I see there are no recent reviews, so here is mine. We recently moved to the NWI area from Chicago…read moreand did extensive research and looked at daycares in several areas. La Petite in Chesterton is close to home and the only one that I felt comfortable with leaving my 3 mo old. The infant room staff is great. They take great care of the children and care for them as their own. I can't yet speak of the other classes. I do agree that the staff turnover is higher than expected, but so far everyone has been outstanding. I love being able to see my little guy on the camera anytime I want and it is great to see his daycare routine, as I try to follow the same one at home. Sleeping at daycare has been challenging from day one given the noise, light and overall stimulation. And when I expressed my concerns to the staff, they were extremely open to trying anything to help him sleep, including a white noise machine which seems to work. Overall, great daycare with caring staff and great use of technology that keeps me in the loop regarding my child's care.

My wife just picked up our 15 month old son. Today she watched our son cry for attention and he…read morecompletely ignored by staff. One lady even walked away from him while he was crying walking towards her. On the second day he was their, he came home with a knotted bruise on his forehead, we're still waiting on a video of what happened. He was also yanked to the floor while walking towards the kids. We're obviously taking him out. And we'll be requesting more video of what we've seen on their own cameras.

I grew up going to this Montessori school and the best part about this school above all others is…read morethat it instilled a desire to learn. To put an inquisitive spirit into a child is a very difficult task and this facet alone makes this school an excellent place to develop a child's intelligence and their love of learning.

Absolutely love, love, love this school. I was extremely hesitant to send my two year old to…read more'school' and finally felt at ease after meeting the school's owner. I had looked at 6 other nursery schools in the area... She spent 2 hours with me on my initial tour and made me feel at ease. (leaving your child with new people is a big deal!) I knew then it was the right place for my child. Since August I have not been disappointed with the amount of communication, learning and engagement that I see every single week from Chesterton Montessori. I also know how much my child LOVES going to school and what wonderful teachers there are in the classroom. We have seen so many positive changes at home with language, independence and being helpful. The school also hosts many events outside of normal school hours that we love to participate in. I think all the other parents in this school would echo my sentiments and I'm so happy with my decision to be a part of this school.

Duneland Family YMCA child care is one of the best childcare programs we've been a part of! We've…read morebeen with the Duneland YMCA for almost 6 years (since we moved to the area), with our fourth child getting ready to start soon. It's great to know my children are being loved and cared for while I'm away at work - the teachers truly treat them as their own. My 3 year old loves going to "school" and seeing all her friends! Aside from updating books and educational toys, there have been many updates to the facility in the past few years including new paint and rearranging classrooms to improve functionality. The facility is clean and the teachers really take pride in their classrooms! My daughter is offered breakfast, hot lunch (contracted with Third Coast Spice in Chesterton) , and several healthy snacks everyday. The hours are also very convenient, opening at 5:45 am until 6:30 pm. Whether I have an early morning meeting or a late evening errand, I've got flexibility with childcare. In the summer they offer several field trips, get swimming lessons at the Y, take walks, visit the library, get to play at the new splash pad across the parking lot and the highlight of each week is when the Kona Ice truck comes! All year long the kids also get to learn about being healthy when the YMCA fitness instructors come over to "play" with them - doing yoga, dance and music in motion. They also do special events throughout the year, including donuts with dad, muffins with mom, a fall harvest bash for the entire community, a thanksgiving celebration and a Christmas program! One of the best parts about the Y...several of the teachers have been there since before we started going there. It builds a strong sense of security for both myself and my children knowing they will build long lasting relationships with and grow to love their teachers.

I was very relieved to find such a wonderful daycare. I feel safe leaving my now 9 month old and my…read more4 year old in preschool with child care before and after. It is very difficult when both parents have to work and have to depend on child care. I was very apprehensive leaving my newborn at daycare especially right after I had to return after maternity leave, but the staff is very polite and professional and made me feel at ease. They keep me updated on the girls progress and things they need to work on. My baby is now walking at 9 months due to the staffs patients and working with her while we continue at home. There is an awesome summer program where my 4 year old gets to go swimming, play outside, walk to the library, and go on field trips. I would highly recommend this daycare to any parent.

To echo the other reviews .. this facility is NOT LICENSED by the state of Indiana. They are…read moreunlicensed but registered with no accreditations or PTQ level. The last state inspection showed 9 employees without background checks (the director said it was a mistake) but if you check Indiana website for the report you can see it. I paid a deposit under false pretenses and the director refuses to give it back because it was needed for "supplies" for my infant. As parents, we were told to supply everything. I'm very disappointed in the practices here and the fact that they aren't truthful. Huge red flags. Not to mention, the infant classroom I observed broke the ratio of 1:4 while I was there, they don't follow proper diapering procedures, and allow street shoes on the floors in the classroom where the children are constantly crawling and lying down (which made sense since almost all of them had runny noses and coughs). As a former childcare provider, I have high standards. After everything I uncovered I was very disappointed and uncomfortable sending my baby to this facility.

I needed daycare quickly when my mother was injured and since this daycare was the closest to my…read morejob and didn't have a waitlist (strange because every other daycare in Valparaiso has a long waitlist) we enrolled my 13 month old into the infant class. Immediately my daughter, who has never been around other children, is being sent home with notes saying she scratched this child or hurt that child. I was starting to become very unnerved when they sent me a letter saying if she hurts one more child she will be kicked out. Then they tell me they are moving her to the toddler class. Then they change her toddler teacher two more times. Then I get a note saying she injured an infant (this all happened in about 10 months). During the early morning they have 10 plus children all ages with one teacher until others arrive later. So my two year old was blamed for injuring an infant and I am told I am a bad parent. Enough said I had a conversation with them they didn't like so they kicked her out! They also stole all of her brand new school supplies and kept the $100 I just gave them to update their playground. To top it off one of the teachers constantly makes TikToks in the daycare with some of the children and is constantly on their phone (aka no is watching your child). They also would leave my daughter in a high chair for God only knows how long (so many stool stained pants to count). They lie when they say they are open till 6:00pm because they complained the one time my husband came after 5:00pm and they said they aren't open past then ever. They also complain if you bring your child in after 9:00am, which makes no sense when you are paying them for childcare. They have an app they never update. They would also say every day my child threw her food on the floor so she didn't eat. What an unorganized, unsafe, and careless place. I feel horrible for the children that still attend.

This is by far the best daycare center we have ever had the pleasure of sending our kids to. Our…read moreyoungest son went there for 3 years, and if it weren't for having to transfer him to a daycare closer to his special needs school, our son would still be at Ma's. They are kind hearted, loving, caring, wonderful people. Our son has autism and they were always willing to work with him. He also has a profound language/speech delay, and so he has a limited vocabulary and difficulty expressing himself. Every single one of those teachers worked with him and loved him and cared for him just as they would any other child. No matter what, they were willing to work with us and our son. When we had financial difficulties, they were willing to work with us. This is just by far the best daycare center ever. In the past we had a couple good experiences, but the home-based daycare we were at before going to Ma's 3 years ago was horrible and left my faith completely destroyed in daycare. The women at Ma's L'il Champs have completely restored my faith in daycare because of their excellence in what they do. Honestly, I cannot say enough good things about this place. I cried when I had to pick up my son there for the last time. Maybe I'm going to have a harder time than he is adjusting to the new place he has to go to. I would recommend Ma's L'il Champs to anyone for a daycare center. In fact, I have recommended them to many people in the past. There's only one thing that matters when it comes to your child, and that is that they are loved and well cared for when they are in someone else's hands, and that is exactly the way they will be treated at Ma's.

From the owner: Ma's Li'l Champs is a state licensed childcare center located in Portage, Indiana. Our well…read moretrained staff offer a variety of developmentally appropriate learning activities to our children through out the day.

Amazing staff!! Love Danielle and Holly they are the best and the children love them!! Danielle is…read moretheir director and has been at wee care for over 10 years!!

I had an excellent career as an engineer, for a company in Michigan City…read more Then one day in July 2012, Wee Care Day Care's manager called me while I was on my way to work. She claimed that my daughter Jasmine had head lice. She insisted that I must immediately pick up my daughter. So I called my mother, and my sister; however, no family member was willing to deal with the head lice situation. Therefore I had no other choice but to call off work. I picked up my daughter, and immediately brought her to our family doctor. Both the doctor and nurse examined Jasmine's hair and scalp, and concluded that Jasmine did not have head lice; SHE ONLY HAD DANDRUFF! Therefore, I brought my daughter back to the Wee Care Day Care, and presented the doctor note. The day care manager insisted that Jasmine's doctor was wrong, and the manager re-examined my daughter's hair! She then pointed out the dandruff flakes, and claimed that was HEAD LICE, AGAIN!!! This terrible situation cost me my job, and due to my job loss, and being a single parent (divorced) I had a struggle with paying my rent, and consequently we were evicted!!!

I have been photographing preschools for many years and Smart Start for the last few years. I…read morealways get a very warm and fuzzy feeling watching the teachers greet each child at the door upon arriving and singing songs. They are a very caring warm hearted staff and I would not hesitate to have my child attend this stepping stone into school.

"Smart Start immediately gave me a comfortable & warm feeling as soon as I walked in. Upon meeting…read more& getting to know the teachers, I am certain that my daughter is in the perfect setting for creative learning, fun activities, a bit of silliness & a consistent structured day. I highly recommend Smart Start for any parent looking for a first-class, enthusiastic pre-school for their child. Kris L.