We had a wonderful experience with Connie's in-home daycare in Litchfield Park. I always felt that…read moremy son was safe, cared for, and genuinely loved there. Connie was very understanding during a difficult time for our family and worked with us when we needed to temporarily switch to part-time care. She was communicative, sent updates, and took the time to really get to know my son, even with his speech delay. He loved going there, and I could truly feel the care she showed him every day. If I ever need childcare again, I would re-enroll him in a heartbeat. We feel very lucky to have found Connie!

I love having my son here!! She is so loving and just so…read moreamazing with all the kids. My baby says bye to me instead of crying so that's when you know your at the right place. She is so professional and is very good at communicating anything and everything with you. I love what she feeds them and just all the different activities and not just toys she has there. I love seeing him outside happy with all the other kids. She is really great and I would recommend her in a heart beat!! I appreciate her help with my little one she is absolutely the best!!!

I recently enrolled my son at this school and they kicked him out after two days. He's never been…read morein school before and admittedly, he's a bit of a hand full. But isn't the point of preschool to get kids used to the idea of school? Anyway, I guess these people just expect perfect kids and just quit when things get difficult. At least they had enough integrity to give me my money back.

Getting our daughter into a preschool was nerve wracking to say the least especially being fairly…read morenew to buckeye but the Iliad has been amazing, she's been going there since August & already this school exceeds my expectations. My daughter loves Mrs. Dolan & keeping us parents updated on the day to day through the school app is such a relief! Her speech has improved so much & being social, making friends is the cutest thing ever!

Great school, great teachers, and awesome curriculum. My kids love going to school every morning…read morefor the past three years.

The decision to enroll our daughter at Palm Valley Montessori (PVM) back in 2012 when she was just…read morethree years old has proved to be an amazing choice for so many reasons. The school offers a genuine Montessori prepared environment with teachers that are dedicated and return year after year. The children not only learn academic skills that place them far above the performance of children at other schools, but they gain so much more from this family style/homelike setting complete with access to nature and animals. Our daughter has strengthened her sense of self-confidence, which has allowed her to develop her own personal strengths and talents. PVM also offers before/aftercare and a variety of programs (music lessons, Spanish, creative writing, art, cooking classes in full kitchen and monthly field trips). Over the past six years she has developed close friendships in a safe bully-free environment and her school has become more than a school...more like an extended family.

This school has major issues. My daughter was so scared to go to class I couldn't get her go, due…read moreto an ongoing bullying issue with her, her sister, and other classmates. Despite the team at this school seeing and hearing the fear in her voice (she couldn't breath...she was in horror and terrified), they refused to switch her out of the class with a bully. Mind you, this school has kids in sections all day. You are with the same group all day. Instead of switching her out of class, they insisted for a month, that forcing her to go to class would help. After 9 days of my daughter in horror of sitting in class all day with this child, I encouraged her to go (per their request). Day one of returning, this bully would not leave my daughter alone and shoved her. The team there says it never happened. They claimed to review cameras and that this never happened. This happened to other parents, and they refuse to provide evidence for parents to see. Meanwhile I have been able to provide a steady stream of evidence to the school, and they claim it's false. The PD has also shared this school has been made aware of this issue from a handful of parents. I've never heard my daughter cry in such fear before. Since they still refused to switch her out of the class, I brought her in so they can face her so they can say to her face (hyperventilating, crying and in terror) and say to her face that she is "lying". They all said they were "busy" twice while I waited. Not one person in their large leadership team could come out. This school took 30 days of inaction and has accused my child and my family of lying. This experience has been beyond traumatic for our child and our family. I am very disappointed in Great Hearts with how this has been handled. The leadership has been rude and condescending during this whole experience. I am telling everyone I know to avoid Great Hearts. They do not stand by their mission and values. Avoid this school at all costs.

In an effort to protect children and their families I do not recommend this Young Hearts. My son…read moreattended this school for 4 months and it was absolutely awful. He was at one school prior to this one for 3 years. We moved him because of the reputation Great Hearts has. We were also told originally that by attending Young Hearts, you receive priority getting into Great Hearts which we later found out is not true and illegal. I have a long list of issues but the biggest one that I believe families need to be aware of is that there are two teachers that put their hands on children here. I can only speak to our experience with Mrs. Hopple aggressively grabbing and pulling my 3.5 year old on the playground against his will while he pulled away and cried to the point of almost throwing up. I only found out about this when other parents kids went home scared and shared with their parents what had happened who then shared with me. Once I asked my son he shared the same details. I went into the school the next day livid about the lack of safety and care for my child. I was told by Mrs. Rodriguez and Mrs. Campbell that it was investigated, they watched the video footage and what was shared with me was true but they thought it was a "coachable" moment for Mrs. Hopple. Mind you before this even happened, there were multiple incidents I would hear Mrs. Hopple yelling and raising her voice at children and had made complaints about this and was told over and over that she was being "coached." I filed a complaint for negligence with their headquarters and was contacted by the vice president of Young Hearts who was also livid about the situation but said mrs. Rodriguez had made the choice to keep Mrs. Hopple as a teacher already. I pulled my son from this school and can't in good faith not share publicly so other families can make informed decisions. There are two other teachers specifically I have heard not be kind to students and say things like "you are absolutely ridiculous and I shouldn't have to raise my voice at you all" which in my opinion is completely unacceptable when speaking to young children. Kids shouldn't feel threatened or scared of their teachers. Mrs. Macias was the best and the only reason I felt good about bringing my son there for a while but then she quit at the end of May and I knew that was a sign there was no hope there anymore. I know of two children who were unenrolled without notice by Mrs. Rodriguez. I've walked into class and witnessed students sitting in the dark around an iPad watching blippi/YouTube which I think is ironic for a school that pushes no pop culture so significantly. They announced based on parent feedback they are closing earlier and raising prices (no parent would request that, just say that was a leadership decision), and I have countless screenshots + documentation of unprofessional and negligent messages from Young Hearts that I am willing to share. I think leadership there is the worst I've experienced and that impacts the culture of the overall school and lack of care and commitment + why teaching is lacking significantly as well. I understand there's not many options out here for schools but I rather drive more and know my child is safe then go where is close and be anxious everyday about my child's safety and care. I hope sharing our experiences helps protect another family.

My child has been at Wirtzies since he was 6 months old and he's currently a little over 2 years…read moreold. This means I have now experienced childcare in 3 different rooms at this center and at different stages of my child's development. I chose Wirtzies because when we walked the center the assistant director at the time acknowledged children with their names as we walked through. She showed that the staff there would care about my child and treat them like a little human and not just a child. My gut felt that this would be a good place. They offer an inner generational program where the children have time with the elderly adults in their day program. This also was something that was of interest to me. My gut was right. They care about my child. My child has learned so much from them that he wouldn't learn at home. I get pictures and updates from them regularly. There have been incidents where he is hurt or hurts someone else. But you would be hard pressed to find a parent who watches their own child and never gets hurts. You can't watch your child 24 hours a day and neither can they with a state ratio of 5 to 1. They have addressed each incident appropriately. They care about my child and that is worth anything I need to pay them but they are affordable. I know they also offer state subsidized care if needed. My child is happy there. He loves his friends and his teachers. He even loves the ladies at the front desk.

Update! It's been a few months now and my daughter has excelled beyond my expectations. She speaks…read moreso much now! She learned how to express her feelings by communication better. Knows how to follow directions at home. I now love watching her sing and dance by herself. She is excited to go to school in the mornings and gets sad on days she doesn't have school. Andrea and Vanessa have made my daughter feel safe and comfortable. Outstanding teachers/caregivers are very rare. Hats off to Andrea! She just knows what my daughter needs (as if she has known her longer than a few months!) Vanessa with her kind smile, is there to help my daughter feel secure that she can wear her backpack till she's ready to take it off. Seriously, the teamwork that has been developed in this class is what any parent would hope for. To all the other ladies as well, I just wanted to give a huge thank you for guiding my daughter in this class! I am forever grateful! I drive away every morning knowing my daughter is in excellent hands!

This is such a great school! I am very particular in what I expect from a school, being a former…read moreeducator myself, and this school has exceeded my expectations! Eve, the director, is amazing from how she knows each and every student and their families to how well she runs the school! I don't know how she does it, but she has a gift! I only have experience with one teacher so far, Mrs. Nevarez, but I am sure all the teachers are wonderful. Mrs. Nevarez has also exceeded my expectations! She is amazing with the kids and provides a love of learning and a great environment for the kids! She is well organized and makes each child feel special! I love the teaching philosophy at this school and how they respond to the kids in a very caring way! The kids do a lot of hands on projects which I love! The kids are provided with many manipulatives in the classroom and are given lots of opportunities to explore with these manipulatives in a quality way! I am very happy!!

From the owner: We are an early education program focused on building an educational foundation for your child's…read moreabsorbent mind. Research has proven that the brain of a 3-5-year-old experiences rapid growth during this age based upon his/her environment. At The Iliad Academy Preschool we use this magical time to introduce: music, a foreign language, sensorial activities, positive social interaction, cultural traditions, science, math, and art. Preschool is the beginning of your child's educational journey. A time when they make their first friends independent of parents and siblings. We take great care to create a safe, educational environment that promotes friendship, kindness, and positive conflict resolution for those first independent moments to take place.

This is an amazing school, academically my daughters progress it's amazing but. I give my special…read morethanks to Mr. Slabach not only believed in my child he made her a confident amazing kid. Special thanks for this institution.

I am a retired teacher and I live in Verrado. As a substitute teacher, I enjoy working there. The…read morestaff is friendly and helpful. The students are respectful. If I had a middle school aged child, I would send them there. I only work at schools where the staff is supportive and the students are respectful. ( Keep in mind, that if there is an issue with a child, it may not be stemming from the school environment.)

We LOVE abode Peoria. Great owner, great staff! My son has been attending for almost 4 years. I…read morecouldn't dream of a better place for my son!

From the owner: At Abode Peoria Preschool, Daycare, and Kindergarten, our classrooms are thoughtfully inspired by…read moreMontessori and Reggio Emilia philosophies. We proudly embrace a child-led learning approach, encouraging children ages 6 weeks to 6 years to explore, discover, and learn naturally through hands-on experiences in a nurturing and supportive environment. Situated on a spacious 2-acre campus, our school offers abundant outdoor learning opportunities where children grow and thrive through meaningful experiences such as caring for farm animals, gardening, yoga, and physical education. Guided by loving, attentive teachers, every child is supported with care, curiosity, and respect as they develop socially, emotionally, and academically.

I'm not sure how many people can write a review that can say they have had 4 different children go…read moreto the same preschool, but we have! All 4 of our kids have gone to Little Sunbeams or are currently going. We started there with our oldest at 2, back in 2019 and he went all 3 years, until kindergarten. Our kids are all 2 years apart and we started them the month they turned 2 and were able to start going. Currently, my oldest is 8 and in 3rd grade and both him and my 1st grader are already in the advanced programs at school. Kindergarten teachers were amazed with how much they knew. My daughter is 5 and finishing up her last year at LSB before moving onto kindergarten. She knows how to write her full name and is currently working on site words. My youngest is 3 and has been at LSB for a year and loves it. The best part for me as a mom, is that it is a place where I feel comfortable sending my kids. I know they will be taken care of and loved. It is just a huge plus that they learn so much, and have the opportunity to explore and be creative everyday. Little Sunbeams also has an app, so they give updates there as needed and post pictures everyday- which is also another favorite of mine. The school is affordable and also offers flexible schedules, which we have often taken advantage of. Mrs Miriam is truly an angel. She is the owner and has shaped Little Sunbeams into what it is today. I am always so surprised with how hands on she is to this day with the kids. They love her. Ms Ivis is wonderful as well. If you call or walk in, she will most likely be the person to greet you. She is so welcoming and has answers to all of the questions. She has been such a great addition to the team. Ms Veronica is one of the teachers and has had 3 of my 4 kids. She is one of their besties but knows how to keep order of a classroom so that both learning and fun can be had. Ms Sara is the Spanish and Atelier teacher and she has had all 4 of my kids! She teaches them so much and has incredible patience with them as they are learning. I really can't say enough about this school. If you are on the fence, go check it out for yourself. We are going on our 8th year here and still love it. We will be sad when we have no more preschool aged kids and have to say goodbye.

My daughter has been attending Little Sunbeams since she was 2.5 years old and has loved every…read moreminute she's spent there! It is very difficult to find quality childcare in today's day and age without compromising either; 1. The level of care provided by staff, 2. The standard of education/curriculum, or 3. A fair price -- LSB excels in all three areas. Every time I send her there, I can feel confident that she is safe, well taken care of, and learning the concepts required to prepare her for Kindergarten.