The service was great. Lots changed when Sylvia relocated to another facility…read more My children required consistency and there was a time where teachers were changing too frequently. The price to pay for such a smaller childcare center is the same price as the large two story daycare center down the street; which has a rooftop playground, elevators, community events and nice sized classrooms. I would recommend but if you have other options, I would second this one due to pricing.

My daughter continues to blossom well at The Nook Daycare in the South Loop I am so grateful for…read morethis healthy environment. I also want to highlight the care and consideration Diane, the director, takes of her staff. She is amazing and her hard work deserves recognition! Thank you The Nook South Loop!

I appreciate the staff so much. My daughter attended the West Loop location this summer and enjoyed…read moreall the activities and had a great time. Anytime an issue arose, the staff handled it with patience and kindness and took it serious to nip any issues immediately.

Steve & Kate's in the West Loop is amazing! The location is wonderful - outdoor space for water…read moreactivities and sports, playground and lots of room inside the school building with a ton of activitiy rooms. The staff is phenominal and I have been so impressed. I have a shy girl who although loves camp, always wants to check for her friend at drop off and they know the drill and always help her find her (so many activities rooms it can be hard to find campers if they have already checked in.) They have made her feel welcome and safe and it has been a pretty easy summer having her go to camp full time. I love the express check in the night before - my daughter loves selecting her food for camp the next day, and loved the food. She had the option to get a school lunch at her school this year and always wanted me to pack her lunch, but for Steve and Kate's I have never had to pack a lunch which is honestly one of the biggest perks for a working parent. The amount of activities they have for kids and the level of learning really surprised me. My daughter learned how to crochet and sew this year and was so into it. She loves the crafts, bread baking (which is actually such good bread - I have eaten it if she shares), and so much more. It has been a great experience for both my daughter and us. Will definetly go back next year and can't say enough good things about this camp and the West Loop location!

We switched to this location of KinderCare from Ladybug on Irving park. We were worried about the…read morechange but surprisingly our kiddo liked it better and didn't miss her old daycare much which was more upscale. The director Michelle is super accommodating and we had 0 problems with Early Intervention therapists visiting the kiddo at school (Ladybug requested additional fingerprinting even though they had Early Intervention screening ). But the best part was that our kid became potty trained on day one because her teacher Ms Mary takes time to put them on a potty at regular intervals . The group size is smaller than at our previous school and pretty relaxed atmosphere.

I enrolled my sweet girl in late January. I was so nervous to put her in school as this was the…read morefirst time she would be separated from me. I spoke to Ms.Gaby on the phone and explained to her my situation, she was super energetic and happy to talk to me about kindercare and gave me a virtual tour (covid times). She literally put my mind at ease. I came in to grab some paper work met with the director Ms. NEFALI and her team. They were amazing and so happy to have my little one there. Honestly this facility is the best and the teachers treat your children like their own. I am incredibly fortunate to have my baby girl here, she is happy and well taken care of. Not to mention every single teacher there is genuinely happy to work there. Thank you ladies for all you do you are the best of the best.

My son has been going to school at Little Lights since he was 2.5 (he's 4 now) and I can't say…read moreenough good things about this program. The program started out when Pastor Sarah was looking for a preschool for her oldest daughter and wasn't satisfied with the options available in Lincoln Park. She decided to start this early education program in the classrooms that the church already had available and since then it has grown leaps and bounds. Ms. Virgie has been the director for the last two years and she brings an expansive knowledge of play-based learning and plans very carefully to make sure each age group is learning in an age appropriate manner while also tying the lesson together throughout all the classes. The teachers also attend continuing education conferences, which I love because it means they're keeping up-to-date with the latest ideas and innovations in education. Lastly, the class sizes are small and each child gets lots of personal attention and teachers are very responsive to parent feedback. Oh, and its super affordable!

This is the best hidden gem preschool. I have had three kids in the program over the past 5 years…read moreand I have zero regrets! The teachers truly care for each child, the community of parents is fantastic, my kids have always been excited to go to school and there are frequent family activities planned outside of school. During the school day, the kids take Spanish, there is a huge indoor gym for "recess" and on nice days, they go outside to a playground. They also have a fun summer camp that the teachers run and is a great transition into the school year.

Had both my kids there, they seemed to enjoy it. They came home happy and they have an app that…read moregives me updates on what's going on.

Our daughter has attended Gardner River North for two years of preschool and we have loved her…read moreexperience. All her teachers have been loving and wonderful educators. This is our fourth child and she is way ahead of her siblings in reading writing and math skills when they were at this age, plus all the extra curricular options like crouching tigers and techie club during school hours are a huge bonus. I have zero complaints and wish Gardner had an elementary school so we could stay longer!

We were only at Green Beginnings for 6 months during the brief time we lived in West Town, but GB…read moremade a lasting impact on me and my family! Special thanks to Krissy who did a virtual tour with us via Zoom when we were still living halfway across the country at the time. Once we moved to Chicago, we really appreciated the first few transitional half-days before the official start date. This not only helped ease our child into a new routine, but also eased our minds as well (so helpful as parents who, at the time, were doing childcare for the first time). We loved the community that existed at the center. Krissy and Katie were great at hosting everything from themed events to monthly family gatherings. All the outings were a fun way to meet and connect with other families. Although we're in the Chicago suburbs now and at a different school, we still think back fondly to our time at GB. Thank you for truly being the first place to make us feel at home in Chicagoland!

After 7.5 years, my family just made our final tuition payment at Green Beginnings and I truly…read morebelieve it to be the best money we have spent in the most formative years of our children's lives. For those of you who are new to the daycare search, you have to know Green Beginnings has the best aspects of whatever it is you are looking for. Admirable, Local Ownership . Green Beginnings is a WOMEN-OWNED, local business, fully operated by two incredible ladies - Katie Darcy and Krissy Ramirez. They are compassionate educators (former CPS kindergarten teachers) and contemporary professionals that just genuinely love kids. They run the whole business and when you see Krissy there at 6am every day and Katie there past 6pm every night, you also just see how your money is going to some strong AF, hard-working women who are physically present, emotionally and professionally supporting the staff and families every. single. day. Reliability & Retention But seriously, I swear these women don't take a day off (probably because they know you can't take a day off!). They are reliable and supportive and it shows in how they retain teacher talent for YEARS. Several teachers that cared for my almost 8 year old as an infant are STILL THERE and they are happy and thriving. (For those of you who are new to the daycare search, this is not the normal. Often times, the door on daycares rotates so quickly it's concerning, but not at Green Beginnings). I see the same teachers welcome my son every single morning and he runs to them willingly, always excited about the day ahead. Teachers The teachers are warm and loving, trained in early education, and also excellent communicators. They send thorough email updates once a week that detail all of what your child learned / studied, while not overwhelming you with too much information. Some daycares have an app where they post pictures all day for you, but I think GB is smart and strategic for not doing that. For one, they want the teachers engaging your child instead of pulling out their phone and photographing them. For two, they also want to let you do your job and don't see value in distracting you all day. Routine I have 3 kids and 7 years of sample data with which I can say GB creates kids that are comfortable with schedules and emotionally regulated. The toddlers know how to follow directions and operate many tasks independently before they even turn 2. Very importantly, they also know how to nap. Sustainability The meals/menu at GB are nutritious - organic, sourced locally and filled with variety. (You send their food for the first few months while they're an infant, but after that - all snacks and meals are covered within the tuition). As a result of all the early food exposure, I have some very open-minded eaters that willingly crush fruits and vegetables. Safety, Citizenship & Diversity GB is located on the outskirts of the West Loop, just as you enter West Town. The spot is close enough to the loop to be convenient for downtown commuters, but just far enough outside of the loop to be safe and easy to park. By nature of the location, the surrounding population is truly multicultural and I love that Green Beginnings doesn't shy away. The teachers routinely take the kids on walks around the neighborhood, often over to Union Park to play. I've seen them do it and the way the kids listen to these teachers, cooperate and hold hands is MIND BOGGLING. The staff is so on it they are basically training your toddler in city safety. Doing so makes you child safety-minded citizens when on walks with you too! Front Desk I can't sleep on the administrative support and front desk staff at GB. They are a treasure. Again, the same trusted women have greeted us every day of the 7 years we've gone there; they keep chit chat short, warm and 100% non-judging (and there were LOTS of mornings that merited judgement!). If you need paperwork for taxes or a schedule adjustment - they've got you. They're easy to communicate with and quick to respond to email. Affordability Lastly (and arguably the most valuable detail) - Green Beginnings is affordable and priced correctly. We're moving and, only because of that, I've recently started looking at the price of alternative child care. The GB monthly tuition is comparable to SOME other full time daycares I've researched but lower and more flexible than MANY. Daycare is a huge expense for most families in the city and GB understands that. They run a lean operation to keep the cost accessible while still paying their team well. Inside the window of their office is a little wooden sign that says "little girls with dreams become women of vision" and seeing it everyday reminds me that their commitment to their careers is what has fully allowed me to commit to mine. I'm eternally grateful to them for providing our family this incredible foundation for the last 8 years.

My daughter has been attending this daycare for almost 2 years and I have nothing but positive…read morethings to say. I'm very grateful with the entire staff for actually showing how much they care for the kids. They send me updates and pictures everyday, they are very strict when it comes to safety, food allergies etc. They have so many different activities during the week, they engage with every holiday for the kids, staff is very educated and professional they always welcome you with a smile. My daughter is advanced in learning for her age and that shows how much effort they put into teaching the kids, I have tried other daycares and learning centers and definitely Kids R Our Starts is the best!!

I have had my daughter at this facility since she was 6 weeks old. Now she is 5 and going to…read morekindergarten to a public school in Berwyn. She has created a lot of memories and experiences there. All teachers are certified with associates and bachelors, plus food and safety certifications. They do many activities with kids and always want to create the best for the child and parents within their relationship.

As a central IL grandparent who raised 5 of my own, I am so impressed with Creative Minds. When we…read morebabysit in Chicago we would drop the boys off, so comfortable in leaving them with such loving people. And the boys always enter the doors with enthusiasm. Graduation was today, and we witnessed, firsthand, the nurturing that happens here. The staff was crazy proud of their student's accomplishments. And the fact that my city grands are in a bilingual school is such a plus. And of course all the children are precious. I'm thrilled that my son and daughter found this preschool. It's the best environment I've witnessed. Congrats to the staff.

We just had our last day at Creative Minds and we will miss them so much! Our daughter loved her…read moretime there (over 4 years) and the teachers and staff are so kind and amazing with the kids. They take great care of the facility and have taught my daughter so much. I wish I could take them to our new home....finding a new daycare that measures up will be hard. We absolutely love everything about the daycare, staff and owner. She loves her teachers and has made many friends. The events they hold for students and their families are amazing and make you truly feel like part of a family.