First Steps of Learning Centers

We're so happy with our daycare. Our daughter has loved it from her very first day, and she's always excited about the activities. A real highlight for us was the Christmas show; for a child just under three, she joined in the songs with such focus and joy. It was heartwarming to later realize her little song requests at home were her way of practicing. The staff have been truly wonderful. Overall, it's been a fantastic start!

I really love and appreciate the State of Illinois Child Development Center. It has been a great experience for my son. He was basically non verbal when he began going to the center, now his speech has definitely improved (I can’t get him to be quiet anymore.. lol) that now he knows all of his colors, ABC’s, weekdays and can count to 100. To Ms. K, Ms. Jackee, Ms. Sarah, Ms. Tasha Ms. Candice and Ms. Charmaine and anyone else that plays a role in his day to day at school, I appreciate you all!!! Thanks.

As a first-time mom, I was initially nervous about putting my son in daycare. After visiting several places, I knew right away that this was the right fit when I met Ms.Charmaine. Her warm and comforting spirit immediately put me at ease. I absolutely love walking into the red and yellow group because of the friendly greetings from both the staff and the children. My son is in the yellow group, and I can’t say enough wonderful things about Ms. Hope and Ms. Krystan. As an educator myself, I wouldn’t trust him with anyone else. Their patience, care, and dedication to his well-being and development are unmatched. Ms. Hope often provides me with guidance, wisdom, and words of encouragement, which I deeply value. Ms. Krystan goes above and beyond, sending me pictures throughout the day, and my son absolutely adores her! I couldn’t have asked for a better support system to help raise our son.

Five stars for us! ⭐️ Being the first daycare for my son that was turning 2 I was hoping to find a place where I would feel safe leaving him for long periods of time. Upon our visit I was happy with the levels of security provided here at the State of Illinois building. Second of all, the director, Ms. Charmaine, is someone you would want to work with because she is so professional and friendly. This was all new to me as a first time parent so being able to text and ask her questions and have that direct communication with her made such a huge difference. After coming here for almost 6 months I have nothing but great things to say. My son was able to start as soon as he turned 2. It took him a month to adjust and the teachers were all so caring and patient with him. What I appreciate the most is being able to be in the know of how his day went. I love seeing pictures of the cool activities and how much playing and learning they did throughout the day. He has learned so much since the day he started. My son learned to talk, count, and sing so many different songs. He has also made so many friends. For me, being able to have that friendly relationship with all the teachers at this school is such a blessing as well. It gives me reassurance that all the kids will be taken care of by them in a safe, loving, and welcoming environment. I highly recommend this school.

We love love love this childcare center. From the first time I spoke with Charmaine, she was warm and welcoming. We were able to tour the facility, meet the teachers got a very good feel for what a day would look like for my little one. We felt it would be a good fit and enrolled our little one. This was their first time in childcare and we had lots of questions. Charmaine answered each one in a timely fashion and we never felt as if we were annoying her. Charmaine and her staff were very helpful with setting expectations and helping our child transition from home care to the classroom setting. Our child has been here for about two months and now they run to interact with their teachers and classmates when we drop off. Ms. Angel and Ms. Krystan are so very caring and have no issue with chatting with us when we have questions. I do appreciate how they are always willing to help our little one transition into the classroom and how patient and kind they are. Our child’s social skills have increased exponentially and they are doing more and more new things each day. Of note, our little one has developmental delays and this did not shake Charmaine, nor any of the teachers. They are true educators and we are grateful we found them and trust our little one fully with them. The icing on the cake is how affordable it is even though it is in the heart of downtown Chicago and the closures are state holidays only. We are both in the banking industry and switched jobs this year before we lost a major pillar of our support system, so it was important to not have to deal with daycare closing for weeks at a time, because unfortunately we still have to work and have limited family support. If you were looking for a sign to enroll your little one, take this as the sign to do it.