My child has been enrolled in the infant class at UCC for the last 5 months. He has loved every minute of his time at UCC. He loves his teachers and it is clear they love him too and take wonderful care of him. Ms. Rosa and Ms. Lashawnda are fantastic teachers. My son gets a huge smile on his face to see his teachers every morning. They keep us updated through the Kindercare app; sending us pictures of his day and letting us know about his eating, sleeping, and diaper changes. In the late afternoon, he transitions to another classroom, but Ms. Haley and Ms. KK and all the other teachers take wonderful care of him and always have updates on how the day went when we pick him up. The consistency of teachers has helped make us feel comfortable with our son's time at UCC. They know him so well! We can't say enough good things about how comfortable we feel dropping him off every day. The facility is clean, organized, and we're always met with a smiling face and personal greeting from the administrative staff for drop off and pick up. Everyone knows our name and our son's name. It really feels like the staff at UCC cares about our family. read more

Our 2 year old son has been going here for daycare for over a year. It's been a great experience for both us and him. Great teachers and staff! Excellent communication and awesome indoor playground for the winter and rainy days. read more

My child attended UCC for over a year, and while the care was generally adequate, there were a few situations that always bothered me. In the waddler room, one of the teachers once said to the kids (in my presence), "Girls, enjoy the days where you can wear leggings and you don't have to worry about your fat thighs and booty like me." I realize some people think this type of comment is funny, but it didn't sit well with me. Another time, during drop-off, a teacher was serving breakfast and one of the kids pooped in their diaper. She continued to serve the rest of the children their food (which is fine, I understand that it's difficult to switch between these particular tasks!), but the entire time kept saying (over and over), "pee-yew! You STINK! You smell sooooo bad!!!" to the child. I picked up my child many times with a full poopy diaper, and I would change it there myself before our walk home. She had a lot of diaper rash in her time here. Finally, I had a billing issue here where there was no attempt to call or email me after our last day. I did not realize there was a small outstanding balance for "summer materials" and one pro-rated day of care. We moved at the time, but we had our mail forwarded and I never received any invoices or bills. I had to find out that there was an outstanding balance 1.5 years later because it showed up on my credit report! Their billing department made no effort to reach out to me, I would have paid it promptly. read more

My wife and I take our son to University Child's Center. It came highly recommended to us from both my brother and my sister who took their children there a few years ago. I honestly can't understand the one-star reviews. In our experience, the teachers and the administration are always incredibly friendly, and seem to really love the kids that they look after. We get real-time updates on a phone app, which lets us know every time our son eats, has a diaper change, etc. The facilities are always clean and secure. We are extremely happy with our decision to take our son here. read more

My husband and I are absolutely thrilled with our son's experience at this daycare! Our baby boy started attending UCC when he was four months old and today he is 16 months old. All of his teachers have been wonderful and genuinely care for him. Our little guy gets plenty of attention throughout the day and gets to do cute activities and play in big rooms filled with toys and cheerful, well-trained staff members. He's happy when we drop him off in the morning and happy when we pick him up. If that's not the sign of a great daycare then I don't know what is! read more

Do not send your child to this daycare. I recently looked for a daycare for my 16 month old baby. I went with him to CCLC for a trial day. It was eye opening and traumatizing experience. The place was dirty, with very few toys, which most were broken. Books were torn apart and beside few balls , the kids had very little to play with. No puzzles. No games. Nothing. As for the overall experience with the teachers, I was very disappointed with their behavior towards the kids. After few hours of watching the interaction between them, the teachers seemed more and more uninterested and lacked any excitement to be with the kids. They looked as if they could not wait to be out of there. And by lunch time, the teachers were impatient, rushing the kids to finish eating and go to sleep. And every time any baby dared raising her head up from the bed, one of the teachers yelled out at her with unacceptable treatening and frightening manner. In one point, the kids were given nontoxic liquid paint to play with. . I looked with shock at the 3 teachers who demonstrated such poor judgment and lack of basic care for the well-being of the children. They each simply stood across from the children, watching them eating every drop of paint that was put on their individual paper. Instead of supervising them and guiding them as to how safely play and not put the paint in their mouths, the teachers simply laughed and refilled the children's paper with more paint. All together, I estimate each baby eat few tablespoons. I decided to taste it as well before giving to my baby. It tasted like the paint you would use on the wall. Completely full of serious chemicals! I urged the teachers to taste it. And when one of them finally agreed, she quickly spit it out, and said it tastes poisonous! Yes, it did. This daycare is not only mediocre, its dangerous for the health of your baby. The teachers luck the basic judgment, and frankly concern to the babies, and they act with no interest to keep the kids safe from eating chemical paint products. And while eating the paint may not kill your baby today, in such large quantities as i witnessed, it could easily overtime cause serious damage to your baby's health. When I confronted the director about just how dangerous it could be for ANYONE to eat paint at such quantities, let alone young children, she argued it is nontoxic. Yet just like the teachers, she too, did not dare tasing the paint when I asked her. Rightly so. She was 9 months pregnant at the time, and was concerned for her unborn baby. So was I... I was concered for the born babies... the ones in her daycare! I guess I was alone at this regards. In sum, I would strongly discourage anyone to send their child to a place with a stuff who display such poor judgment, and lack of concern to the children we entrust in them. read more

My 5 month old has been attending for the last 2.5 months. She seems to be well cared for and participates in activities I never thought my 5 month old could do (painting and crafting)! I think that Miss Jo knows what she's doing and she is so calm and patient with the kids. My only complaint would be the Tadpoles app they use for parents. The app is not very user friendly and the teachers really need a thorough training on how to use it. A few days it's looked like my daughter received 4 bottles when I only provided 3, but I'm fairly certain this is a tech issue and not a provider issue. read more

I wouldn't send my three year old son anywhere else. The curriculum is amazing. We signed our son up for all elective courses: Spanish, phonics, mathematics, science, cooking, etc. He has really developed and is excited to tell me about his day. The instructors never mind when I call in or drop in to check on my son. He is always smiling - and has really come out of his shell. His teachers go above and beyond and are familiar with the children in their care. This was so important to me - as my husband and I consider UCC part of our extended family. UCC offers quarterly get-togethers so parents can provide input. The children learn about the community and how to become responsible young children. When I first brought my son the the Center, I was a bit skeptical about some of curriculum. But, I thought I'd put him in some of the courses, and see what he thought. He has made more meals than most 25 year old adults, can crack an egg without shells in his dish, can give direction in Spanish, is learning to estimate, built a gingerbread house, learned to play the harmonica, has learned to sound out names and spell his names, is comfortable writing and has mastered his fine motor skills. I can go on and on... As parents we only want the best for our children. I feel like I am one of the lucky ones to get a spot at UCC. read more

We have sent our daughter to UCC starting when she was six weeks old until she started preschool at a private elementary Chicago school at age 3. We just went back to UCC for a few days while she was on Winter Break, and made the decision that the best place for her to be over summer vacation is back at UCC until school starts up again next fall. I have had a very different experience at UCC than the previous parent. From our first day at the center, I knew our daughter was well-cared for, so I never worried while at work. When she went back over winter break, she was eager to see her old teachers and friends, and was excited when I told her that she would be going back this summer. As she progressed from room to room as she grew older, her past teachers from infant and toddler rooms would always come to check in on her progress. The teachers continuously challenged her with new age-appropriate tasks (who knew that 15 month old kids could have meals together and serve themselves--a bit messily--and clear their plates?) and helped socialize her. She was very well-prepared for preschool responsibilities, following directions, sitting in group settings, and knowing her letters and numbers. As an infant, the center was very respectful of feeding choices (parents can bring in formula or breastmilk as well as choice of baby food before transitioning to the center's solid food menu), and I appreciated getting a daily written report of her activities, bathroom use, eating habits, and naps. They helped encourage her potty training too which was quite helpful! The center is currently undergoing some renovations which have lead to really beautiful new rooms for the 3 year old and 4 year olds, and a reconstructed indoor and new outdoor playspace are under construction now. I have never questioned our family's decision to send our daughter to UCC--she is a confident, self-sufficient kid that loves going to school, and I know that one of the reasons is the great experience she had in daycare. read more

While I think it's a shame that Alice M had a negative experience, I don't think hers is a fair assessment of UCC. I have had my daughter there since she was 12 weeks old and she loves the place. Her eyes light up when she sees her teachers and classmates in the morning. They are very concerned with consistency in caregivers, but try to make the children comfortable with all the teachers... which isn't difficult, because they are all so warm and engaged. They also send home wonderful pictures and keepsakes from art projects that we will cherish forever (they've done a far better job of documenting my daughter's growth than I have. :) ) It's secure, clean, bright, fun, and the people are so kind. We are so pleased. read more

This a beautiful center! I have been at this center for years and the staff are wonderful! Children are always having so much fun. They are always getting the children involved in creative projects. Children have always been clean, happy and safe. Highly recommended! read more

I'm really surprised at Alice M's review. My son started attending CCLC right after he turned 2 and he's now almost 4. My son had been on a waiting list to get in for 5mths, and when they called to say they had a spot, we could not have been happier. He had been at a daycare for 5mths that I was not especially happy about, but it was the only one that was open, geographical desirable, and had a camera on 24/7 that parents could login to check-in on their kids. He cried almost everyday I left him there for 5mths - it was heartbreaking, but once he joined CCLC,he did great from day one. He was so happy to be there, he immediately engaged with his teachers, and they were so loving and supportive of his transition - he could feel that and it showed in his behavior. It was the best feeling to be able to drop my son off, and know that he was happy and comfortable. They respect our family dynamic and rules. They always communicate well with me regarding my son and his changing needs. Also, the food is great for this kind of set-up (organic, grass-fed beef, etc.). There is wonderful programming that your child can partake in. My son has done phonics, soccer, and now cooking class. They spend time outside, take the kids to play in the water nearby in the warmer months, attend events at Navy Pier, etc. I really am so happy with my son being at this center. In fact, I recently passed on a job opportunity at the Evanston campus because I did not want to withdraw my son from CCLC, and transfer him to another program. I was a stay at home mom with my son until he was 18mths old. Taking him to daycare once I started working again was extremely hard, but it was and remains the most economical decision for our family. At CCLC, I could not be happier with his progress, and his time spent in their care. I highly recommend this center. read more

I sent my 9-month old son and I cried out myself for sending him there for days. They just keep putting him sleep and keep him in the crib even when he's not sleepy. He cried out to be out of the crib and they seem to ignore him. They are so used to crying babies and crying doesn't bother them. Also, their food is just horrible even though we paid way more than what we got served. My son had to suffer in indifference and not being loved until we found other day care. Being supported by university doesn't necessary mean that they are good. They don't deserve even one star. I'm not sure what the city inspector does. The center shouldn't exist. read more

My son started at CCLC when he was 9 months old and is now closing in on 3. Our 6 month old infant is starting on 3/1. We don't have any experience anywhere else, but also have no issues with CCLC. I am also not an expert on what is a good daycare or not, but my son loves his teachers and friends there. We looked at other daycares and liked CCLC the best. The negative reviews really surprised me and it appears pretty clear to me that these parents likely will have issues wherever their child attends. We all know these people. Every teacher at the center is very nice and friendly. The kids eat meals, sleep, read books, do actives and run around. Along with keeping them safe (which CCLC does), that's what you want in a daycare. read more

We love the University Children's Center for our 16 month old. She started in the infant room where her teacher's Ms. Theo and Ms. Mia gave her so much love and helped her transition into a new day care and new city routine . She is now excelling in the waddlers room and learning so many new things. It can be hard to drop your child off at day care but we can go to work and trust that our daughter is happy, thriving and safe . We are so thankful for the peace of mind we get with the UCC. read more

My son has been in this daycare since he was 3 yrs old. Now he is graduating from PreK, and going to KDG, I saw my son growing up here from a little baby boy to a 5 yr old boy who is so proud of himself. The preschool and preK teachers in my son's classroom are so amazing. They are professionals, and really know how to teach kids. My son loves all the teachers, and loves his classroom, and friends there. The teachers are my son's friends, and they are always so nice to my son. Every morning, when I drop off my son, the first thing my son does is to talk to his teacher about some news, or any topics he wants to share with his friends there. My son has been learning a lot here. They have daily, weekly, monthly projects here. Kids are really learning when they are playing. They learned so much here, like how to write and draw a thank you card, how to talk to other kids kindly, how to share. Kids here have opportunities to learn reading, writing, painting, cooking, math and science, and developing all kinds of skills. There are always so many fun activities going on there through the years. My son is really enjoy the time here. The most important thing, kids here build up so much confidence with time going on, and learn how to get along with the other kids, even with the grownups. They will be future smart and confident decision-makers I am pretty sure. I feel like 5 stars here are not enough, there should be 10 stars, or 100 stars to stand for how much appreciation I have for UCC teachers, and the whole group of staff these years. I highly recommend this daycare, as always. read more

To be transparent, my family does not have experience with any other day care center, but we are completely happy with UCC and have been since our daughter began attending at 12 weeks of age more than two years ago. The staff and teachers have always been very caring, loving and helpful to our daughter and she has thrived in their care. Personally, I have greatly appreciated the independence they foster, as well as the educational components of the curriculum while not losing sight of the importance of play. Is UCC perfect? No. Why not? Because the staff and teachers are humans. I know our daughter is safe and secure while at 'school' each day. I know that the teachers and staff are readily available to handle issues and answers questions when they arise. I highly recommend UCC for your consideration. read more

Okay parents your worries are over!! My nanny quit on short notice. This daycare was a blessing from heaven. My baby learned more from his teacher Ms Roma in one month. All of the teachers are wonderful! They truly love their students! I really believe that you will be happy here! read more

We have two children that attend UCC. My son has been there for over 4 years and my daughter has been there for almost 2. When you are looking for child care, it is such a scary task. And I feel so blessed every day that I found this place. I never worry about whether or not they are being cared for, because I know they are in the best, loving environment I could ask for. Each day at drop off they literally run into their room and I have to seek them out to get a goodbye, they could care less that I am leaving. They LOVE going to school. And it's much more than just child care. The educational curriculum is top notch. My daughter was counting to ten in English and Spanish before she was two and knows all of her letters. My son is already reading and gets an extra boost through their extra phonics program. All of the teachers and staff are so professional and just absolutely wonderful. My only complaint is that we have to leave for Kindergarten. I wish they could stay there until college!!!! read more

Love Edgewater Early learning center my family has been going there for years! My daughter and her cousins attend the school. The teachers are caring and attentive. My daughter is learning new things all the time and will be well prepared for Kindergarten. read more

Aside from being overpriced at $447/week (the Northwestern University supposed discounted price), this place is by far the worst place for many reasons. First, the pay for the instructors is completely unacceptable at ~$10-$12/hour which has led to too much staff turnover during the two months that my 1 year old had been there. In the meantime, management is completely useless as they are too busy setting up stupid webinars and center calendar e-mails while not adequately overseeing the center. For example, rather than monitoring the center after the big weekend rainstorm in July 2011 (which knocked out power to a big chunk of the Chicago area), management sent out an e-mail at 7:31 the following Monday morning saying that the center was open but might have to close, then a couple of hours later, I received a call in the middle of a client meeting saying that the center is closing. As another example, rather than making sure that the ants in my child's room as were taken care of, my wife found an open liquid ant trap with none of the instructors or management even caring to notice. I have the pictures to prove this too. In the meantime, every time my wife or I peek through the window during the middle of the day to take a look at our child, we see the instructors talking among themselves and not attending to crying babies. After noticing one of us do they then act like they are doing their job. In addition, after my child got bitten by another child, they did not call as they are required to to notify us of the incident. All this while they are feeding the kids cheap canned fruit and crackers as snacks along with high sodium foods such as pizza for lunch. My child was happy at first when starting here, but we found it odd that she started crying more as we dropped her off there. After also noticing how relatively roughly they handle diaper changes and cleanings (if food is caked in kids' hair), I am not surprised. I normally never put in reviews on anything, but felt compelled enough to let others know what they are getting into if they choose to send their child here. read more

If you are thinking about applying here, or sending your child(ren) to this center, do not. Please. You will be wasting your time and money. To start, the teachers are very hard working but are highly over-worked, rarely get bathroom breaks (going an hour or more without one, when needed), their needs are not met, supply orders are here and there, and they are simply tired. The amazing teachers that are and were working there, are planning their exit and the others have already moved on to much better opportunities. Management could TRULY care less about the staff, and ultimately the families. Private business is discussed out in the open at the front desk, emails were constantly left open on the computers, multiple laptops have been stolen (very odd that it happened more than once in a year...), money has been stolen from the front desk as well, the director has an excellent way of making parents feel bad or worthless when they came to "complain" or make a comment or a suggestion......it's all about the money. $$$$$$$. Children and families are seen as dollar signs, and not actual human beings with emotions, feelings, thoughts, ideas...etc. Communication lacked in every department, management being at the head of it all. Teachers are constantly put in a position to say "I don't know...but you can talk to management"...who was rarely in the office (too busy running around avoiding parents and their concerns). Tuition was recently raised with very short warning, many dedicated and amazing teachers have recently gone, and the place is surely going down hill.....DO NOT. Just don't. OH. And something tells me that taking more than a week to "investigate" reports of a teacher spanking a child, is a week too long. This woman was given time to "resign" and was hired at another center days later. The parents were never notified that their child was a part of an investigation or that the teacher had left because of this incident. Again, DONT. read more

UCC provided my older son's daycare from the age of 2 years until 5 years before he started kindergarten. And for my younger son from age 2 months until nearly 9 months old. The only reason my younger son is no longer at UCC is because we are moving out of the area. I can honestly say, I have been so happy and blown away by the care my boys received at UCC. My older son's teachers were excellent and he was very well prepared for starting kindergarten in terms of knowledge. But I would note that more importantly, he was well prepared socially for starting kindergarten. He is able to work things out with his friends and behaves well. My younger son had the most LOVING "teachers," and I nearly cried on my son's last day. He loved them. I loved them. Yes, there is some turn over of teachers, but I think that is normal in a daycare setting - with some teachers moving on to other opportunities or moving geographically. That being said, most teachers seem happy and engaged as well as caring & loving to all the kids. Case in point, my older son said his FAVORITE teacher ever was his teacher he had in toddlers room, who eventually moved to the pre-k classroom with him at UCC. In summary, we sincerely miss UCC and I cannot recommend it enough. read more

Love the UCC! The staff are kind, and I genuinely think they love my kids. Lots of enrichment activities. Love the cirriculum. We've been here for a year with our son, and soon our daughter will join her big brother going to "school." read more

My son currently attends this school. I think it just "ok". He has been there since September 2011 and less than a year my husband and I are looking for an alternative daycare. The place appears clean and a lot of remodeling is currently being done. However, advancing in academic is far less important in their mission. A lot of fluff.... Food is not so great. They don't serve fresh fruits and vegetables. They serve the high sodium contents. Overall, I would not recommend sending anyone there unless you have no options like my husband and I did. Most of the teachers are ok. read more

I am still in the process of removing my child from this place. The construction is getting worst by the day, now they are not allowing my child proper rest, that's clearly a NAECY guideline violation. They are taking my son to gym during nap time, my son is a sleeper, but ever since he found out he can go play, instead of sleeping, he's been taking full advantage of it, and not getting his proper rest. The teachers seem to be confused why management made this decision without talking to them first and why think this is a great idea, which show that teachers don't have any voice when it come to what work for their individual class room. This center violate every code of conduct imaginable and got everybody blinded by the appearance and all of the extra curriculum that they Claim they have in place. The classes that you don't have to pay for never happens. Like Active adventures. The extra classes I do pay for isn't being taught in the classroom that I visited, but being held in the hallway and near a janitor closet. I am a single parent and I feel like I'm getting ripped off. All I get is a boat load of emails about things I'm not interested in, while my child teacher has an attitude because she's been waiting to get a potty break for 30 minutes. This place need to focus more on quality care, and appreciating and valuing their amazing teachers that's being mistreated. I personally spoke to over 5 teachers and 1 out of 5 say that "it's ok" working here, but she was new to the company. One of the teachers didn't even respond, but had a frustration look her face. Someone need to see beyond the director phony smile, and sell pitch and realize her decisions are unethically and not fully thought out. Muffins with Mom was a disaster, not one of my child's teachers were present and it was not held in my child's classroom like every other child. They just bought muffins and juice to grab on your way out, and I took off work for that. Wake up parents, you are being blinded and ripped off, talk to your child or their teachers, those daily sheets are a cover up of what their day was really like. read more