My daughter started at MSCU in their toddler program when she was 20 months old. She's now six…read moreyears old and completing her first year of elementary school there. We have loved this school at every stage--toddler program, primary, kindergarten, and now elementary. It's amazing to see how the environment and Montessori curriculum is helping her become both a strong, independent thinker and community-minded at the same time. The teachers are all amazing, and really care about your child and their needs and development. My daughter loves going to school here. When she comes home, she's excited to talk about the new things she's learning. I wouldn't send her anywhere else. Take a tour--you won't be disappointed!

We chose MSCU after checking out several other places in town. We loved the following qualities…read moreabout MSCU: 1) Teachers there were so friendly and upbeat. Many of the teachers have been there for many years and yet still have that "spark". 2) We loved the way kids learned in a very natural way. Montessori materials helped our DD learn how to read by age 4. Even today DD loves to read. 3) Community - we've met so many parents there who are like minded. I've found parents who are very committed to music, bilingual education and supporting local businesses. It's a very international and diverse community with wonderful food during the picnic! 4) Our kids can't wait to go to school. They actually look forward to weekdays when they get to be at school. 5) School is great at taking care of kids with allergies. 6) Beautiful rooms! 7) Mixed aged classrooms - our kids have grown so much as a result of interacting with other kids. 8) How neat and organized the kids are in class. Kids there learn to focus and learn how to take care of their environment. 9) Our kindergartener learned more space, planets, US History than most other 3rd graders I know. 10) Ms. Peat - she is the most amazing teacher in all of Champaign Urbana. She's been at the school for 20 years (very hard to believe) and still loves all of her little friends. I recommend checking out a couple of other preschools and then coming over to the MSCU and prepare to be wowed by the teachers.

Updated: 8/17/26 It was reported today that a nonverbal…read morechild at Chesterbrook got out of his classroom and escaped into the parking lot and was nearly hit by a car, a parent from the parking lot intervened and took the child back into the building. The teacher (Jenkins) was not aware her student had escaped because she did not count her students (it is reported this is a frequent oversight.) It has been reported to me last week that the school ran out of both cups and spoons and the children were not able to drink and had to eat with their hands. ORIGINAL REVIEW: (I've had 5 children attend this facility over the course of 6 years.) Recently it has gotten entirely out of hand. This facility sent an email to employees to come to work at a certain time but if they aren't needed in a classroom they must wait in the teachers lounge unpaid (which is illegal.) They reportedly have a teacher who has had multiple sexual harassment complaints from other teachers and was seen making vulgar sexual gestures around children with baby toys and calling other employees "tits" in front of other children. This employee has not cleared a background check and is allowed to work regardless. Reportedly, They refused to pay a teacher maternity leave and when she threatened to sue she was not allowed to return to work. Another teacher reportedly has had multiple DCFS investigations against her after multiple children from her classroom have had hair line fractures in their arm and gone home complaining of pain. A teacher reportedly locked a small child in the bathroom with the lights off as a punishment for not wanting to go to the potty (they were 2ish years old.) This facility is not operating legally and should be reported to the Illinois department of labor.

My daughter has been at this school since she was only a few weeks old, and she is getting ready to…read morestart kindergarten in the fall. I have seen directors come and go, I think 8 or 9? some better than others. I have seen caring teachers and I have seen people who I questioned how they were allowed to work with children. Mostly I have seen an issues with high turnover and high un communicated fees. Not only was I charged a $270 "kindergartner prep fee" but also a separate $255 summer camp fee. My child has been here SIX YEARS, every other year the camp fee was about $70. I would highly recommend you find ANYWHERE else to take your child. They the company view your family as a number and could care less to help you which in turn runs off all of their good and caring staff. I would recommend finding something local and not part of a big chain that can't even live up to its own standards.

If only I could give *more* stars. This is a great center. If you're expecting a baby, get on the…read morewaiting list now! I feel sorry for other parents in other towns when I hear about the lack of good child care because we have it here in CU. Highlights include: *The teachers are all great, but the shining stars are Nina and Michelle in the Infant I room, Julie in Toddler I, Laura in Toddler II and Yildiz in Preschool I. They really love kids and the kids love them. Nina and Michelle are especially great in dealing with new parents who need advice. *There's a parent's committee for people who like to be involved in decision-making. It meets once a month. * The rooms are clean, friendly, full of toys. * While housed in a church, the center is not religious. My family is agnostic, there are Jewish families, Muslim families, your random assortment of Christian denominations... * The rates are fair and include two meals, a snack and diapers for the babies. As your kid moves up, the prices drop slightly. * Field trips for the older kids. * Each class has some kind of event two times a year where the parents are invited in to see some kind of production... ice cream social in Preschool I, a "circus" in Toddler II. Just a great center. You can't go wrong here. A+. They are open M-F 7:30-5:30. They are closed for holidays. The center is closed the week between Christmas and New Year's (you don't pay for that week). The center also closes for 2 weeks in late July/early August for deep cleaning and to give the teachers a vacation (you don't pay for those 2 weeks). Many of the teachers will babysit kids during the 2 weeks, however.

We have been at FUMCCC for almost 4 years now and have nothing but positive things to say about it…read more One of the first things that impressed me when we toured back in 2014 was when we were walking through the hallway, the Director said hi and knew the names of all the kids passing her in the hallway. From then on - we have always felt that the teachers and office staff care SO much about the kids that go there. They also have very high marks on ensuring the kids have a clean and safe facility for daycare. Another perk - the kids have lots of large motor space. In the winter, there is a gym for the bigger kids and a large motor room with lots of toys for the smaller kids. When it's good weather, the big kids go to West Side Park and the smaller kids have a nice outdoor playground to play in. I could go on and on...go check it out! :)

The gym is fine, they don't really police the gym rules so there's people not following rules with…read moreno ramifications. The app they use has hours for the pool but they aren't always correct and the pool heater breaks often. They have a "deep cleaning" every year that members pay for and they shut down the gym for 6 days to do it so not only are you paying for it but you can't go while they do it. Just keep it clean year round. The workers are usually not super helpful or nice.

I've been a member for 5 years and was told I needed to pay an additional $25 to renew my…read moremembership because my membership was past due by 12 days. I happened to be out of town. I was told no exceptions. so I walked away from this so called "family place" and they walked away from over $700.00. Think twice before donating ANY money to this "non-profit". maybe the YMCA doesn't believe in being profitable because they don't have to worry about the bottom line. In addition, the turnover in their childcare area is puzzling. My child's 3 favorite young female employees were let go or quit. Be careful who is watching your children. What a sad, sad place.

We've been with the "Co-op" for over a year now, and we couldn't be more pleased with our…read moredaughter's education. My daughter spent the past year in the Good Beginnings Play Group and had a phenomenal time experiencing "school" while having the safety net of mommy around. Her teacher Miss Jenelle was absolutely wonderful! This year we are looking forward to beginning the 3's class and gaining more independence as she will be in class 3 times a week for 3 hours a day, mostly without mommy. We love that the "co-op" is so family oriented, requiring most parents to be involved in the classroom a couple times each moth in order to offset some of the tuition costs. Being a family living on one income, we definately appreciate the low cost of the "co-op" and their mindfulness about family budgets. This is NOT a school that surprises you monthly with unexpected financial demands for supplies, fieldtrips, etc. The "co-op" is on a budget and recognises that we are too.

One of the rare preschools in town that has a 2-year-olds classroom. They also have a…read moreparent-toddler program for younger than that. We are very pleased with our coop experience. Great if you are looking to ease your child into a school setting. All of the teachers are wonderful and seem very committed to the wellbeing of each child.

I enrolled both of my children this fall. They absolutely love it and ask every morning if it's a…read more"preschool day". My youngest has made a lot of progress in a short time with her counting & letter and number recognition. My eldest is in the pre-K program and is on the verge of reading - she can read certain words and spell them out. They have had many programs for the parents, grandparents, etc. for Grandparents Day, Halloween, and Christmas coming up. My girls are always running around singing the songs they've learned. We are very pleased with this program. I've never witnessed nor heard anything negative in regards to Hugs & Bugs. We first heard of it through our children's caregiver. She was taught by the same teachers as a child and has enrolled her own. The teachers have 25+ years of experience and it shows in how much my children love it.

I went to Hugs and Bugs when I was a kid when they were originally in Sidney and I remember loving…read moreit and having so much fun with all the arts and crafts and playing with friends, but also learning a lot! my child now goes to Hugs and Bugs and it is still ran by the same teachers I had. Hugs and Bugs has a good balance of play time and actives as well as curriculum. My daughter loves it there and learns soooo much !! my daughter is 3 years old and already knows some geography - she already knows the seven continents, math skills -addition and subtraction and can count over 50, manners and behavioral skills....and so much more. I STRONGLY recommend Hugs and Bugs, I wouldn't want my daughter anywhere else. Thank you Hugs and bugs!

Excellent staff and great environment for children.They love taking care of the kids .highly…read more recommended.

As a former parent of a child who went to this daycare. For the safety of your children pull them…read moreout and place them somewhere else. Our child had three events in which raised alarms and concerns . Each concern for reference was brought to director , assistant director and the owners. Nothing was done. The first incident was when our child was 6 months and ms. Lisa placed our 6 month old in time out. the other teachers in that classroom spoke to us the parents first and did not bring these concerns to admin. our child was moved classrooms immediately. The teachers are not taught anything regarding breast milk and formula for example how long it can be left out. our daughter ended up in the ED for 13 hours due to severe illness from her milk being left out. Second event- was in 15-18month classroom with Ms. Jesscia. Ms. Jessica is a monster and should have never been hired to care for children let alone toddlers. She would let my child jump in puddles in late fall and wear the soaking wet clothes in cold temperatures while the other teachers would stand around in coats and on their phones. Multiple times this was brought up To admin. The third event again with Ms. Jessica - she took a bleach sponge to our child's face. Our child had chemical burns to her face. Her cheek and nose, her cheek will forever have broken capillaries to due to the nature of her scrubbing and infants face with a mr.clean sponge. When this occurred I called poison control and Carle direct for an appointment, the pediatrician confirmed chemical burns. When I called the front desk to speak with a director they denied she would ever. after the doctor appt and poison control proof- the director watched footage and it was confirmed. this teacher held down children during nap time, physically restraining toddlers. She also was extremely passive aggressive and made nasty remarks about my child. When this information was made public the owners made a post stating it wasn't true information and that a disgruntled employee made it. The next few days after I spoke with the owners , in this meeting they still tried to excuse the actions of ms.Jessica. They state the person posting secretively and that ms.sami's posted were lies , they were corrected by myself stating " it's not lies this happen to my child." I cried in their office asking if my child was safe at their school. They said yes but it's hard to believe when the next statement out of their mouths was we had to get our lawyer involved to block the post. This is when I asked if they got a lawyer to protect their image or my child. My childs worst event in life is publicly out there on all platforms because they choose to ignore red flags after red flag. My child has permant damage and they only care about their image. They never offered anything to make the situation better. The first time I asked for Ms.Jessica to not be around my child I was told that is not an option. Im a working mother and other daycares had 6 month waits. as a mother who regrets everyday of her child going there do not send your child or children there.

I was a newly divorced mom when my 3 month old started at Little Hearts and Hands. My daughter…read morewould not take a bottle and I had tried everything I could think of. So I asked Terri and Macey and the wonderful girls in the Giraffe room for ideas and help. They all were so helpful everyday, Terri order every bottle she could think of to help my daughter. Macey helped with every feeding and Terri kept me updated daily letting me know how my daughter was doing. Finally, with all their help she took a bottle. I don't know how to thank them for all their loving and support.

I am writing to formally address a series of deeply troubling incidents that occurred at Little…read moreHearts and Hands, which have left me profoundly concerned about the safety of the children in your care and the professionalism of your staff, particularly the owner, Terri.I have generally had a positive experience with your facility, but recent events have been alarming. My daughter sustained a significant injury when a large, wooden fridge fell on her face in the gym, resulting in severe facial bruising and a likely concussion, as her head was forcefully slammed into the wooden floor. As a concerned parent, I sought to address this matter to ensure the safety of my child and others. However, when I raised these concerns with the manager, they were dismissed without adequate attention. I then contacted Terri, requesting access to video footage of the incident, only to be informed that the footage was "no longer available." Furthermore, the hazardous toy remained in the gym until I insisted it posed a risk to other children.Following this incident, the relationship with your staff felt strained, seemingly because I was assertive in prioritizing my child's safety. More recently, my other child was bitten twice by another child, with the second bite being significantly more severe. When I addressed this with the manager, expressing concerns about the potential for lifelong scarring, transmission of bloodborne pathogens, and psychological trauma, I was met with a dismissive response: "Well, it happens." The manager became defensive, failing to address the gravity of the situation.When I requested to speak with the director, Terri, I was told she would contact me. Instead, she confronted me in a public hallway at the daycare, in the presence of other parents, children, and my own children. During this encounter, Terri raised her voice, made baseless accusations about my character and personal life, including references to my divorce, and attempted to publicly humiliate me. Her aggressive behavior, including shouting defamatory remarks, was not only unprofessional but deeply distressing, especially as it occurred in front of my children. When attempting to disengage from the situation she followed me down the hall continuing to harass me in front of my children. I told her to stop speaking about the matter in front of my children and she yelled down the hall baseless & defaming accusations. Little Hearts and Hands claims to operate as a Christian-based organization, which makes this experience all the more shocking. As a parent and paying customer, I am appalled by this treatment and gravely concerned about the safety and well-being of the children in your care. If this is how a director addresses a concerned parent, I am left to question what may be happening behind closed doors. Consequently, I have withdrawn my children from your facility and will not be utilizing your services in the future.I strongly urge a thorough investigation into these matters, including the safety protocols at your facility, the handling of incident reports, and the conduct of your staff, particularly the owner. The dismissive attitude toward serious injuries, the lack of transparency regarding video footage, and the unprofessional behavior exhibited by leadership raise significant concerns about the integrity of your operations.