Both of our kids attended A Child's Place, from the time they were 1yo to 5yo and our youngest just wrapped up her final week at the daycare. We have so much trust and love for Damaris, and we've seen our kids grow into such wonderful, intelligent little people thanks to her care. Damaris structures her home daycare like preschool, and both of our kids have come out over-prepared for kindergarten. Our son started here in 2016 when we lived in the neighborhood, and even after we moved 30 min away to Oak Park, we continued to drive back so our daughter would receive the same level of care Damaris provides. This place is a gem, and every child should be so lucky to have a daycare like it. read more

A Child's Place Daycare - When the weather's good, this is what pickup looks like - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We are so thankful our daughter was able to spend 2 years with Damaris! Damaris does a great job empowering all of the kids, while managing all of the different personalities and various levels of learning. The school also has a great balance of play and learning and it was really beneficial for my daughter to be in a school with a variety of age ranges (1-5). We moved out of the neighborhood, otherwise, we would still be there today. Titi (as she is affectionately called) fosters a loving community and we miss her so much. So thankful our daughter was able to grow and learn from such amazing teachers. read more

We absolutely adore Titi and her whole family! My older son was with her for four years and now my daughter is at Titi's with the same amount of love and excitement. She is their second mama, and my guide to helping me raise thoughtful and kind kids. If you are looking for loving, affordable care, look no further! read more

If I could give more than 5 stars I would! Damaris (who the kids call Titi) and Vessna have given me peace of mind in a way I couldn't understand until becoming a parent. Knowing that if our daughter can't be with blood family, she is still being cared for, nurtured and encouraged like family while at "school" each day is everything. Not only do I trust them completely, but it has been amazing having two additional people (who personally know know and care for my daughter) we can consult while going thru some of the many growing pains with our daughter. The kids have scheduled learning in all subjects (letters, numbers, science, reading), arts and crafts, play time, meals, music, dance parties etc. as a part of their routine. They are taught by the teachers and also paired up so that the older and younger kids work together and learn from each other. The daycare is always SO clean and organized! The whole environment is organized, clean, caring and nurturing. The kids have discipline and are learning but are treated with so much respect and compassion. Seeing our daughter grow and develop from a baby into a smart, strong, curious little gal is further confirmation that this was the best fit for her, and our family. My daughter has been attending for a year, and due to an upcoming move I have the heartbreaking reality of her not being part of this school/family weighing on me. Damaris, Vessna and their team will always be a special part of our journey and I feel so lucky we were referred to this school. read more

We love Titi and have grown so close to her in the three years our son was there that she is like family. Titi loves what she does and it shines through in all that she does for the kids and families. If you are lucky enough to get your child into her in home daycare, you will be blessed with a community of parents and kids that truly gives meaning to, " it takes a village to raise a child." Damaris is the perfect balance of warm, loving, nurturing and firm. She has high expectations and your child will leave her fully prepared for kindergarten. This in home daycare is a gem in Chicago and we are so grateful our son had an opportunity to go there. read more

We have been taking our daughter to Damaris for 4 years and I couldn't be happier with the care she provides. She has become like a member of our family and treats our little girl as such. She is very organized and her daycare is extremely clean. She provides age appropriate activites and healthy meals. She encourages parents to "drop-in" at anytime and this make me feel very comfortable that the care is always exceptional. Her rates are very reasonable. I honestly can't say enough good things about her and the service she provides. read more

As a mother who leans less on the neurotic overbearing, and more on the practical side of things, finding a daycare provider for my child was not a difficult decision. My daughter was a year and half old, and I needed to find a new provider. I walked into A Child's Place based on a recommendation from another mother and there she stood; the woman I would soon identify as my god send - Damaris. My daughter, Amelia recently left, A Child's Place to attend Pre-K, and there isn't a week that goes by that she doesn't mention the differences between her teacher and Damaris. She made an impact on my child that I continue to appreciate. Amelia is a very intelligent, witty ball of sass, and Damaris kept her in check. When you have the passion that Damaris does for caring for children, you can recognize the happiness that transcends through her to the children. There were occasions when I would pick Amelia up, and she would tell me all the things she learned: China, space, or the President. Things that I would have thought were over my child's learning curve, and were not. I would walk in the door and the children of all ages would be lined up on the rug, silent because a universal time out was underway. Damaris believes in structure and the rules are enforced. I can't forget to mention the dance parties to get the kids up and moving, or all the holiday/birthday parties the kids loved. I won't bore you with the details of cleanliness, nutrition, education, ethics, safety, rules, or financial practicality, etc.. because they were all on point. At the end of the day, Amelia was loved, educated, and cared for as if she was one of Damaris' own children. And on our last day, we all cried, because it was so hard to say goodbye. If you are lucky enough to find a spot in A Child's Place, your child will be one of the fortunate ones, and you can go on with your day knowing you made the right decision. read more

I can't say enough good things about Damaris & family at A Child's Place. I feel so fortunate to have found them and to have had them in my son's life. When my son was 15 months, I looked to register him in a home-based daycare because I was not comfortable with a center-based daycare and hoped to find a family-friendly, loving, caring AND educational setting for him. That is exactly what I found. My husband and I met with Eddie & Damaris (after meeting with many other Chicago providers) as well as their two beautiful sons and we were so impressed. Our son became like family to them and vice versa. As a mom, it is so difficult to make the decision to leave your child while you work...but I was always so comfortable leaving him for the day, knowing he would be well taken care of and would receive the kind of love and attention I would have given him in my own home throughout the day. As a former school psychologist myself, I recognize just how important it is to have a good rapport with the adults in your child's life and just how important it is to feel "heard" when sharing concerns about your child. As daycare providers, they listen to each parent and child's needs, respond quickly and appropriately and make great strides to see that each child is receiving just what they need. Homemade meals are prepared (and my son always preferred her cooking to my own, unfortunately for me!) and a preschool curriculum is followed in order to ensure the children are not only receiving free-play but more centers-based play with attention to letter and number identification and early literacy. All toys are clean and developmentally appropriate...and plentiful! The kids were never bored. Oh, and they have a GREAT collection of all my son's favs...cars and superheros! Again, I feel so lucky to have had A Child's Place in our life and now that we have relocated out of state, our son misses Damaris, Eddie and their boys terribly. He talks of his friends at daycare and relays stories from "school" to us often. Instead of being sad for the change, I have to look back on his time there and realize just how lucky we were to have had their influence. read more

My daughter attended this daycare for a little over a year (May 2013 to June 2014) and I miss it so much! We moved out of state. We came to Damaris and family from a large box daycare. I was starting to get uncomfortable with the care takers at the other daycare and found Damaris through Yelp. I was surprised that she lived only a few blocks from me in Logan Square. At first I didn't know if I was going to be comfortable with a home daycare, but after doing a tour I was sold. All of the children Damaris cares for are like her own children. My daughter blossomed while in her care. She would have so much fun and never cried when I dropped her off there. Damaris and the kids have so much fun together! They do arts and crafts, learning activities for numbers, letters, geography and play outside a ton when the weather is nice. Some parents might not be ok that there is a television in the daycare, but I had no problem with it. She uses it strictly for learning activities. She also cooks the meals for the kids! I miss this as the daycare my daughter goes to now does not serve food except for snacks so I always have to pack a meal. So, if you are looking for a new daycare, look no further than this place! read more

I cannot give enough praise to Damaris, her staff and her family. My daughter was with her for 4 years and recently left to start Kindergarten. From Day 1 we felt like family and still consider them a part of ours. 6 months into Kindergarten and my daughter still talks about how much she missed Damaris. Besides treating the kids like her own, keeping a clean, organized business, and teaching/preparing the kids for school - which is what you should expect from any daycare - Damaris was the most excellent example for my daughter. Damaris taught my daughter to be caring, compassionate, kind, thoughtful, strong and independent and I truly believe that she played a major role in helping her become the little girl that I am so proud of. read more

Where to begin? A Child's Place is more than a daycare, it is another family. Damaris takes care of the children in a way that goes beyond a teacher or caregiver, she loves and respects the children as if they are her own. My son has thrived here. He is seeing how the "big kids" act and learn and has grown so much socially and academically (yes, at 22 months) than I ever thought possible. Damaris, her staff, and family are like family. They are so warm, nurturing, and attentive to the children. Simply put, my son cries (almost!) every day when he has to go home, he loves it there so much! A Child's Place is kept immaculate, organized, and reasonably priced! I cannot speak enough to how the children at different ages and learning abilities all thrive with her. I have walked in to see 3-4 year olds doing 1st grade math! They are learning in a fun and effective way that they are beyond prepared for kindergarten! My son has made the best of friends at A Child's Place as well! The families that attend are all so open and welcoming when you are a new parent/family! The day we must leave will be filled with tears, no doubt! We love, love, love A Child's Place and Damaris! read more

We love and miss Titi (as her kiddos' families affectionately refer to her) so much!! Our daughter attended this daycare until we just moved out of the city about a month and a half ago. The absolute worst thing about our move was knowing that we would have to leave Titi and that it would be impossible to replace her. The day we first met Damaris and Vesna for our initial meet-and-greet visit, I burst into (happy!) tears as soon as we left because after working with a few other providers before, I just knew that we had finally found a place where our daughter would not only be safe and well cared for, but would learn and grow and thrive! All of the kids are so well behaved and they know that after lunch, for example, they help clean up and put their dishes in the sink. Titi thinks of her daycare like a school, with both structured learning and free play, so the kids have lots of fun (some days dance parties, which my daughter especially loved!) but they also learn their colors, letters, numbers, etc., and they learn how to listen and take turns, and grow into kind and caring little children with good manners! Most importantly, though, Titi truly cares about each and every one of her little kiddos and takes the time to talk to parents about any special accomplishments their little one may have had that day or challenges they may be facing. We cannot thank Titi enough for taking such wonderful care of our daughter and will always consider her to be near and dear to our family's hearts!! Also, her rates are very low for the quality of care you are getting and at the risk of costing our parent-friends who still have kids there, I really think Titi should consider a price increase! She is worth it!! read more

Damaris and Eddie are fantastic! I never thought I would put my child in a daycare, but then circumstances with our nanny left us in an emergency situation to find childcare. I interviewed several nannies, but then visited Damaris at her home/daycare. The daycare was pristine, and reminded me of a little preschool. She made my husband and I feel very comfortable and welcome. We decided to send our daughter there on a trial basis, thinking we would only stay for a half of year. We ended up loving it! We stayed for a year and half, until we moved out of the city. As a teacher myself, I am impressed with the educational foundation she instills in her program that prepares children for preschool. I have saved several pieces of her work that I treasure, and hope she will one day as well. She offers a good balance of learning and play. She spends time in the mornings teaching her curriculum, and afternoons are filled with fun and toys! Additionally, she offers home-cooked meals and healthy snacks. I attribute my daughters good eating habits to Damaris and her cooking!!! I am fortunate to have found a daycare I felt was both safe and loving. It is exactly what any parent would want for their child. My daughter still talks of Damaris and her family and friends from the daycare. I know that we will keep in touch with them for a long time because they became part of our family. read more

We absolutely love Damaris and her staff. Our daughter loves it there. Damaris is loving, honest and caring with all the children. We couldn't be happier! A plus is that she makes all the meals for the children herself. She gets my daughter to eat vegetables and drink milk. Our daughter sometimes holds out eating breakfast some mornings because she knows that Damaris will have something better waiting for her at daycare. We couldn't be happier and are so lucky to have found Damaris! read more

The day I went to tour A Child's Place Daycare, I cried. For the first time since I had returned to work, I knew that, without a doubt, my sweetheart was going to get the best possible care in the world. I was so relieved, that I burst into tears during the interview process. Over the last year, my daughter has grown in ways I could not have imagined. She is potty trained, knows her numbers and letters, and is loved unconditionally every single day that she goes to school. Damaris, Eddie, and Vesna have given my family a priceless gift, the security that I know my child will be loved and educated. Words simply cannot describe what an incredible experience we have had with this daycare. Damaris, Eddie, and Vesna go above and beyond daily. I love them for what they have done for my entire family. read more

Damaris is a God Send to me! As a single mom, I was very hesitant to put Jake in daycare after having a nanny for his first year and a half at home. After interviewing in home care as well as 5 other daycare providers - I settled here and could not be happier with my decision (Jake is now 4)! The comfort of knowing that when I drop my child off he is in the best hands possible is worth more than anything to me. I have never - not ever - seen a group of children so well behaved and happy in one space at a time. Damaris instills responsibility in each child, is firm with her rules (which I love) and these children LOVE and respect her! If nothing else - you should just go and observe...its truly fascinating to watch her and how those children respond. If you have a difficult child...she will transform them (well, at least at her daycare)! :) Aside from having very clear boundries (discipline) set for all the children, a very clean daycare (which is huge to me), she provides very healthy meals/snacks/daily, an excellent cirriculum and learning environment, fun activities and free play every day. I love too that she orders updated toys and activities/games,etc regularly for the children! Jake was 1.5 yrs when he started there and his social skills and verbal skills were off the charts after a month of being with her. Jake is also a fickle eater (to say the least), but he eats his veggies and everything Damaris puts on his plate which does not, sadly, happen at home. She sends me videos to prove it! :) From that perspective, at least it's comforting knowing he's getting nutritous food during the week. Lastly, Eddie (Damaris husband) is as equally amazing. He is there from time to time and those kids just love him. Their children, who are in school, are incredibly well behaved and very well mannered which is a testament to how they run their own lives along with their daycare. Vesna and Julisa are helpers and are both fantastic! Everyone is so loving and sweet and collectively are the perfect answer to the perfect daycare. I can't say enough wonderful things and can say with confidence that you will not be sorry if you choose this daycare. You will be sorry if you don't! :) read more

If you are looking for an in home daycare provider, A Child's Place is the ONE! Damaris, Eddie and Vesna are excellent care givers and have become an extended part of our family. The facility is very nice, in the garden level of Damaris and Eddie's home, which is designated as the day care facility. This was important to me as I was searching for a place that separated the home from the daycare. Damaris is amazing - I don't know how she does it! She loves and cares for each child as if they were her own. My son, Calvin, has loved every day he has been at A Child's Place - from the home cooked meals to the learning activities and playtime, my son has truly bonded with Damaris, Vesna and Eddie. I am moving from Chicago for a job opportunity in another state and leaving the daycare is probably the hardest part! Forget the good restaurants, theaters and comedy, finding a childcare expert who you trust and rely on is such an important part of your child's growth and development. Damaris has 10-12 children in her daycare ranging from 8 months to 4-5 years (just before Kindergarten). My son moved from a regimented 'corporate' daycare to A Child's Place at 8 months and I couldn't be more pleased. You provide the diapers, wipes and formula/breast milk and Damaris provides solid foods when you approve. She cooks Puerto Rican rice and beans that my son absolutely devours - it's his favorite meal. She blends kids favorites (chicken, mac & cheese, etc.) with veggies, fruits and good-for-you options. Drop off begins at 7am and she likes to have everyone in by 9am to begin their day. You can pick up as late as 5:30pm. Damaris (primary caregiver), Eddie (husband & part time caregiver) and Vesna (part-time caregiver from 8:30-1) have been instrumental in Calvin's personality and ability to interact with others. They do watch movies on occasion and various children's TV shows, but there is structure to their day. At age 1 and up, all of the kids have one nap from 1-3:30. Calvin has created a bond with the older kids and has learned from them significantly. Damaris and Vesna speak Spanish with the children (which I love!) and sing, dance, teach, discipline and overall LOVE each kid! I get texts, pictures, videos and updates regularly that show what a cutie my son is. :) If I could move and take Damaris, Eddie and Vesna with me, it would be an ideal situation. My family will miss them tremendously! read more

My son Matias has been at A Child's Place daycare for two years. Once my son got a little older I was faced (as many mothers are) with the painful decision to go back to work full time and transition to a daycare. As a teacher and mom I was looking for a place where my son would be loved for who he is and the moment I met Damaris, I knew she would give my son that, and much much more. Even though I had a mother's instinct that told me her day care would be a safe and warm place for my child, nothing could have ever prepared me for all the blessings that Damaris, Vesna and Tio poured out on my son and our family. As my son prepares to start pre-school in the fall (he'll turn 5 mid September) I feel blessed to have had Damaris' team as partners in raising my strong, kind, and amazing little boy. I feel at peace knowing that they have had a huge role in preparing him for preschool and beyond! If you're looking for a nurturing and child-centered environment, know this: there is NO other place that will be able to provide the type of personalized and holistic care A Child's Place Daycare does. Your children will not only learn their numbers, letters, site words, planets, days of the week, participate in science and cooking activities, play outside etc...but they will leave this wonderful place with a well developed love of reading, writing, and learning, a strong curiosity for their world, and the social and emotional skills to face any situation that comes their way as they transition to their next step. I am grateful and filled with joy as I prepare to see my son in this new phase of his life because I know that with him he carries the very best of Damaris, Vesna and Tio...and that gives me peace. For these, and for many many other reasons I highly recommend A Child's Place Daycare! Congratulations to all the fortunate ones that will get a spot in this wonderful place! read more

Damaris is a WONDERFUL daycare provider. We consider ourselves so lucky to have found someone so good to take care of our son. We did not want to use home daycare when we put our son in a daycare setting so we chose to go the daycare center route. While that is fine, I have to say that there is alot of turnover in centers so I don't know how attached our son ever became to any of his care providers. Since we have been with Damaris she is like family to us. Our son talks about her all the time and loves to go to daycare. She runs her daycare like a preschool center. Our son knew his alphabet and numbers by 18 months...and that is pretty much true for all the kids at the daycare. The kids ages range from 3 months to 5 years old. She speaks in both Spanish and English to the kids. We don't speak Spanish at home but our son understands Spanish and says some words in Spanish to her at daycare. Her rates are also very reasonable. We are very happy with our son attending her daycare. read more

I feel so lucky to have found a Child's Place Daycare. They are right around the corner and I think our daughter has the shortest commute out of the group. My husband was lucky enough to stay home with our daughter until she was almost 2 years old. When we were looking at daycares, we struggled with home vs center care and the adult/child ratio. Well I'm so happy I read the reviews on Yelp before calling! Darmaris and Eddie and the rest of the staff love our daughter and I know that she is well cared for and loved while we are at work. They have a preschool curriculum and she already knows her letters, numbers, colors, matching items, songs, etc. She loves going to "school" and spending time with her friends. She's been there 8 months now and I feel she has really grown socially, emotionally and her educational level in her time spent with her "second" family. What more could you ask for from a daycare provider? All A+'s from us! read more