Unfortunately, we didn't have a good experience here. The teachers were not friendly or warm or…read morenurturing at all in my daughter's 3 year old class. My daughter complained that the teachers were mean but I kind of just brushed it off. But then I would pick her up from school early and observed what she was talking about. The teachers were sassy and rude to the children - it wasn't behavior that I wanted exemplified for my child. On top of this, the activity log that they shared with the parents was just wrong. They would include activities on it that they didn't do and my husband and I would see the kids doing activities in the classroom that weren't listed on the log. They also mixed our child's profile up with someone else's and we would get reports saying things like "she napped for 45 minutes" or "she ate all of her lunch" when in reality we had picked her up from school before lunch and nap time. We brought this to the attention of the teachers and staff and they temporarily corrected it, but it always went back to being inaccurate. The final straw for me was that there was no sense of community. I joined the parent group hoping that my perspective would change but it turned out that the main focus of the parent group was to fundraise because the Goddard school had no budget for the family/community activities. I found this to be pretty disappointing considering how expensive the school was. We switched to a different preschool and have had a much better experience. I'm only sharing this because choosing a school for our kids can be such a hard decision. I wish all parents and kiddos the best and hope that the Goddard school will take this review into consideration to make some important improvements.

I wanted to post an update for parents who wonder about how children that go here progress... My…read moreoldest daughter has been at Goddard since she was 18 months old - she is now 5 1/2 years old, and my youngest also joined at 18 months and is now 3 1/2 years old. At 3-1/2, the youngest daughter can READ sight words, knows colors, numbers, and weather in English and Spanish (Spanish is not a language we speak at home, so this is all the school). While some reading is due to us working with her, and some in part because of her sister's advancement, a big part (and thank you) is owed to the school for working so diligently with her. At 5-1/2, the oldest daughter has blossomed into an amazing and bright little girl. She is reading at a 4th Grade level, doing math at a 2nd grade level, and the teachers are making sure to encourage her and help her grow, even though it requires them to take "special" time out for her to do so, since she's above the average lesson plans. They have worked very closely with me to make sure she stays engaged and challenged, and as a result she's a happy, healthy, very bright kid who LOVES her school. I read the previous review from someone in April, and while I feel horribly for the situation in theory, I can't imagine it being accurate. There is no mention, for example, of the specific room the child was in, and I can tell you from years of personal experience there's NO WAY the Dave I know at our school would refuse to help a parent who was uncomfortable, or force a child backward and not forward. While I won' t say it outright isn't true (I wasn't there), I can say that the parents who have children here know everything, see everything, and an event like what was described would have been talked about heavily, yet I never heard a peep.... Bottom line, if you are looking for child care, there is hands down no where better in the area - they've won the "Best Childcare in Lake County" award for like 7 years running. If you are unsure, call them and ask to take a tour to see for yourself... you'll be so glad you did.

Can't say enough good things about Poko Loko! Both my kids have attended since they were about 4…read moremonths old and have always had high quality teachers! I love being able to know at drop off each day that they will have a great time, and come home happy after a day of play and learning!

Its a great daycare. We loved our experience here. My 1 year old had great teachers who took good…read morecare of her. The place was sparkling clean and well maintained. The staff at the front desk were very welcoming and helpful. I wish we had kept her longer but we had to switch as we moved to different part of town.

We were one of the first families at Kiddie Academy of Grayslake when they opened in 2021. We…read moreeventually enrolled both of our young children and for a decent amount of time were happy with the care and enriching educational environment provided by Kiddie Academy. However, all of that changed after a DCFS incident which involved our youngest son and one of the teachers. The entire situation was incredibly upsetting, but we felt as though Kiddie Academy at the time took appropriate action. The teacher was fired immediately and Academy wide training took place. We hoped that it was simply a "bad apple." We made the decision to pull our kids from the care of Kiddie Academy about a year and a half after that first incident when our older son also had a DCFS incident with another teacher. The directors response to that incident after reviewing the footage was so passive that we no longer felt that the safety and care of our children was a top priority. It felt more as though there was a protection of the teacher and the institution happening. Additionally, with this now being the second incident that our family was involved in there seem to be a more widespread problem. It has taken six months for our son to recover from the emotional damage that incident caused. We feel as though Kiddie Academy of Grayslake failed our children in not providing the most basic care and safety to them and we were extremely sad to be leaving under these circumstances.  I have really wrestled with whether or not to post this review, but upon hearing that a coworker of mine had considered this care provider without knowledge of our experience, I am finally making the decision to put our story out there.

Putting your children in someone else's hands takes a lot of trust and I truly couldn't think of a…read morebetter place than Kiddie Academy Grayslake. My daughter went there for about a year before we got relocated for work. Everyone there is absolutely so so kind. They LOVE each and every kid. They were such sweet people and I wish we could've have kept her there. Love them! Don't look anywhere else because you're not going to find a better daycare center.

The school is great if your child can be a good little soldier and fit inside the school's tiny box…read morementality. My child attended there a few years but it became apparent that the school was woefully lacking in it's willingness and capability to meet my child where he was concerning learning styles and assignments. Even after a few meetings with teachers and school administration, I thought we were all on the same page. They did some things to try to accommodate his needs, but the school did not follow through with the plan we agreed upon. They recently informed us he was no longer welcome to attend WCA just a few days before school started. Imagine our stress to come up with an education plan with such short notice. If this was their intent at the end of the previous school year, we should have been informed then, not at the last minute​ - completely unprofessional on their part. I suppose though it is their prerogative to do so since they are private with closed enrollment - still an unclassy move in my opinion. One winter there was a fire alarm that went off. My child was in the after school care trailer when it happened. They rushed all of the kids outside without coats when it was bitter cold. Thankfully I was arriving when that happened and was able to get my son into my car which was warm and dry. I made a very constructive suggestion to the school on how to handle a future event like this so kids wouldn't be without a coat. Suggestion was ignored. My child is now in public school where there are definitely more resources available to him. Makes me question why we wasted all of that money on sub-par education and sub-par professionalism. I would not recommend this school as it is under-equipped, has mediocre facilities and resources and is out of touch with current educational styles. You are better off in a public school where resources are far superior to WCA. They proclaim a message of hope. However, there is no hope for your child if (s)he doesn't fit exactly into the school's less than flexible approach.

As a Westlake Alumni, there's a lot I can say about Westlake! It has it's flaws, the school is not…read moreperfect-but what school is? Many people criticize the fact that there are not as many resources and opportunities that public schools offer. However, every year they add more opportunities, more classes, and improve in every way they can. Most importantly, you get a Christ centered education. It is more important to go into college having a strong Christian background and a faith of your own than enter with 10 college credits. They left me with a strong foundation in the gospel, wisdom, and I learned so many practical life things from the Christ-centeredness that they so strongly focus on. It doesn't matter if you don't have AP this or that. Westlake is a school that helps your child be spiritually strong. As a little bonus, basically anyone can play on sports teams. My friend was a 5'2" basketball starter, I played volleyball for 4 years, and every sports team is a way to grow in friendships, physical strength, and in your faith.

These are some amazing people who teach here. "They are caring, shaing, loving people" - and that's…read morewhat they teach your children to be. You can't go wrong bringing your children to Ms Mary and company. They will be safe and loved in this environment. I would say the learning is on the slower side - but in my opinion not in a bad way. Children are able to be themselves, express themselves, and learn at their own pace. It truly is a wonderful school with wonderful teachers. I'm so glad that my daughter attends this school.

From the owner: Over 35years experience. Accepting pre-school ages 3-6…read more Mary's Peppermint Stick Pre-School accepts children ages 3-6 years old for preschool enhancement. We offer morning and afternoon pre-school classes. We are a licensed center with over 35 years of experience. Our school provides a developmentally appropriate atmosphere where your child may grow both cognitively and socially. * Morning and Afternoon Pre School Classes* 2, 3, or 5 day programs* Ages 3-6* Licensed Center* Developmental Curriculum* Certified Teachers We are caring, sharing, loving peaceful people. Please call or stop in for more information about our center or visit our website: www.maryspeppermintstick.org.

My daughter has gone to Little Lake Learning Station for 6 months now and I have to say it is…read moreabsolutely wonderful. I feel so comfortable leaving my daughter there with the staff, they all love her like she is family. It is very clean and the teachers are great. I would definitely recommend LLLS to anyone looking for quality daycare in the area!

From the owner: Providing quality child care and education for children 2 years to 6 years old.read more

I have my son enrolled at this facility and he loves it, he always has something to tell me about…read morehis day which differs from many of the other facility's he's been at. Nice place!!

What a great preschool for both of my kids! I am so pleased with the teachers and how much my…read morechildren loved going to school everyday. They learned so much while having fun! The staff is very friendly and I always got updates and informed daily about the activities. Very pleased.. Thank you so much Peppermint- I will definitely refer you to my friends with little ones.

From the owner: Your Neighbor For Over 40 Years…read more Peppermint Stick Pre-School is a DCFS licensed child care and pre-school center with locations in Grayslake and Round Lake, IL. Our staff provides children developmental care as well as frequent attention, in a safe, playful environment. Your little one will socialize with other children while actively participating in a well rounded and enriching program.We accept students between 15 months and 12 years old. We're a family owned and operated school that provides:* Full day care* Preschool* Kindergarten* Before and after school care* Summer campOur preschool program blends prescribed educational activities with opportunities for free choice, which allows children to explore a varied, but structured environment. We teach such programs as language arts, rhythm, social skills, science, math, communication, and fine and gross motor activities.Peppermint Stick's aim is to prepare your child for his or her first years of school and create positive, socially active behaviors during these critical years. We've been a positive influence on children's lives for more than 40 years.Become a member of our family by calling us today to schedule a consultation.

Idk where to begin. It was good, then it gradually declined. I really do hope things get better…read more Here's a couple of occurrences. *Our daughter was given the wrong diaper brand/size multiple times, which caused an allergic reaction and her urine to seep through her clothing. *She is not being thoroughly cleaned when she has a bowel movement, thus resulting in further irritation. *We were asked to bring in baby wipes. Used for only 3 days, then asked for new wipes again. Materials being used for other kids. *Everytime we picked up our daughter, she would have snot running down from her nose to her chin. We would also see other children in the room with the same situation. Hopefully their toys are cleaned and sanitized daily. *Some personnel would have short shorts/mid rift shirts, and have 1 inch nails. From our understanding they are provided "Kindercare" shirts to wear, and gloves are used during diaper changes. How can gloves be used if their nails are long? *Still charged for services when the teachers have covid, and we couldn't bring her in. *They used to send pics of our daughter doing activities (foot paintings/learning about textures/shadows etc.). What we get now is a picture of her sleeping. *The final straw was when our daughter was given someone else's food (tortillas/fishsticks/broccoli/apple slices/milk). We have everything labeled. Our daughter could've been allergic, as well as it's a choking hazard.

Our 22 mos old son attends Grayslake's kindercare and we're very happy with the experience so far…read more In his short life span, we've had a variety of care givers due to the pandemic and that we had lived in the city. Anyone coming from Chicago knows, there's a long waitlist for daycares. We ultimately landed at the most expensive in our neighborhood, a so called "Montessori" (later found out they were not in fact designated as such). We moved to Grayslake and enrolled in kindercare, the experience has been great! Unlike the fancy titled city daycare, where we were talked down too and every little thing was an "issue".... he has a loud cry. He doesn't like some of his food. He had heat rashes when he woke up from naps (we had to get a doctors note to return). The experience from Kindercare couldn't be more opposite. The directors are so kind and reasonable. They approach issues with the motivation to solve them. Our son is SO happy there and has developed much more at Kindercare then the overpriced Montessori in the city.