area and I am highly impressed with JTA Schools, by far, compared to all the others!!! read more