Does Anyone Have Experience with Any of These Day Cares in Lemont

HI--The Lemont Park District Preschool is supposed to be wonderful. A friend of mine lives in Lemont and rants and raves as to how wonderful it is and the teachers are fantastic.

Although I have not personally experienced it, my friend loves it.

My daughter, who just turned 2) went to Mary Sears from August of 2007 until just this past April. I was happy with this center for the most part. I was not happy that they had a fundraiser, which they presented at their "parent/teacher" conferences, which I believe was just a front for the fundraiser instruction session. The reason I stopped sending my daughter there was because she was sick ALL the time. After she had viral pneumonia and was out for 3 weeks, I found out another child had it in her room and attended daycare every day!!! They didn't seem to do such a great job with not allowing sick kids in. I really believe that! Also, I was irritated that they expected to be paid when they closed the school for a snow day, and apparently they only announce on WGN RADIO, not TV. Who listens to the radio while getting ready in the house???? So, all in all, I guess just little annoyances. My daughter's teacher was wonderful and that was great. Director? I didn't really care for him, but he wasn't the one caring for my child really. If you want more, let me know!

I have not taken my kids to any of these but have friends who have attended Kindercare and Mary Sears. My friend whose daughter goes to Kindercare couldn't say enough good things about it. She really liked it. I did visit the facility and thought about taking our kids there but we ended up going to the Kindercare in Orland Park because of bus transportation to the girl's schools. One thing I really like about KC is that it is NAYCE approved. (I think it stands for National Accreditation for Young Child Educators--or something like that) This is a national approval that only a handful of day cares recieve. They have stricter standards than the state for child/adult ratio and have to conform to other more rigid standards. As far as I know, it is the only facility in Lemont with that designation.
Mary Sears---my friend loved the teachers; loved that they had a nurse on staff; wasn't too crazy about the Director; and their kids got sick all the time. The kids getting sick all the time may or may not have been related to the center. I kinda think kids at that age in daycare get sick all the time no matter where they are---but since my kid didn't go there I can't say whether it was a connection to the center or not...she thought it might have been. Good luck on your search.

Happy Hands Methodist Preschool is wonderful. A lot of my family have taken their children there along with some friends' children. they are really great with the kids and do a lot with the family. I would recommend this preschool to anyone.