Dutch Moving to Chicago - Looking for Chilcare in Lincoln Park

Hi J.,

Welcome to Chicago! The name for what you are looking for is usually referred to as "childcare" or "daycare" here. I can recommend a wonderful one, but I wonder if it's a little too far from Lincoln Park (about 4-5 miles). It's called Happy Face Child Care, and it's run by a woman named Felice Levin in her home. She kept my daughter for her first 3 years and is everything you'd want in a child care professional. She has approximately 12 children and 3 other full-time employees; her whole basement is converted for her business. I happen to know she has an opening right now. Her address is 1951 W. Berwyn, and her phone number is ###-###-####, email is ____@____.com. Unfortunately the US falls far behind most industrialized nations in the availability of quality childcare, so you may find it challenging to find a spot. Some parents share a babysitter in their homes, so 2 or 3 kids can play together. I wish you the best of luck!

S.

Try www.naeyc.org - it is the National Association for the Education of Young Children and is an accreditation body with high standards and expectations for child care facilities. You can enter your ZIP code and search for NAEYC centers nearby. Only about 10% of child care facilities nationwide receive this honor. At the very least, this will give you some options to explore and places to visit to see if they meet your approval. Good luck!

Hi J.!

Welcome to Chicago!! My son is more than likely going to be starting Chalk Preschool in LP this fall. (If the daycare facility is for children under 2 year olds it is normally called daycare - over 2 it is often called preschool). I really liked the school when I visited and am excited for him to attend. Your child would need to be 2 to go to Chalk but I believe they have a waiting list so it is something you might consider for the future. http://www.chalkpreschool.com/clihome.html My friend's daughter went to Kindercare in LP and was pretty happy with it. http://www.kindercare.com/our-centers/center-details/3017.... I am sorry I don't know about any more facilities but I do know that lots of places often have waiting lists. If you need in home care in the mean time - sittercity.com is a great resource.

I have a good friend that married a Dutch guy and now lives in Naarden. We love to visit Holland! It is so pretty there. I hope you all love Chicago too!

Thanks!
M.

I have heard a lot of good feedback about LP Prep School. They have 2 locations in LP area. This school is for kids 2 yo and older. You can enroll your part-time. Drawbacks - it is expensive and has long waiting list.
http://www.lincolnparkpreschool.com/

And welcome to Chicago!

Hi J.,

Good luck with your move, and welcome to Chicago! My sons are in a wonderful daycare, Creme de la Creme. They are opening a Lincoln Park location this month, but there aren't any part-time options until your son is in the 2-yr old program. You can still bring him less than 5 days/wk, but you'll still have to pay for full-time.

J.,
Our family loved Chalk preschool (we have since moved to the suburbs). I think the children have to be 2 years old when they start, but it's not too far off and it's definitely worth a look!

Hello J.,

This is somewhat out of your area, in West Loop, but if you don't mind driving 10-15 minutes, it's definitely worth taking a look at.

This is the first eco-friendly school in chicago - all the meals served to children are organic; all the toys are made from natural, harmless to children materials. The staff is phenomenal with highly qualified teachers.

Check them out here:

www.littlegreentreehouse.com

Good luck!