My daughter loves going to the "yellow house", as she lovingly refers to it. We are part time, per…read moreher preschool schedule. Lisa, the owner, and her assistants are always a pleasure to talk with. The kids and parents we have interacted with seem very content.

I brought my 12-month-old son to Small Beginnings Daycare to see if he would take to the owner, Ms…read more Griffin, and the atmosphere. I even contacted three references furnished by Ms. Griffin. Contacts used the same buzz phrases (i.e. "parents at Small Beginnings are like-minded", "kids receive nutritional meals", "children never wanted to leave"), which made me wonder, but we moved on nonetheless. Awful experience! My son did not receive treatment like it was "mom and dad". I don't mind paying some of the highest rates in Chicago for day care (even home day care), but this facility is not worth 50% of the price. I would not leave my baby/toddler here. The assistants are very nice women, but the owner is another story and I do not recommend hiring her. Ms. Griffin prides herself on administering a high caliber service for parents "who want the best for their kids", but she did not follow simple instructions on caring for our child; complained about diaper changes; and was very combative when addressed with concerns and requests for better service. I had verbalized and written notes regarding our son having meals solely from home. A couple of times I picked him up in the evening and the owner approached me with our meals in-hand announcing, "He ate my food today." However, the deal breaker was when our son repeatedly came home from Small Beginnings with diaper rashes (that would clear up on the weekends with our due diligence, but reappear once returning to Griffin's home). I verbalized, wrote, and texted instructions on the usage of diaper ointment and frequent diaper changes for our son - for a total of four times - before I directly approached Ms. Griffin with the problem. Ms. Griffin rebutted and debated on how the medicine in A&D diaper ointment was harmful to my son; his diet was an issue, etc. Ms. Griffin even bellowed, "Don't you come into MY house making accusations! This is a place of BUSINESS!" I had to remind Ms. Griffin that we were paying for her business and that her business was taking care of our son. Concerns were about our son; therefore, we had a right to "come into her house" and address inadequacies. After taking our son to his pediatrician, the doctor removed almond milk from his diet (which Ms. Griffin suggested we use instead of whole milk), and mentioned that the rash likely resulted from long exposure to wet diapers. After I explained the pediatrician's diagnosis (who has been in practice for over 30 years with Loyola) to Ms. Griffin, she insisted that our doctor was incorrect and that our son was abnormal. Once more, my son NEVER developed diaper rashes at home with his family. The rashes that grew while in Griffin's care would be eradicated after a weekend at home. When I pointed out the oddity of our results versus Ms. Griffin's results, she responded, "Maybe not so strange ... Maybe all the rubbing and so much medicated A&D." We never instructed this woman to "rub" our child's skin. I could just picture her facetiously scrubbing my son's bottom until she hurt him. I did explain to Ms. Griffin that she needed to apply ointment liberally. Additionally, how does our solution at home instigate the problem at her home? After sharing our situation with a lovely Caribbean woman who provides care for the son of a Fortune 500 Company CEO, in her beautiful Jamaican accent she belted, "What!? You're supposed to grease their bottoms!" I visited reputable day care centers and they listed A&D (among other ointments) for infants and preventative care supplies within their contracts! One of the directors even questioned, "Has she ever thought that your son may simply have sensitive skin and there's nothing else to it?" We finally decided to terminate services with Ms. Griffin after our son came home with a rash that was so horrific that the color of his skin was purple! Other cautions and highlights: I mentioned to Ms. Griffin that for her expensive weekly rate (which rivals some of the top day care centers in Chicagoland with waiting lists), we expected excellence. Ms. Griffin sneered to my comment, "$xxx a week ain't a drop in the bucket to pay my water bill." On one occasion I left Ms. Griffin's house on my way to work, but was prompted to stop for milk and return - only to arrive outside of Ms. Griffin's door and hear her slandering me and my son to another parent. This is the kind of unprofessional and immature behavior (and hypocritical of the Christian philosophy that Ms. Griffin claims to practice) to expect. Do not be fooled by the neighborhood or duped into thinking you're leaving your child with Mrs. Huxtable. The Small Beginnings owner is straight up Mz. Jenkins' style! PS - There is a review below that is not recommended: it's from the owner!

I couldn't have found a better daycare! I wouldn't even call it a daycare, it's like going to…read morePre-K! My daughter loves it and so do I! Mrs. Cheryl is so sweet and kind & we can have a conversation for hours! It's always a delight! My now just turned- 5 yr old daughter has learned SOOOO much in a matter of just a few months... she already knows how to spell her name, all her alphabet, knows how to count all her numbers, the sounds each letter makes, I'm just so blessed to have found her! And it's in the comfort of her own home so it's a very homey feeling! Every time my daughter leaves when I pick her up, she always gives her a hug !!! Definitely recommend having your kids going to her!!!!!! I wish I could rate this 100 stars !

Ms. Cheryl is absolutely amazing! My son just thrived while in her care! He was with her for 2…read moreyears and was so sad to leave! Her curriculum helped prepare my son for kindergarten and then some! When in kindergarten he was pushed up to 1st grade level math and reading! If you are on the fence...don't be! This place is a great place for your child! If God had blessed me with more kids, they'd all have been with her! Xoxo

As I first came to Chicago, this daycare was the first to assist my family and myself with…read moredirections, but also welcoming and receiving us as well being new clients, Mrs.Washington is amazing and her childcare feels like home. I will choose her and suggest her every time with no hesitation. I can insure that your children will be in the greatest care within her business. She's attentive, caring and very supportive. I am much appreciative of her kindness and willingness to help thank you so much. We will miss you but we will forever be family.

All 3 of our children have been at this day care. Our oldest child started with Ms. Washington a…read morelittle before turning 2 and transitioned into pre-school at 4. The care, attention, and intention Ms. Washington puts into the children is why we have trusted her with our kids for the past 5 years. She goes above and beyond for families and children. She doesn't just run a daycare -- she gives children the foundational tools and skills to be successful once they transition into pre-school. Forever grateful for all that she has done and continues to do for our family!

I was very hesitant after reading the reviews but the YMCA after care at our school was full and I…read moregave it a shot. I'm really glad I did. I had many questions, new Exec Director was so patient. Dana is on top of everything - each classroom, the facility, safety, décor even! Billing as well and she's great with the children and the parents. She answered all my questions ever so patiently - exactly the demeanor you would expect from a place where children play. Our two yr old tried another facility in Naperville over the summer and although I had many friends tell me amazing things....my two year old still cried every time I dropped him off and it just wouldn't taper off after 3 weeks. Now that we are at Knowledge Beginnings he cried the first 4 days, and it tapered off!!! Now he walks in ready to go to "school" with his little backpack on. What a relief! For school age kids they bus before and after from area schools. They offer snacks and the kids do HW there. The prices are better than the safe n sound YMCA program. For little ones they have infant rooms, toddler rooms, preschool rooms, the facility is super clean and very nicely decorated! He comes home singing many new songs and tells us about his day "I played Play-Dough". Very cute. The teachers are great and the directors are awesome with feedback and will help in a constructive way. They offer breakfast, snack, lunch and PM snack. It's not organic life, but that's my only wish list item. It is nice to not have to pack lunch, and they do offer fruits and veggies. If you have specific dietary needs the exec director will work with you!

We began sending our daughter to KB when she was just 3 months old, and only about 2 months before…read morethe pandemic hit. The center is clean and safe - and I feel the same way (more so actually) once we began sending her back once restrictions were lifted. The communication is top notch - I am never left wondering what's going on, and if I have questions, I get a timely response. I trust that my daughter's best interests are in mind and that she is safe and healthy while at KB.

I would recommend CCC2 to anyone. It was a true blessing to have these women be part of my…read morechildren's lives. Both children thrived academically and socially here. They truly do not get enough credit for all their hard work. Great job ladies!

Amazing care and very affordable prices !! We just moved to the area and my daughter had a hard…read moretime in her previous daycare. Every morning she would cry before school. When we went for a tour Ms Debbie and all the CCC 2 staff were very friendly and answered all my questions. I enrolled my 3 year old for 3 days a week and she loved it from day 1! She even asks to go everyday now. The staff is very caring and friendly and my daughter comes home with tons of projects and learning activities. Summer is filled with a bunch of field trips and plenty to do. I absolutely love this school and would recommend it to everyone !

Not sure where to even start. John Humphrey KinderCare was under the leadership of Mary when my son…read morewas attending. My son was sick almost weekly. They barely cleaned. I would pick my son up and he would have boogers on his nose/face dried up and crusty. When I would give my child a bath at home after the day, he'd have dried up feces on his underwear due to them not wiping the kids after they use the restroom. The teachers in each class were young, inexperienced, and ignorant. Anytime I made a complaint about the care of my child (that I pay them for) they would gas light and manipulate things to make it my fault that they were not caring for my son properly. I also witnessed a couple of the teachers getting super impatient with the kids and sometimes toss them around and scream at them, it honestly broke my heart. The manager Mary was the worst part of it all. Instead of taking the responsibility for her own KinderCares failures, she decided to blame the kids! She would literally blame the 3-4 year olds themselves. Horrible daycare to attend.

Around January 2021, we realized that we needed child care for our 9.5m son. We were both working…read moreFT from home and couldn't give him the attention he needed. We were stressed and not being the best parents we could be, juggling everything on our plates. We looked at nanny's but given Covid, many wanted to be in their home, not ours. We did look at another daycare but I didn't feel comfortable. We finally talked to Melissa at KC-John Humphrey and gave it a try. To be honest I wasn't thrilled about the idea of a "commercialized" daycare. Melissa and all the staff/teachers are absolutely incredible. They made the transition easy. They even helped and accommodated as we transitioned our son from home purees to table food; from formula/BM to dairy milk/water. We saw so much growth and development in our lil guy after just a couple weeks. The app is great for communication and just seeing how our son's day is going/went. They are very diligent about children's health. Although it was hard, our son had to stay home a couple times because of sickness that had similar symptoms to Covid (but wasn't). I can appreciate the effort. I wouldn't want other kids to expose our son in the same situation. They followed up on his "sick days" just to check in on him. The ONLY reason we are leaving this center is because we're moving to Elgin. We've only been going to KCJH for about 5 months and will truly miss the team. They genuinely care about the children and families. On another note, our transition to an Elgin KC has been seamless as well. We look forward to the same caring staff up north. For all the new parents struggling decide to send your child(ren) to daycare in the OP area, send them to KCJH. You become a better parent because of the reduced stress/mental break and the child(ren) love it.

I have my two year-old attending Monday through Friday caregiving which has really made a…read moredifference in her social motor skills and also has increased her vocabulary at a very young age. The staff is very loving and caring and really do provide the utmost care for children. so fortunate and grateful to have found such a valuable location for my daughter to grow and be loved

I cannot think of a better place to send my son for preschool. From the directors and teachers-…read morewe're extremely grateful for how wonderful they've been. Every time I drop off my son, I know he's going to be in the best of hands. Wish they went all the way through 8th grade with how amazing they are and the progress my son has made. Highly, highly recommend Bobbie Noonan's in Homer Glen!

This is an excellent facility. As a working mother, I had my reservations about putting my newborn…read moreinto daycare. Choosing COA was the best decision we could have made in a daycare choice. Children of America has a lot of advantages over the other daycare facilities in the area: Daily reports can be viewed electronically (versus paper ones...SAVE THOSE TREES!), surveillance option, astroTurf for the outdoor playground (versus wood chips and dirt...that little ones like toddlers can easily gnaw or chew on,etc.). Last but not least, excellent Teachers and Directors. My son has now moved up to his 3rd room. Every room that he has been in, the teachers were excellent, welcoming, interactive with the kids and communicative. If only COA had a location in the Mokena area as well *hint*

My daughter has been attending COA since she was 8 weeks old and now she is nearly 3. The teachers…read moreand admin at COA have always taken care of my baby and taken any concerns I may have had seriously. I appreciate how much my daughter has learned and grown from knowing her colors and shapes before one and all of her letters before 2. I've always been amazed at stuff she knows, like counting backwards, cause I knew I wasn't responsible for it (LBVS). Some teachers who have stood out are Ms. Linda, Ms. Theresa, Ms. Caitlyn, Ms. Leann, Ms. Destiny, Ms. Kat, Ms. Kobe, and Ms. Tricia. I would certainly recommend COA as they provide updates daily in an app along with video capabilities. I also appreciate the activities they have after school to keep parents active (Bentley activities) and informed (parent conferences). I'm so thankful for COA.