We have been taking our son to Children's Center of Lake Forest for the last ~7 months. To be…read morehonest, the location wasn't the most convenient for us, and we had been considering an alternative location closer to home. However, we have opted to stay with Children's Center of Lake Forest, because they take such tremendous care of our son. There is a genuine love for our son there among so many of the staff, that makes both my wife and I feel so incredibly comfortable and confident in the care he is receiving. Would highly recommend Children's Center of Lake Forest!

My first experience with any childcare professionals was with Eva, a mother herself and staple…read moreduring weekdays. The facilities are clean and organized. Tony is like a perverbial father or grandfather. The kids love him. I would highly recommend Laura and crew. Eva is our angel.

After enrolling my son at Montessori on the Lake, the teachers and educational program exceeded…read moreeven my highest expectation! I am beyond grateful for the compassion and dedication of the entire staff during his time in both elementary and middle school. The quality of teaching is outstanding! This school not only challenged my son intellectually, but helped develop him into his very best self. He was extremely happy to go on campus every morning and felt like he was part of a "school family." I am amazed with how well the teachers understand and take interest in the students' personality, needs, and learning style. I can't express enough how wonderful this school is in so many ways. We love MOTL and highly recommend to everyone interested!

Amazing amazing teaching environment and highly educated professional teachers. Hands on learning…read moreand caring staff. We feel very safe having our kids attend MSLF and would highly recommend.

Our family had five children attend Forest Bluff School over the course of seven years…read more Unfortunately, our experience there was not a positive one and caused our children a lot of unnecessary hardship. The school presents itself as a place where every child can thrive. In reality, Forest Bluff School only caters to children who are typical learners, very compliant, and medium to low energy. Forest Bluff does not hesitate to kick kids out of the school if they don't fit the mold. For our children who learned differently, especially one of our sons with a learning disability, the school not only failed to meet his needs but actively dismissed them. The head of school would often state, "We don't do dyslexia." When we advocated for accommodations to support our son, we were treated poorly. The administration threatened to kick all our children out of the school if we continued to speak about the issues/advocate for our son. Rather than working with families, the school requires parents to trust blindly. Twice a year, students bring work home. Other than that, there is no communication on how your child is doing academically. They do not perform any formal reading assessments or monitoring. As a Montessori school, we expected an environment that valued individual differences, freedom to explore, and curiosity. Instead, their approach was rigid and limiting. The children were rarely given free playtime outside and often never went outside at all. The school claimed they didn't want to "interrupt" their concentration by going outside. Forest Bluff School values strict routines over allowing children to move their bodies. They claim they get exercise inside the classroom because they move around and carry different work. My children (especially my 3 boys) did not have their physical needs met and felt so relieved when we switched to a more progressive Montessori school that allows kids free time outside. Leaving the school was the best choice for our children's well-being, mental health, and academic success. Forest Bluff may work well for certain children, but if your child is high-energy, learns differently, or needs a more flexible and supportive environment, I would strongly caution you to look elsewhere. Forest Bluff School caused my children a lot of anxiety, stress, and academic deficits that needed to be addressed after we left. I whole heartedly regret sending them there at all. My suggestion for all parents considering Forest Bluff School is to take a tour, ask a lot of questions, look closely at the students, access whether you see joy in their learning, and then listen to your gut. I wish I had.

As part of my Montessori training, I have observed in Forest Bluff classrooms extensively at almost…read moreevery age level and have been deeply impressed by the consistent authenticity and care, both of the students and the environment. It is increasingly common to find hybrid Montessori programs that include random popular pedagogical trends or succumb to external pressures, but not Forest Bluff. Forest Bluff is a special place, thanks to the dedicated staff who love what they do and exude respect for both their students and one another. Indeed, much of what seems to make Forest Bluff so special is the diligent pursuit of its noble, explicit mission. Within the Montessori community, both AMS & AMI, Forest Bluff remains an increasingly rare example of quality, authentic Montessori. It is the kind of school I wish I could have attended myself and to which I wish I could have sent my daughters.

Ronda is great! Both my kids have gone there so have been with her for 5 years. Smaller at home…read moredaycare where the kids get plenty of attention and love. Relaxed environment but the kids still learn a lot. Feels like family. My oldest started at 6 weeks old and Ronda got her on a schedule so quickly it was wonderful. Highly recommended!!

From the owner: Small home setting for Infant and Toddler care. Loving home…read moreenvironment with many fun, age appropriate learning activities provided each day. Indoor/outdoor play. Nutritious meals and snacks provided. Infant CPR & First Aid Certified DCFS Licenced

We followed the Director, Sarah, here from the Northbrook location something like SIX YEARS AGO…read morewhere she had been serving as the assistant director. She is phenomenal and even if you do not put much stock into reviews in general, the proof should be we followed her to an entirely new school and now have our third child at the school... by the time we are done with this one we will have been with Sarah almost ten years! This Gardner School is fantastic. It starts with the leadership at the top and is felt all the way down, but you cannot miss the attention to the detail and just how great this school is. First, they are great with the kids. Seems basic, but needs to be said. From the 2 rooms through every room we have experienced the teachers and staff know how to make kids happy, healthy, safe, smart, etc. Second, the actual programs at this school are unmatched. The core programs in the classes are fantastic and are some of the best planned out things I have seen any school offer for kids this young. Not only that, but the extracurricular actives offered are diverse and awesome. The new assistant director has been excellent putting together these programs and provides awesome photos/videos. Yes... they do cost extra money, but (a) you easily get the value out of it, (b) you get to expose your kid(s) to things you may not have the time to outside of school because of things like work and (c) the kids love them. Third (and I'll make it last), the communication is unbeatable. I cannot oversell this! The staff and teachers are always receptive to conversations, feedback, etc. (I talk to Sarah more than I talk to my mom)... and the teachers are great with the app they use. Even if something doesn't go accordingly to plan at the School it isn't a complete disaster because the School actually communicates with you and you feel fully in the loop. The pictures, updates, etc. on the app make getting through the work day so much easier. Anyway, as a growing family we have moved from Morton Grove to Highland Park and have experienced different daycares/Schools. All have positives, but the Gardner School is far in away the best school ever. This location in particular has something special about it! There is literally no one in my life I wouldn't recommend this school to. No one asked me to write this review, but I really do feel passionately about the school and want to support it in anyway I can. Best decision you will ever make.

The director of the facility has an unpleasant attitude and is NOT knowledgeable about her own…read moreinstitution and the programs they offer and has difficulty answering in-depth questions about her own curriculum. Will invite you to school tours to waste your time and give you pre-longed dates to join the facility so you are her backup plan to make money if someone runs away due to her shitty attitude!!! Also, will ask you to join the waiting list with arrogance like there's no other educational institution out there. Must say loved her fake eyelashes though and she can go on for hours talking about them! Stay away from stuck up people and this facility for ur own good!

Great teachers and an incredibly kind, welcoming staff. From the moment you walk in, you can feel…read morethat the school truly cares about the students and their success. The teachers are patient, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in helping every child learn and grow. The staff is always friendly, helpful, and makes both parents and students feel comfortable. What stands out the most is how excited my kids are to go to school every single day. They come home happy, talking about what they learned, and looking forward to the next day. That alone says a lot about the positive environment the school has created. It is clear that the school focuses not only on academics but also on building confidence, character, and a love of learning. We are very grateful to be part of such a supportive and caring school community. I highly recommend this school to any family looking for a place where their children will feel valued, encouraged, and excited to learn.

If you are thinking of sending your child to Goddard Deerfield, please read this review and…read moreconsider other options. About us: Hard working blue collar parents of 2 kids and one more on the way in July 2022. Our daughter attended Goddard Deerfield for over 1 year and we initially enrolled our son to start in August of 2022. Problems: The owners of this location, Jane and Genia, consider your child a walking dollar sign and nothing else. They will put the economics of getting every dollar out of you rather than creating a safe environment for your child or respecting any of your parental concerns. The situation and response: Goddard's AC system had broken during a 90+ degree week. Goddard has no extra classrooms so their response was to have the children in the classroom at that temperature for 30-40 mins at a time. We decided to not send our daughter to school until the AC situation was fixed due to extreme heat and ventilation issues that could lead to spread of COVID (my wife is currently pregnant with a high risk pregnancy). The AC repair took over 9 days and no surprise, there was a COVID case in the classroom during this time. This left our daughter out of school where we had to pay for additional childcare for 2 weeks. We reached out to the owners for a credit of our tuition for the time and that is when Jane's true colors showed. Over a phone call a screaming and angry Jane claimed: -"AC breaking is an Act of God and that they had to pay $5,000 to repair it so they are not liable." -"It builds character for children to be in that heat because life isn't always perfect" -When I told her again that my wife was pregnant and our own doctor said this an unneeded risk. Jane claimed "COVID is overblown and it's just an excuse now. My sister in law had COVID during her pregnancy and was fine, so your wife shouldn't be worried" We were so shocked by this response. After that last bizarre call, my wife had a 1-1 in person conversation where Jane took ownership of the things she said but the damage had been done. We knew our daughter would not be safe in their hands and that ownership would potentially target our children. Even worse ownership behavior: Our daughter stopped attending Goddard in June and our son was enrolled for upcoming August start - we asked what the process is for terminating enrollment and how we would receive our refund of enrollment fees and they took that as an opportunity to immediately cancel his enrollment, keep the enrollment fees, and take money from another family to fill his spot. Not only did they not return the money, they cancelled his enrollment and filled his spot in a breach of their own enrollment document/parent handbook. We now have to consult a legal expert to recoup our fees. I am a small business owner myself and would never ever target or leave a negative review unless it was 100% necessary to warn others. There are other schools in the area that will look after your child, look elsewhere. During the last few months of dealing with Goddard I felt like a failure of a parent to have not seen the other red flags and cannot believe I allowed my child to be in the care of Goddard Deerfield. The worst part of it all is that this is all I know about, what about all the other things that may have happened while my daughter attended school here that owners with this character may have put their own business in front of my child or any child? If you think maybe this is a one off situation and your child could be okay, Google search "Goddard Deerfield Indeed reviews" to see how their own teachers review the school. It is very evident that this is a common theme. Reach out to me if you have concerns as I have documentation of all of this.

When we moved to Northbrook in mid-2022, we left an amazing daycare in the city and were…read moreheartbroken to move our daughter out of the care of the people who had helped us raise her for almost two years. We came to Guidepost on a referral from friends who attended and it has been nothing short of a truly wonderful experience. We did not come here as Montessori-fanatics, but quickly realized what wonders it was doing for our child. Her growth, sense of independence, and creativity have flourished here. All of her teachers have been loving, attentive, and communicative. Abbey and Christine, the school leadership, are always reachable and open to discussions when I have questions/feedback. We love sending our daughter here because she know she is safe, loved, and engaged in her learning. We would absolutely recommend Guidepost Deerbrook to any family looking for a home for their child!

We've been with the Guidepost for a couple of months and it's been an outstanding experience!…read moreTeachers and staff are friendly and resourceful, and communication is prompt and clear. I compared over 10 daycares thoroughly prior to sending him here and I'm very happy with my decision. I love that my little one does a variety of creative and fun activities daily with Montessori philosophy as a foundation. I feel sincere care and love from the teachers and staff here, and I appreciate the teachers taking the time to do a parent-teacher conference to share detailed feedback on the child. It helps parents understand where we can better support him to enjoy his day and grow. I also like that the school puts lots of effort into building a community. The monthly gatherings/ events for families and kids, sending out weekly newsletters, and having a FB family communication page... they go above and beyond! I highly recommend Guidepost to my family and friends!