Our son goes to Kids Academy for pre-school and we are loving our experience here. There are set boundaries and expectations for kids, the communication home is great, the facility is clean, the price is great, and my son LOVES it. He's learning letters, having fun with new friends and his teacher, and comes home everyday excited to tell us about what he did at school that day. I'd recommend Kids Academy to anyone in the area! read more

I have to preface this by saying, we have older children who were in daycare, so we know how great some facilities and management can be. Unfortunately, this is not one of them from what we have experienced. Before we signed our child up for care, the owner Azar seemed welcoming at their open house, made us feel comfortable, and convinced us she had an "open door policy". The facilities aren't the greatest (i.e., the entrance to the infant room is in a partition for a bigger room - the "gym", so it's flimsy, and the daycare is connected to a church), but we were willing to overlook that because of a personal recommendation, and the positive reviews online. There was a smooth phase with this daycare that was very short lived. Over time, little things - such as basic necessities for our infant, now toddler (i.e., no shoes or hat on when it's freezing outside, coming home in filthy clothes though he has extra clothes there, coming home in other kids' clothes, even giving water to our baby before asking if it was okay) - would be missed. He also would come home with unexplained scratches or marks. We would bring up these issues to the director Kellie, and her response would be defensive and dismissive, saying, "staff would have noticed", and there is never any accountability when these things clearly happened at the daycare. More often than not, a response would not be given, and our inquiries would be completely ignored. They seemed like they forgot about our child after he was enrolled there for a little while. The director Kellie suggested a meeting to try to work together and address our concerns. We were open to it. The meeting was supposed to just be between us parents and the director. When we showed up, the owner Azar was there, likely to ambush us. The meeting initially seemed to go fairly well until the owner interjected and started going on a tangent, talking about how they have "been open for 31 years and have a good reputation". It was a total deflection of what the matter was at hand; concerns regarding care for our child. She talked about how HER children went to the daycare and are now doing well (side note: they are now adults and of course she has her own children's best interest as their mother). The owner and the director did not like that we were questioning a mark and scratch on our child's face that we saw at pickup time (so it definitely didn't happen at home). Instead of trying to look into the matter and come to a resolution, they lacked professionalism, empathy, and let their emotions get the best of them. They were more concerned about their feelings being affected by us questioning what happened to our child, not what was really important; the well-being of our child. As adults, this is not something to model to the children in their care. They did not give us a chance to provide input; Azar kept interrupting us, raising her voice, talking about herself and how proud she was of the staff at the center. Azar basically said, we are not allowed to be frustrated, and if we can't move past the things they did wrong, maybe we should consider if Kids Academy is the place for our child. She was condescending and gave an ultimatum, not an attempt to understand where we were coming from. She harps on and on about their "reputation" (but just because a place has been open for 31 years, does not mean it is without shortcomings or is run well). We respectfully ended the meeting, since she was disrespectfully talking over us and was not interested in hearing what we had to say. She had her own agenda. If the owner feels okay raising her voice at the parents of a child in her care, I question the level of morale there. From what we have observed, Azar is not a constant presence at the center and is clearly disengaged to what goes on there. She just deflects and talks about how long they have been open and their "reputation". Our experience of this daycare is that parents' input, feedback, and concerns are not important to management, and parents are not allowed to question the well-being of your child. This is truly appalling, since our child is very young and not yet able to speak for himself. The facilities are also questionable: the doorknob to the infant room fell off and instead of replacing it immediately, they tied a piece of fabric to open and close it for an extended period of time. We also found out the owner made the hallways of this building a "museum" of some sort, so when they have events for this "museum", they move the divider out of the way, and the infant room is used. I highly recommend to pay a little more in tuition for child care elsewhere (like we did), and you'll likely find a place with better facilities, where you're valued, can collaborate well with and truly feel like you can trust the staff. read more

Kids Academy is filled with the most loving, positive, and genuinely caring teachers and staff. Leadership is focused on providing high-quality child care in the school and in the broader community, not generating profit. We've had mediocre experiences at chain daycares, where staff scroll on their phones and are in and out on a monthly basis. Kids Academy teachers are engaged, hands-on, and excited to see your kid every day. It's hard to leave my son for 8+ hours a day, but I feel so much better knowing he is in the hands of Kids Academy. And I am still shocked by how affordable the rates are given the quality of service and in comparison to other (not very impressive) daycares in the area. Thank you, Kids Academy! read more

Kids Academy was the third daycare for our little one, and it will be the only daycare we use from now on. Our little one is so loved and cared for here. It is a true community. read more

My family recently located from California to the area and Kids Academy and their team have been nothing short of amazing with our son. Our son has had a diagnosed speech delay due to multiple ear infections as an infant and was approved in the state of California for services like speech and occupational therapy, which he was never able to receive due to covid. With such a life change, he has had some difficulty transitioning to a new day care center. We initially sent him to Poko Loko due to great reviews, however those were not realized in their attitude or care. They constantly shamed us and would say things like "he learned a new trick today, he pulled someone off the chair," making us feel terrible and never offering guidance or support for how we could deal with this. They simply wrote him off as a difficult child and then asked us to leave because they were unwilling to help. They flouted their 52 years of experience and stated that they never asked a child to leave until we came along, and never offering support.  All while charging TOP DOLLAR rates for subpar care. Please don't be fooled by the shiny veneer of that center, it's fake. In stark contrast to this, when we explained our situation to Kids Academy, the leadership and staff expressed empathy and wanted to work with us and try for the sake of our son. They really felt for us and everything we'd been going through, especially our son. From the onset, our son's new teacher even took the time and effort to read his California individual education plan (IEP) so she could better understand the delays and sensory issues our son faced. They went the extra mile to understand and give the right treatment to our boy. Fast forward almost a year, and he has blossomed under their guidance and tutelage! He is now potty trained, speaking in full sentences, socializing, and making friends with his classmates. He couldn't be happier! This is truly a testament to how the right guidance and compassion from caring teachers can make all the difference in a child's life. We, as parents, have felt completely supported by them. Additionally, they have been making wonderful improvements to their center. To this very day we have felt nothing but love, compassion, and caring from the team at Kids Academy all while charging very reasonable prices. Their center is a warm, diverse, and nurturing environment and I recommend them with my whole heart. Regarding the other reviews, I have not had any problems with cleanliness or professionalism. Try them out, they are the best. read more

God forbid sending your kid there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unless you want to have sick kid !The place smells soooo badly that probably was never cleaned. I took my son here and I've had so many bad experiences he got a Strep throat and Scarlet fiver!!!!!!!!! read more

This is the BEST PLACE EVER if you want your child to grow in every aspect. I enrolled my twins 2 months ago and I can see a huge difference between daycares. They used to go to KinderCare on ballad Road, Des Plaines (what a nightmare at the end) The staff is so professional and caring at Kids Academy. You can go at any time and the place it's just perfect! They have learned a lot in such a short period of time. All the staff is well qualified to deal with all ages kids. I regret not enrolling my kids here before! read more

Love this place! Both my kids go here and I know they are in great hands. I cannot think of one negative thing I would say about them.

If I could give more starts I would!!! I have had my 2 kids here for over 3 years and can't say enough nice things. I truly feel like I am leaving my kids with family! the teachers care so much about each child and make it so easy to leave since the kids are so happy there. And the twice a year shows provides a community feel among the families, this is not just another daycare that is looking make a dollar they are truly about the kids AND the families! read more

I was looking for a kid friendly daycare/preschool for my nephew and was praying that God send me to the place that he needed to be. Our situation was a unique one. I had driven by Kids Academy many, many times and was led to stop in to see if there was room for him. Ms. Azar, met me at the door with a smile and a hug. I had never seen her before! I explained to her our circumstances. She was so compassionate and accepted my nephew right away. He was able to start a week or so later. He cried only on the first day. From then on, he has been just fine. He loves it there! The teachers love him! The kids love him! When a child is not happy where they are, you know it! He looks forward to going to school everyday. Ms. Azar is an excellent administrator. If we had more kind, loving, and compassionate directors like her, our children would be much better off. She truly cares for her kids. Lastly, the school is a perfect learning environment. He has never missed a day because of sickness. I thank God for KidsAcademy. I would recommend this school to anyone who is looking for a loving preschool/daycare. The hours are great as well. Sincerely, Mrs. Shirlene Baker read more

As both a mother and a teacher, I recommend Kids Academy. The director Ms. Azar was very professional and helpful as she helped my son adjust to a new environment. Being a child that was raised by only family, my son really needed people that would be patient with his emotional drop-offs and separation anxiety. His mornings began with hellos from all the staff, toys to play with, books to read so he can transition easily. Ms. Kelly is awesome; although she wasn't his teacher, she took an interest in him, comforted him, helped him adjust, and was present in the classroom. He took to her and enjoyed seeing her smiling face everyday. That being said, my son became part of the Kids Academy family and enjoyed going to daycare. By the end of his year there, his speech development doubled, he learned to socialize, and understood the daily routines of a classroom. I really feel it was a great prerequisite experience for pre-school. read more

When I first toured this place Azar the director kept emphasizing that her daycare is the best and they really take great care of the kids and focus on academics. We enrolled our child and never saw those results. Not only did they not teach but they do not want h your kids. Every time I came to pick up or drop off my child there was at least one child roaming the halls without adult supervision. The kids are not given a structured environment and the place is dirty and dark. I never once smelled freshness like it does after cleaning. There is only one teacher per room with a float aide that goes between 2 rooms. Azar is very in denial and all she says is her daycare is perfect and nothing bad ever happens. I am truly shocked this place is even awarded a license to open. Please do not send your child here the kids look sad and some cry all the time they hate it there. read more

Kids Academy and Ms. Meekie were heaven sent. My sons were enrolled at 2 and 3 yrs, while I was going through a separation and the teachers, especially Ms. Meekie who receives the children in the morning were wonderful and patient every morning with their separation anxiety. Ms. Meekie works individually with each child's education level and teaches more without pressure. My kindergartener (just turned 6), is gratuating Kindergarten from Kids Academy this summer. He knows how to read, add and subtract! He is currently learning simple multiplications, thanks to her efforts. I actually learned some discipline/teaching skills as well over the 2-3 years that the kids attended. Most teachers at this school have been here for years and are great. Daycare teachers are almost like parents, while we are at work- they teach our children, comfort them, show them to have fun, etc. I would highly recommend this daycare. Ms. Meekie, thank you for your genuine love for the children, your wisdom and your hard work!! read more