The Goddard school in Hawthorn Woods is an incredible school, I highly recommend them. The teachers are loving and caring and follow a thorough curriculum. My children transferred from a previous daycare to Goddard and I immediately noticed the difference in their learning and education. The office staff and owner is just as incredible. I wouldn't bring my children anywhere else. read more

We really wanted to like this school... It is very conveniently located for us and we enjoyed our time chatting with the owner. The facility itself is clean, modern and safe. The classrooms are large and appointed nicely with things for the kids to play with. Outside of the classroom, I did not know there to be any other interesting rooms for the kids to explore or learn in, and playground outside is very small. We found the staff to be generally grumpy and witnessed the teachers being short an "un-teacher-like" on a couple of occasions to some other children. We got the sense of a negative vibe overall. We did not keep our child in long enough to really experience their curriculum, but we did experience their food selection. They do not have any organic items on their menu and much to our surprise, at times they replace fruit with fruit juice. read more

I am writing this review in hopes that new moms can make a great decision about sending their babies to day care. My 4 month old baby was in goddard-hawthorn woods for 2 months and I have decided to pull her off for various reasons. I did not plan on being a stay-at-home mom but I feel that my experience with the school played a major role in swaying me into being one. Being a first time/new mom, it was really tough leaving my daughter in daycare. Her first day at Goddard was not great as the pictures I was getting from the school, you could tell she was just crying all day. I get that it is a new environment and new schedule for her but these pictures and updates I received did not ease my worries about leaving her for the first time or may I say, the first few weeks. She just looked like a sloppy mess, eyes swollen, and literally has been crying ALL DAY. The first week, I couldn't even keep her awake when she would come home being exhausted from the crying. She did end up adjusting and there were days I would pick her up in the middle of the day and she looked happy and content playing and listening to the teachers. I have her infant teachers to thank for that! Ms. Mary and Ms. Amber are so sweet and I do believe they tried their best to care for all the infants in the room. I did see an improvement with my daughter when Ms. Mary and Ms. Amber were established as the two main teachers in charge of her. I just personally feel like there is not a program for the infant room even though it was mentioned to us on our tour that there was one in place. The school felt more like a daycare than a school as a whole. The infant room seems chaotic most times because of the swapping of teachers. There were so many days we would drop off and pick up and there would be new teachers in there. There was quite a rotation of teachers my daughter had during the 2 month durations she attended this school and it made us feel a bit confused and unsettled. I just honestly feel like they are taking in more kids than they can handle. As I mentioned, infant teacher Ms. Mary and Ms. Amber as so sweet and great but other teachers that pass us by just seem so miserable. There was one instance where the director happily said good morning to another teacher coming in for the day and this teacher did not even respond, kept her sunglasses on and just seemed so exhausted and miserable as she passed us by. Another teacher my daughter had that was a temporary teacher for the day just seemed annoyed when I would discuss my daughter's needs and wants with her. Another thing I had issues with was getting pictures and updates. There were days I wouldn't even get any pictures and those pictures are what keeps my mind at ease while I was away from her. There were also times that their log did not make any sense (like logging in her feeding time in the middle of her nap time). The last week she was there, they did not even feed her the purees I packed. The app they use was okay as well. There were days all the updates will only show up after I have already clocked her out for the day. Other than that the director Tricia and the owner Slava were really nice! I apologize if this review comes off very negative as that is not my intention. I would just hope these can be improved for the future. I think the facility has so much potential, So much room for improvement, and teamwork is needed. I still appreciate this school very much for taking care of my sweet daughter and squeezing us in since they have a waitlist. We will miss her infant teachers very much! read more

I had my child there and pulled due to the things I heard that they do for their daughter and not any of the other children. They let her get away with anything. Also the curriculum is a joke. You are paying all of this money for them to be babysat. You are better off going to primrose, bright horizons, kindercare or learning experience. Especially for the amount of money you pay. The only thing this building has going for them is the amazing staff. Which who knows how long they will last. In response to your response, it is funny how nobody seems to be in your "database" in your negative reviews. Funny how that works out. The facility is a joke and so is the education that you claim the children get. Don't worry I will be calling that number tomorrow. read more

We attended the ice cream social and discussed the school looked around and asked questions and Slava told us with no ambiguity there are two exception criteria for vaccinations and that they have a form to complete and we would need to provide a physical for admission. Less than a week later, we come for a 2 hr trial to see how the little one does and the story changed. Slava lied about the exception and now says there will be no exception. There were two witnesses, Sandy the Director and the little one's Mom. Further, she asked a 2nd time before leaving about the exception form. If the owner lies about things like this, I would not venture to say you can trust this school! Extremely disappointed, there should be no ambiguity and I feel misled. Further, it is state law allowing exceptions: http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/077/077006650E05100R.html Form: http://dph.illinois.gov/sites/default/files/forms/religious-exemption-form-081815-040816.pdf This school is also significantly more expensive than competition in the area. read more

We recently became members of the Goddard family. My 3 year old loves his school and I love the daily reports and pictures. There are so many activities and almost always outdoor play time. The building is very secure and we are always greeted with a smile and a warm hello. It seemed like everyone in the building knew my son's name on Day 1. We are very happy with our decision to entrust the Goddard staff with our kiddo. read more

We toured and did drop-by visits of this Goddard school when we were looking for a daycare for our then 2-year-old. Sadly, we unexpectedly moved from the immediate area before we could send her there. However, we were impressed with the staff and the physical space. It's a bright, warm building decorated with thoughtful and educational displays. It's clear that students play and learn throughout the building and in the individual classrooms. We also got a really good vibe from the staff and owners (who were there the day we toured). At our drop-in visit, we could tell the adult-student connection was sincere and based on mutual respect. My husband and I were so over-whelmed when we started to look for a school for our daughter..... and on-line reviews are always so hard to trust. But my advice is to put Goddard on your short list of schools to check out and see for yourself. Good luck! read more

Just wanted to say that my girls went to Goddard for their preschool years now they're in the accelerated learning classes learning in district 95 Goddard is good! Karen Palmer does a great job and she has a great staff! read more

Do not waste your time or money here. The owner, Slava, believes certain state laws do not apply to his school and was rude on the phone when I confronted him about it. I called the corporate headquarters and am waiting to hear back. So many better and accommodating schools in the area. Don't waste your time. read more

If I could give the school zero star, I will. We had very bad experience with this school. The teachers here are not professional. When the kid had problems like throwing toys, what they did was just keep asking parents how to solve the problem. Ms.Jennie, the director, is very cold, never saw her smile. Everyday when I picked up my kid, I saw him ran to me and cried. He had tough days in the daycare. Finally, we decided to switch him to bright horizon in deer park. The school is much much better than the Goddard school. The first day he learned to say the word" share" and passed the toy to me. I was so surprised . And he is very happy there. If you love your kids , please don't send your kids to this Goddard school what they care is just money. read more

management is great, the school is spotless and very well cared for. my kids were there just shy of 3 years and from my experience it truly is a school and not a day care center. I always felt like my kids were safe there and the communication with the parents on a daily basis was fantastic. read more

The owners and director are very rude not only to the families, but the children as well. Came in as a walk in tour and was very upset with it. Do not recommend. read more

I am so impressed with the new ownership of this school. The new owners started in May 2018 and I have seen so many wonderful changes since they took over. All of the teachers they have hired are positive and genuinely love being with the kids. The communication with parents is amazing, which is something I really value. Overall the atmosphere is very positive, professional, and we feel lucky to send our kids to school here. read more

The Goddard School in Hawthorn Woods is an extension of our family. We have had our two kids there for almost 3 years and I cannot imagine bringing them elsewhere for childcare. Safety and compassion are the two most important things I look for in a childcare setting and Goddard excels in both categories. Everyone who works there, the owners, directors, and teachers, takes the time to get to know each of the families. The teachers really care about the children and are always there to offer a high five or a hug. The staff ensures that their students are both physically, mentally, and emotionally cared for. Communication is open and honest. Above all else, I never have to question my kids' safety at Goddard. I'm thankful everyday that my children have the opportunity to be in such a nurturing environment with amazing caregivers. read more

We are so happy with what we've seen from this school in the last few months! Clearly this school is looking to get involved in the community with all of their events and outreach! We look forward to seeing their success in the future. read more

I recently wrote a post about this school and new owners but "somehow" it got deleted. I had my children there for a while and when the new owners took over I was honestly excited. After seeing how things started going I started to become very hesitant. New directors took over too which was well needed from what they had before. However, I have overheard the owner talking to people when I would grab my children and was upset the way he would talk to people. The way they talk to people and treat them after the turnover with staff I knew I had to get my children out. Also they have credit card fees and did not give me a notice and when I had asked about the fees they were very short and didn't seem to even care. At this point I had to get my children out. I had high hopes for this school just didn't work read more

Had all 3 of my kids there and very happy with the staff and owner. We moved and had another Goddard just down the street. Highly recommend them. My kids potty training went great with their help. read more

My daughter attended the Goddard School in Hawthorn Woods for almost a year. The Infant Room was wonderful!!! We loved the head teacher Sarah (whom they later fired for poor reasons), and loved all of the activities they had for the children. Unfortunately it was time for her to move up to the Caterpiller room and that is when it all went down hill. Not only were the teachers in that room lazy, they didn't seem to care at all that my daughter had been bit 3 times in 2 weeks by the same child. Now it wasn't the fact that my daughter was bit, I understand kids will be kids, but more so the fact that I walked in about 2 minutes after the last incident happened and there she was sitting on the floor with her pacifier shoved in her mough...balling! One teacher had a child in her arms and the other, standing there...not helping at all! Needless to say, we pulled her after that. Once we left, we did hear, through the grapevine, that they were bad-mouthing us saying my husband and I were crazy and over-protective. Call it what you want but I don't appreciate what I saw and if that make me over-protective, than I'm good with that. read more

My daughter has been attending Goddard for over a year, and although we know how very hard it is to drop your child off with "strangers", the staff is far from that. They always welcome my little one with open arms and it seems that EVERY teacher knows her and makes it a point to say hello to her and make her feel welcomed. It is evident how much the staff cares about each individual child. In addition, I am also impressed with the new owners, Rachel and Slava, and the new administration. Since their take-over in May of 2018, they are continually making improvements. They have made every effort to increase communication and make personal connections with all of the parents. There is something to be said when the owners take the time to know each child and parent by name. In addition, I have found that they are always available and their doors are always open, whether it is just to greet you at the door or make time to talk with you. As a teacher, I am continually impressed with the curriculum and the progress that my daughter makes on a daily basis. As a mom, I am grateful for the love, patience, compassion and hugs that the staff gives to my daughter, because truly that is all I care about. read more