I had been eyeing this facility since I was pregnant. I was super excited to hear they had a spot available in mid-Feb. I immediately set up a tour with my little one. My husband wasn't able to come in-person, but I was able to video call him in for part of the tour. My son has been going here for almost 3 months now, so I feel a bit comfortable making this review. This review is only for the infant room 1 and geneal policies. The waitlist is free. The school requires two notice if you want to withdraw your child from their institution. You have to place a $500 deposit. This secures your child's spot and is returned once you provide the school 2 weeks' notice at the time of withdrawal. Mrs Maria is the lead teacher in Room 1. The other 3 teachers rotate in/out daily. The classroom is shoeless, or parents will have to wear booties inside the classroom. Each child has their own crib, cubby, slot in the fridge, and diaper/wipes cubby. Parents supply all food for the infant classroom. Parents supply diapers and wipes. Please note once your child enrolls in the toddler room, 15 months and up meals will be provided. All updates are communicated through the brightwheel app. Unfortunately, Rainforest does not use the brightwheel app for the toddler up rooms. From my understanding, parents are given updates on a sheet shared weekly, I believe. I will find out more once my little guy transitions in the next month. I will update my Yelp review to include the toddler room updates. Taylor, the director, and Veronica, the assistant, are usually the ones to communicate updates and will answer any questions! They are usually the ones communicating any health updates as they do not add those in the brightwheel app. My son has some sensory components, music, and Spanish language lessons weekly. Since he is mobile now, he can go to the playroom and crawl around. If the weather permits, the kiddos go outside for a bit to the park in the area and/or stroller. I wish they shared when what days they go out and pictures of them at the park. I receive a weekly newsletter with pictures of the babies in room 1. Infant full-time tuition $2980 Toddler Full-time $2750 Toddler Part-time MWF - $2150 Toddler Part-time T&Th- $1720 What I love about this place is the open door policy!!! During the warmer months, the facility restricts drop-offs from 9-11 am because the kiddos are outside. It makes scheduling doctors' appointments a breeze! They are also very flexible with allowing therapist onsite. When I message them that we are on our way to pick up my child, they have him ready with a clean diaper!!!!!! I have a few issues with this facility. There is no nursing/lactation room. They have a staff bathroom, but you don't want to feed your child in there. The one time I had a virtual appointment because I wanted to include the lead teacher, we had to do it in the lobby. Taylor explained they had testing go on, so I couldn't use the office. So they don't have much space, although the facility is pretty big. Health updates about my son are communicated verbally, which can be confusing when speaking with various staff. My son is continously sick! They change the sheets weekly, which I think they should do it daily! read more

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- First and foremost, your child will learning nothing here. This place is nothing more than a group babysitting. - Used, unstable and often dangerous furnitures. Pianos that are so old and poorly taken care of. Doubt anyone's ever played... yet it's there... completely as a show. - Very limited and torn books. Our daughter's class (2 year old) had maybe 10. Often times one book gets torn in two and becomes two books. Most likely all second hand. - Photo equipment in the common area (place is a dump). They use it like their storage space. Photography tripods, umbrellas, lighting gear... many with sharp edges and can be toppled over with ease. Very little regard to children's safety. - Broken doors that never get fixed. In my daughter's class, they were able to just push the door open and wander into this common area filled with above mentioned photo gear. They only fixed it after 8 weeks and 6 complaints later. This would be unacceptable for an apartment complex, let alone a day care. Again, very little, if any, regard to kids' safety. Every time I asked, they simply said the contractor is coming out next week. Got this same answer 3 times. - Owner/managers (Jessica and Jason) have very little understanding of kids and there's a clear disconnect with parents. I've tried many times to ask for more open communication and transparency. Overall a very negative experience. - They pretend to be art/music education driven "program". This is grossly inaccurate. Kids are hardly ever exposed to art/music. They use this simply as a marketing tool. Before every "art show" you can see the teachers working diligently putting together "kids" art pieces. Decorating them and hanging them. Then, those art pieces spend next 6 months on walls to mislead prospective parents into thinking this is a place of learning. Absolutely horrible. - No wait list. They sold this to us as a good thing. It was nice to hear "if you want, you can start next week" but at what cost? They pre-maturely shuffle kids around to make it fit. Our daughter was moved up twice in the span of 2 months to make room for other younger kids. Once again, looking after their profitability before the child's well-being. Making her adjust to 2 more new faces yet again. In less than a year, our daughter's had 4 different "baby-sitters". Have a hard time calling them teachers. - My daughter cried every time I dropped her off... for almost a year... when speaking with other parents (from other day care facilities) their kids love their teachers and do not mind being dropped of in the mornings. I still know several people that currently go to Rainforest and ... same deal. - They closed for 2 days for Christmas. When asked why they were closing on Friday (day before Christmas eve), their rationale was "we were planning on closing for 3 days (Friday, Monday and Tuesday) but we've shortened it" and "we need a vacation too." Called around other daycares in the Chicagoland area and they were the only one to close. It was highly irresponsible and again showed their disconnect with parents. - Their joke of an outside door. The outside door acts as a first layer of defense against predators and other elements. There's no clear view from where they are buzzing people in. In other words, a guy wielding a *insert weapon here* would have just as easy of a time getting in as someone holding a diaper bag. On top of that, they often leave their "buzzing" post unmanned... leaving parents waiting in the rain outside. - Once caught one of the "babysitters" angrily scolding a two year old. I told her to stop and that they are still just kids and she simply responded, "trust me, they understand." - I like watching my daughter interact with other kids. So, often times, I stand by the door and watch for a little while before going in to pick her up. This one afternoon, the babysitter was reading everyone a book. I can see our daughter was bothering another child. Without looking up from her book, the babysitter shoved our daughter onto the floor. Then, continued to read as my daughter fell to the floor crying. I don't mind her telling my daughter to stop bothering others. I don't mind her physically separating them. I don't mind her giving her time out. But to separate them so violently and not bothering tell her why she was being punished is an assault. This is the same "babysitter" I caught scolding another child (previous bullet point). She really has no business being around kids... but what do they care.. she's minimum wage. read more

My husband and I were texting this morning, as we often do after drop off and pick up, and we decided we need to share our appreciation for Pamala and Jen, the school as a whole, and the incredible team of caregivers in room 6- Ms. Ally, Ms DeAnna & Ms. Tomiya. Our Dorothy (Dottie/Dot) is 1.5 years old and about 3 months in as a student. Ms. Ally gets a special shout out for her morning routine with our girl. Dottie was working through some typical separation anxiety and morning after morning, Ms. A takes the time to meet Dottie and comfort her and remind her how much fun and love she will experience throughout the day. Chris and I both started new jobs the same week that Dot started at Rainforest so our plates were full but every one was on Team Dottie to help make the transition seamless (initial daycare germs are tough but you have to build the immune system when you can right?!). Ms. Deanna gives me awesome updates every afternoon and Dottie loves to blow her kisses goodbye- I can tell they are great friends! Ms. Tomiya greets all of us with a wide smile and open arms. It's magic! Dottie now runs through the hallway to get to her room and her friends. Dottie and I started off on a tough path when she was born a little early, a little small and very emergent. The first time I went back to work was incredibly hard on me and I didn't know if I would be able to handle a career that I've always wanted as a mom, but Rainforest, the team and Rm 6 has not only given me the opportunity to go back to work to help others at my new job with United Way of Metro Chicago, but has given our whole family the peace of mind to shine and grow. Just last weekend we moved apartments and 19 month old Dot started wearing glasses- again the support has been spot on and the transition tears few. She's a specs-wearing CHAMP already and loves the new (shorter!) walk to school. Rainforest is creative, the food smells delicious as they prepare fresh meals every day and there is so much love that this Mom and Dad 's cup runneth over. Daycare is a tough choice, we are so thankful we clearly made the right one. read more

Highly recommend. Miss B & her Staff are incredible. They are a true extension of our family. They go above and beyond to take the best care of our daughter. Not to mention all of the fun events they include us on. We could not be happier. read more

Rainforest is everything you want in a daycare. An incredibly warm environment and talented teachers. Our daughter loves them and so do we!

This center is horrible. They don't teach your children anything. They take your money so they can babysit! No thanks I can hire a real babysitter then. taylor is very unprofessional. She lies and tells you that they have a program set up and I found out that was a huge lie! The place is unsafe and outdated. How about get a makeover or move to a facility that is actually appealing so people will want to enter. Very disappointed in the tacky staff and atmosphere. read more

My two year old daughter has been going here for almost a year and she loves it! Since she was added to a room with kids who are a bit older than her, she started to become extremely excited about potty training and is close to being out of pull-ups at two! The teachers are very sweet and care deeply about the children in their classrooms. They are also teaching the kids Spanish and have been since she was in the infant room. I love that there is a wide range of ethnicities in all the classrooms and amongst the teachers and staff. Pamala and the rest of the Rainforest team have been extremely accommodating as they allow me to bring in the type of milk (with DHA) that I'd prefer my daughter to drink instead of the organic milk that the school provides. The teachers are more than willing to cater your child's day into what you think is best for your child. The only negatives about this daycare is the fact that they don't have a biting policy for the kids and that the space itself isn't exactly "top of the line." Price wise -- it's comparable to similar daycare's in the neighborhood. I would definitely recommend bringing your child here if you want your child to be exposed to a diverse and creative learning environment! read more

I have a toddler and an almost-preschooler who are both at Rainforest, which has been a terrific place for them. They both started as infants and have thrived in the providers' care. They experience the typical issues facing childcare centers, such as a relatively high staff turnover and a variety of minor illnesses that they wouldn't have gotten should they be home with a nanny. However, the opportunities for learning outweigh the negative stuff. The administration really strives to do well and provide a great environment, and I am secure knowing that my children are loved in a stable environment. read more

My 2 year old has been going to Rainforest for almost a year now. I couldn't be more pleased with it! It is always hard to leave your child and go to work, but he is always happy to go to his classroom, the teachers are always tremendously welcoming and seem to genuinely enjoy all the kids, and he always comes home talking about going to the park or "doing art." They have really cute holiday shows,and their own art director who always comes up with really creative projects. A couple times a year they have "art shows" where all the parents can see the various projects. It is really impressive! It is still hard for me to drop him off each morning, but it makes it much easier knowing he is in such a happy place! read more

My child attended this school about 7 years ago... way over due for a review.. not sure why I didn't get a chance to write one.. but this school is great. I always recommend this place to friends looking for a school. The owners have a great learning program for the kids. They incorporate art in every way. I was always amazed at the artwork these kids were doing. My child at the time was 4 years old and doing artwork like a pro artist.. Artwork that I've never done before. Most schools I've known when the kids are so young they have them doing the typical coloring sheets and have them painting on a white paper... oh no, not Rainforest these kids were beyond that. They didn't limit the kids from doing anything because of there age. The teachers and staff were always nice and helpful. The way these daycares are now, most parents are scared to leave they're child with anyone but I definitely recommend this place. Your child will learn a lot and know how to do some amazing artwork by the time he or she gets into middle and high school they already know how to do what the teachers are teaching them. They're going to be like oh my teachers at rainforest taught me this when I was 4 lol.... read more

My daughter started there when she was 8 months, and has been there for 6 months now. We like the place a lot. For her age group, i like the fact that they do not follow a strict shcedule. They pretty much let the kids' nap times and eating times govern there day. Her teachers are wonderful. She is very happy there! There are some days, when she will make me chase her, since she does not want to go home.. or she will crawl into teachers arm from mine. This helps, since then i know, she is well looked after. Now for the bad part, yes, the kids are sometimes not cleaned up well. i spend some time in the evenign, just to see teachers interact with other kids. They may not clean the runny nose right away, they will get to it eventually. But i guess, it is a day care and not home. So i try to turn a blind eye to the cereal left over on her face. Or the paint on her dress. The activities they make the kids do, are amazing. I have a box full of art projects from my daughter.. and she is not even 15 months yet. Another majorp lus for me is, we are vegetarians, and we have told her teachers to be on the vigil for the same. And they are.. Trust me, good place for south side. Expensive, but worth it for sure! read more

we were just at the Spring Art Show. It was amazing what the kids have done there this winter. read more

We have been a Rainforest family for the past 5 years. I have two children at Rainforest and both of my children started when they were four months old. Overall, we have been very pleased with the care we have received. No place is perfect, but whenever we had concerns, questions, or problems, we spoke directly with the owners and changes were made. The owners, Jessica and Jason care about the children and families in Rainforest and are approachable. [Note- we toured several day cares in Chicago and, by far, Jessica and Jason are the best when it comes to caring about the kids and families over the "corporation."] Jason was honest with us when we first toured Rainforest- the kids will go outside if it is above 40 degrees, the kids will get messy, and the kids will have hands-on experiences in their environment. The kids get healthy, warm lunches with a variety that is not typical toddler food. Getting the kids outside is a priority, and exposing the kids to the arts is emphasized. The kids have two performances a year and and have two art shows a year. My kids took pride in their work and enjoyed being on stage. My youngest child tends to be a bit shy and the performances really helped her to get over that. Both of my kids love going to school every day. [They love the weekends at home, too, but there are never any tantrums about going to school!] The kids also interact with kids of different age groups. This has been great for my kids since my oldest knew how to act around infants when his sister was born, and my youngest is not intimidated by older kids. Infant care: We received excellent infant care for both of our children. Part of that was that we made an effort to get to know them and communicate with them every day. We saw it as a partnership with the teachers. Our children loved their infant teachers, and developed well under their care. The infant teachers became like family and we often turned to them for advice given their vast experience with infants. Toddler: Transitioning to toddler stuff (sleeping on a cot, eating real food at a table, etc.) went well because the teachers were experienced and reassuring. As a parent, we were stressed because it is a major transition, and the teachers were able to nurture both our children and us through the process. Both of my children grew and developed well. There are several teachers that are excellent, and have made such a positive impact on our family. Preschool: The preschool program could improve in terms of preparing kids for school and taking on a more school like atmosphere rather than a day care environment. However, this all depends on the teacher. There are some amazing teachers at Rainforest that reinforce learning and manners. I would have liked to have seen more practical skills being taught (like shoe tying). I will say that when we had concerns, Jessica listened to us and changes were made and we have seen an improvement in the structure of the classroom and school-readiness. [This goes back to my earlier point- when you have an issue, you can talk to the people who are the decision makers and changes get made.] In the past, Rainforest had an incredibly strong art curriculum and my kids not only learned about, but experienced different art techniques first-hand while also learning about art history. Since that art teacher left, the art component has not been as strong. Rainforest still strives to incorporate the arts and my kids experience very creative art projects (including Art in the Park during the summer). [My husband is an artist, so this is important to us. It may not be as important to everyone.] read more

I have a 3 1/2 year old and a 4-month old. With my oldest, we started with a nanny, used another daycare facility and then moved to Rainforest Learning Center last September. I cannot say enough wonderful things about the directors/owners and staff at Rainforest Learning Center. I drop my children off everyday knowing they are in a safe, happy, learning environment. The teachers continue to amaze me with their genuine interest in each child and positive attitude. Rainforest stands out from others in the city with their creative approach to learning through art. As well, the all organic / natural food offered is unique and comforting. Our youngest started at Rainforest a few weeks ago. The baby room is every parent's dream! It is truly the most peaceful environment I have ever seen for a daycare. My sweet, adorable baby can be more than a bit fussy. She is ALWAYS calm and happy when I pick her up after work. It is a huge relief to leave for work, knowing that she is in the most gentle, capable hands....other than my own :) There is always an open line of communication, which is reassuring for a working parent. I feel any concerns, questions and comments I have made are taken seriously and are responded to in an appropriate manner. Although this might not be what every parent is looking for, I encourage you to explore Rainforest as an option. The authentic smiles on the children's faces is enough to put any parent at ease. read more

I have a toddler who is at Rainforest, she is now moving to the next classroom right now, and I have to say the Director is phenomenal and the lead teachers are great as well. It's a very artsy environment and have art shows, and they have a great organic menu for them. I feel very comfortable having my daughter there, because I know they care about the children and is a great environment. read more

this daycare is terrible! over priced for no reason. If you ever take a tour in the toddler room check out how nasty the seats are. They feed the kid s trash over charge the parents for mediocrity. they brag about the ratio... let me tell you sure they will be fully staffed in the morning ( sometimes) but if u ever drop by during the day they are NOT WITHIN the ratio they are cheap with there employess they only make nothing compared to the cost. My child had SEVERAL rashes it's classmate fell in the class and cut around his eye. the teachers try to tell you what they THINK its best for the kids and try to sneak around your wishes. The people are very rude. i think raist they hae a HUGE african american turn over rate also i sent my cousin in law to view the faclity shes blck and they acted as if she was broke when shes my boss and im pretty well paid. the two girls (black) who actually showed a decent interest in my child were both gone within a week this past summer. Iu wish it was so much easier finidn another school for my kids believe im trying my nephew goes to JTA and has such a better curriculum than these guys, this place cares about money not the kids! read more

I cannot believe the positive reviews this daycare center is getting! In my opinion, the center should be shut down for the very many violations I saw when I had my toddler there. They include: 1. Open trash receptacles in bathroom, filled with diapers and with feces smeared on the rims and sides of the containers, easily accessed by the toddlers. 2. Rabbit in toddler classroom with feces/droppings and urine of rabbit dripping or spilling onto the floor...inches away from where the toddlers ate snacks and occasionally picked up snacks from floor to eat. 3. Snacks served directly onto tables for toddlers to eat from - no paper plates or napkins. 4. Teacher-student ratios clearly violated over and over again. It was standard for there to be only one teacher with 10 -12 two year olds in the room. 5. Teachers not caring about the students. I witnessed a two year old who soiled himself and told the teacher he needed to potty. The teacher was pre-occupied talking to another teacher and left him unchanged for over 5 minutes. Dropping off my child, I had to wipe the noses of several children because the teachers left them walking around with filthy, dripping, snotty noses. 6. Dangerous environment. Once we gave notice that we will be removing our child (after only 2 weeks at the school), our child was terribly frightened to be left there and clung to my legs desperately at drop-off. Suddenly, we were told one afternoon that a wooden mirror standing in the room fell and cut his brow. No stitches needed, but bloody and now a scar remains. Why a wooden piece of furniture, especially one with glass, was not bolted to the wall, or better yet, left out of the toddler room, is a mystery to me. 7. Unsanitary kitchen - filthy! Also, appears most days, our child was fed ground beef - with rice, with potatoes, as burgers. Not much healthy variety, even though they claim to provide an organic menu. 8. Teachers were not into the kids. The ones I encountered were either unfriendly or didn't speak much English, and were just not "kid" people! They seemed very disgruntled, and just let the kids do what they pleased. 9. The whole school environment is just very dirty. As soon as you enter, you're hit by the smell of food, dirty stairway, etc. The classrooms are not clean, the children's toys are very worn and broken down. I would suggest you look elsewhere, in all honesty. There are better options around. This is not a good place to leave your child. read more

This place is OK. Personally, I wouldnt send my child here. The staff works extremely long days and is paid basically minimum wage. Also only gets 30 minutes (unpaid) for lunch. It's a little bit run down and dirty, and overall unorganized. read more

My toddler has been going here for about year. The place is ok. Not really impress by it. I haven't had any real problems with any of the day care workers. Probably my only complaint is price but the franchise down the street was actually more expensive. read more

Our two girls are thriving at Rainforest. The staff was super as they transitioned from an au pair to pre-school, dealing with them getting every cold they'd avoided while staying at home within a span of about 6 weeks and doing a fantastic job with potty training. I love that they do written progress reports, sitting down with the parents to go over social/emotional, cognitive, fine and gross motor development. The grandparents love getting a monthly care package of art work, culled from about 2-3 projects a week sent home. Other bonus: we're vegetarian and they have delicious on-site catering that features organic, balanced meals regardless of whether the kids eat meat or not. Love, love, love it! read more

i have a 3 year old who has been there fir about a year. she really loves all the art projects and field trips. what daycare takes kids on field trips, often? i like it so much, that after we moved to lakeview, i haven't left until i can find another school with similar qualities. yes, agree it's not like a 'franchise' provider, but thats what i like. the owners are always there, staff very friendly and a great nurturing environment. i wasn't sure at first, but for the cost and quality, its great. read more

Love Rainforest and the friends that we made while attending this school! Such a creative, compassionate and stimulating place to be. Would highly recommend! read more

This is an amazing place for kids! The freedom and creativity are everywhere! Great people and organic food!:) My daughter loved it!

My toddler has attended Rainforest since infancy. We are so thrilled with our experience over the past 1 1/2 years. The teachers were so attentive to my baby and listened to all of my instructions regarding eating & napping preferences and schedules. Now that my child is a toddler, we are enjoying the curriculum Rainforest offers. Art, music, dancing, singing, and outdoor fun when the weather is nice - it's just awesome. I highly recommend Rainforest and have zero complaints. The director is amazing, tuned in to each parent and child, and always available to talk and discuss my child's day to day activities. Rainforest Rocks! read more

Our daughter has been there since she was 14 weeks old and is now 20 months. We have grown to become a part of the Rainforest community and love it there. She is doing well and has learned so much. If you want a super sterile more institutionalized environment for your child this may not be the place for you. They will get dirty creating art and playing outside. I love that but it may not be for all. Also, I suggest that you open the filtered results at the bottom of the page to see more reviews. I don't get Yelp's methods for this but they appear to filter out the majority of the reviews. read more

I enjoyed their night of all Beatles. Each class was given a song to perform. I think "Drive my Car" was adorable where each kid had sunglasses and a tiny car made for them held on by suspenders. adorable. well done. read more

Warning to all parents who care about their child!! My husband and I were looking for daycare about a month ago and we were referred to this daycare. This place is horrible! First of all, when you are first buzzed into this run down building there are dead plants everywhere. The owners office in the front lobby area looks like a tornado went through it so we weren't even able to sit in the office and talk about their programs. We proceeded to take a tour of this monstrosity of a center. The infant rooms are over crowded, they have no daily activity plans for the babies and majority of the infant employees don't speak English. As for the dirty fish tanks and leaking water fountain in the hallway, I won't even start! Lets say "unsafe for toddlers!!" Do they have a designated playroom for toddlers, of course not! They have the main area (which is by the lobby area) to just run wild with 15-20 children out of control and 2 staff members sitting carelessly. It witnesses a children climbing on top of a bench and playing with the centers thermostat and digging into the nasty fish tank drawers where the food and tank chemicals are left and no one was watching these children. Now the kitchen should be on that show "Kitchen Nightmares" it's disgusting! Dirty pots everywhere and no designated chef. I felt sorry for the babies just beginning to walk having an old chair blocking the doorway instead of a doorway gate to prevent them from leaving the "play area" Please, if you don't believe me, check it out for yourself! In fact, I urge you to! I hardly think $40 a week is worth giving this place. And they have the nerve to charge $410 a week for infants!!!!! read more

All I have to say is ask to see the art supply room or where they keep the strollers they use during the summer to take the toddlers and baby's to the park. Many DCFS rules are not followed or carried out by staff because staff is not educated on them. Parents are blissfully unaware of the truth of their child's day all they will ever be told is their child had a great day! We are not allowed to tell you the truth. Many parents have added many great comments on here but the truth is this daycare is LOW LOW quality. Try the daycare down the street!! They are cleaner and look like they care more about helping the children than making money. This daycare should truly be shut down. I know for a fact toddlers are capable of eating with spoons and off plates. Most food given to them is placed on the table and the children eat with their unwashed hands. LOOK AT THE TODDLER SEATS!!!! Especially the room in the way back!! They are filled with CLUMPS of old food where the children still put their hands. They constantly break health codes and have constant fire hazards. It's unsafe, unkept, and disgusting!! Please if you care about your child and their growth take them somewhere else!!! read more