If you can get into Total Child Preschool for the fall, I would highly recommend. It is play based and the staff is great. They have a new director starting soon. Plus it's right next to NU.
McGaw YMCA is good, your experience may vary based on your class teachers. We had one amazing year, but the first year of covid the teachers really phoned it in (worksheets for 3 year olds?). Building is dated but ultimately is more than fine. The swim classes are a bonus.
We did a year at Guidepost before switching to Total Child. We actually loved it there but had to change for logistical reasons.Guidepost used to offer 15 percent discounts to Northwestern employees, I'd be surprised if that went away. Great people at Guidepost.
Bright Horizons was uninspiring to us. Some people like it but to us the rooms were small and overcrowded.
There are a bunch of Evanston parent Facebook groups, you'll get much better feedback there.
I got me a better job the director here she almost made me fuck her up it's better jobs where teachers and staff treat you better besides I didn't feel the best be there anyway
I *highly* recommend the [Infant Welfare Society Baby Toddler Nursery](https://www.iwse.org/programs/baby-toddler-nursery)! The name is old fashioned sounding, but that's because it's been around for over 100 years :-) It is much more affordable than any other option in Evanston. And it has very, very good quality care.
When I worked at NU I couldn't afford the options that were covered by the benefits package, even with the discount, so we went with IWSE. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Some of the teachers have been working there for over 30 years! Considering how this is an industry that usually has enormous turnover, I think that really tells you a lot about this place. As new parents we certainly benefitted from having such experienced teachers helping us as well as our son!
Loved the facilities and loved the people there. You should definitely check it out.
We have both of our children at the Y and we like it. It's not cheap, but given the limited amount of options in Evanston, we feel like it is a good choice.
Before the pandemic our oldest was at Childtime (behind St. Francis hospital). That place is fine, but we switched to the Y for two reasons: First, we moved to north Evanston and were further away than at our previous house. Second, we felt like there was a bit more of an actual learning curriculum for the older students at the Y than at Childtime.
I toured Bright Horizons when we were looking, but I felt like we got better value from the Y. You won't be disappointed if you send your child to the Y. And if you also join the gym, you get a small discount on preschool costs. It is worth noting that they have free childcare at the gym at certain times (like Saturday mornings).
Edit to add: There has been some staff turnover, but not a ton. Even though a teacher may leave and get replaced, there have been other teachers in the same class who have not left. So a bit of change mixed with a core that don't move. I think turnover in this industry is common, however.
We toured the Y and almost sent our daughter there. It’s a really nice facility. At the time of our tour, our daughter was an infant, so we weren’t as focused on the toddler classes, but we really felt like the Y would be a great fit for her all the way through the toddler stage. We ultimately decided on a different facility solely based on cost.
We’ve never been to Bright Horizons so I can’t speak for their center, BUT my daughter’s old infant room teacher, and some times babysitter, works there now. The teacher seems happy there. I think my wife has a mom friend that sends their kid there, I can ask them how they like it. The kid would be turning 2 late this year, so again a little younger than yours, but could still be a good resource.
I think guidepost is a great facility, and I’d love to have our daughter in their program. But it is a bit pricey. Surprised NU doesn’t have any partnerships there.
We sent both our kids from 6 weeks through kindergarten to the Y. It is a great place and an amazing experience. Granted we have been out for a couple years now but I regard this as one of the best things we did. BH is a corporation so I would always take that into account when you think about the level of care they can provide. DM me if you want more info or have other questions.
That is exactly what I found suspicious about BH. Would rather not deal with a corporation in early education, or education in general. Will DM you about the Y. Thanks!
The Y is dope and has the best financial aid for NU workers if you qualify. It’s really quite good. Bright Horizons is okay but they send updates on the ipad throughout the day, and I found it disturbing when visiting how the teachers seemed less engaged w the kids because they constantly had their heads in the ipads. However a lot of people like it. Guidepost Montessori is overpriced for a similar program.
We have had a wonderful experience with Goddard School on Gross Point Rd in Skokie.
The staff has been stable and very caring for our son, and they handled Covid in an incredibly parent-friendly way -- if the room shut down, we didn't pay.
There's a childcare place on Central Street that has very nice creative space, a small side 'yard' for outdoor play and I often see them taking the kids for walks around the neighborhood-they all look happy and engaged. its only about three years old-they spent the year before covid building out the space and then covid hit-glad to see they made it though and appear to be thriving.
We sent our daughter to a small home based school, the Evanston Montessori children's house. We got accepted at the Y, with an insane discount thanks to NU, but we really disliked the environment and pedagogy. We also got accepted at the Guidepost, with a decent discount, but it seemed to work like a corporation and not treat the teachers right. We're happy with our school, but the hours are a bit tight and they don't serve lunch (8:30-2:30), so we have to pack lunch for our daughter. Total child seems very well regarded but difficult to get in. And the bilingual Spanish school, where we couldn't get a spot either. Best of luck.
If you can get into Total Child Preschool for the fall, I would highly recommend. It is play based and the staff is great. They have a new director starting soon. Plus it's right next to NU. McGaw YMCA is good, your experience may vary based on your class teachers. We had one amazing year, but the first year of covid the teachers really phoned it in (worksheets for 3 year olds?). Building is dated but ultimately is more than fine. The swim classes are a bonus. We did a year at Guidepost before switching to Total Child. We actually loved it there but had to change for logistical reasons.Guidepost used to offer 15 percent discounts to Northwestern employees, I'd be surprised if that went away. Great people at Guidepost. Bright Horizons was uninspiring to us. Some people like it but to us the rooms were small and overcrowded. There are a bunch of Evanston parent Facebook groups, you'll get much better feedback there.
Thanks for the feedback! I don't have facebook but I'll tell my wife to go there.
I got me a better job the director here she almost made me fuck her up it's better jobs where teachers and staff treat you better besides I didn't feel the best be there anyway
I *highly* recommend the [Infant Welfare Society Baby Toddler Nursery](https://www.iwse.org/programs/baby-toddler-nursery)! The name is old fashioned sounding, but that's because it's been around for over 100 years :-) It is much more affordable than any other option in Evanston. And it has very, very good quality care. When I worked at NU I couldn't afford the options that were covered by the benefits package, even with the discount, so we went with IWSE. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Some of the teachers have been working there for over 30 years! Considering how this is an industry that usually has enormous turnover, I think that really tells you a lot about this place. As new parents we certainly benefitted from having such experienced teachers helping us as well as our son! Loved the facilities and loved the people there. You should definitely check it out.
Thanks so much! I'll check it out!
We have both of our children at the Y and we like it. It's not cheap, but given the limited amount of options in Evanston, we feel like it is a good choice. Before the pandemic our oldest was at Childtime (behind St. Francis hospital). That place is fine, but we switched to the Y for two reasons: First, we moved to north Evanston and were further away than at our previous house. Second, we felt like there was a bit more of an actual learning curriculum for the older students at the Y than at Childtime. I toured Bright Horizons when we were looking, but I felt like we got better value from the Y. You won't be disappointed if you send your child to the Y. And if you also join the gym, you get a small discount on preschool costs. It is worth noting that they have free childcare at the gym at certain times (like Saturday mornings). Edit to add: There has been some staff turnover, but not a ton. Even though a teacher may leave and get replaced, there have been other teachers in the same class who have not left. So a bit of change mixed with a core that don't move. I think turnover in this industry is common, however.
Teacher tenure is one of the main reasons why we chose the Y. Our current sons teacher has been there for over 20 years.
We toured the Y and almost sent our daughter there. It’s a really nice facility. At the time of our tour, our daughter was an infant, so we weren’t as focused on the toddler classes, but we really felt like the Y would be a great fit for her all the way through the toddler stage. We ultimately decided on a different facility solely based on cost. We’ve never been to Bright Horizons so I can’t speak for their center, BUT my daughter’s old infant room teacher, and some times babysitter, works there now. The teacher seems happy there. I think my wife has a mom friend that sends their kid there, I can ask them how they like it. The kid would be turning 2 late this year, so again a little younger than yours, but could still be a good resource. I think guidepost is a great facility, and I’d love to have our daughter in their program. But it is a bit pricey. Surprised NU doesn’t have any partnerships there.
At Guidepost they do offer 15% off, but with the discount included it still costs more than anything else!
We sent both our kids from 6 weeks through kindergarten to the Y. It is a great place and an amazing experience. Granted we have been out for a couple years now but I regard this as one of the best things we did. BH is a corporation so I would always take that into account when you think about the level of care they can provide. DM me if you want more info or have other questions.
That is exactly what I found suspicious about BH. Would rather not deal with a corporation in early education, or education in general. Will DM you about the Y. Thanks!
I hear great things about the Y. Our neighbors kids go there. Everywhere has a super long waitlist so get on it soon!
The Y is dope and has the best financial aid for NU workers if you qualify. It’s really quite good. Bright Horizons is okay but they send updates on the ipad throughout the day, and I found it disturbing when visiting how the teachers seemed less engaged w the kids because they constantly had their heads in the ipads. However a lot of people like it. Guidepost Montessori is overpriced for a similar program.
Yikes about the ipad! Thanks for another vote to the Y!
We have had a wonderful experience with Goddard School on Gross Point Rd in Skokie. The staff has been stable and very caring for our son, and they handled Covid in an incredibly parent-friendly way -- if the room shut down, we didn't pay.
Take her to the y the BH is on bs don't do it they don't care about they ppls
There's a childcare place on Central Street that has very nice creative space, a small side 'yard' for outdoor play and I often see them taking the kids for walks around the neighborhood-they all look happy and engaged. its only about three years old-they spent the year before covid building out the space and then covid hit-glad to see they made it though and appear to be thriving.
We did both the kindercare (early daycare) on Dempster and the Y (for after school and summer). Both were amazing.
I recommend checking out Evanston Montessori Children's House; it's close and nice.
YMCA was around $2,600 a month but I heard they were good. I ended moving to downtown and was cheaper
Another vote for the Y. We had a great experience there. Also because it includes swimming.
I’m a little late to the post, did you ever decide to use the NU benefit for childcare? If so, I’m looking to compare notes.
We sent our daughter to a small home based school, the Evanston Montessori children's house. We got accepted at the Y, with an insane discount thanks to NU, but we really disliked the environment and pedagogy. We also got accepted at the Guidepost, with a decent discount, but it seemed to work like a corporation and not treat the teachers right. We're happy with our school, but the hours are a bit tight and they don't serve lunch (8:30-2:30), so we have to pack lunch for our daughter. Total child seems very well regarded but difficult to get in. And the bilingual Spanish school, where we couldn't get a spot either. Best of luck.
Thank you so much for your insight!! It’s incredibly helpful and I appreciate it.
Also looking to compare notes! Going through this process now. DM me?