Children's Lighthouse of Chicago - North Center Chicago

Reviews

• TG

  Tom George

  Apr 23, 2026
  5.0
  The best daycare in the area- the facilities are great and the teachers are all amazing and treat our kid with care. We can’t say enough positive things about this place.
• AM

  Ashlea Monti

  Feb 23, 2024
  5.0
  We have been at children’s lighthouse for years and couldn’t be happier. The teachers are so caring and have taught our kids to be prepared for elementary school. We highly recommend!
• NF

  Nicholas Frisch

  Jul 29, 2022
  1.0
  Unfortunately we had a very poor experience with Children's Lighthouse, specifically the young toddler room. We were attracted by the good reviews, large space, indoor gym, close proximity to our home, etc. It is my assumption now that many of these good reviews are simply from parents who have never experienced another daycare. Or maybe the older child classrooms are better. I can only speak to our brief ~1 month enrollment before we pulled our daughter out. We had moved to North Center so this was our 2nd daycare experience. Our 1st (and 3rd) daycares have been phenomenal. Our daughter was a bit young for the toddler classroom, wasn't walking like the other kids yet, and had separation anxiety issues so we remained patient and knew it would be tough at first but there was too much to overlook. Overall negative demeanor of the facility staff was palpable. Not once at pick up or drop off were we ever greeted with a smile or hello by the front desk staff. My wife and I went out of our way to engage them each time and I don't think any of them ever learned our names in a month. And even worse, every single time we were at the front desk there were teachers or staff from various classrooms openly complaining about problems they were having in their rooms. On one occasion, a staff member was loudly telling a parent how they had gone to the bday party of a child "that was a huge brat." Older kids running in the halls yelling and not listening to teachers. Hygiene was a big issue. The first day we thought it was a fluke, but we quickly realized that every single day our daughter would come home filthy. Soiled clothes, food all over her face, food in her hair, one day her diaper was put on incorrectly (how is that even possible??). Never an apology by staff or any attempt to clean her up. She's been in daycare since she was 4 months and of course has something seemingly every other week. Snotty nose, RSV, croup, GI bugs, even covid, etc. But after one week at Lighthouse she was the most violently ill will a GI bug that she has ever been in 1.5 years. As our concerns grew, we started watching the live feed cameras all the time. Never saw any attempt at hand washing or cleaning with the kids. Multiple kids taking our daughters food and drinking from her bottles. Witnessed our daughter crying on the floor multiple times with staff simply stepping over her and ignoring her. Witnessed staff (on camera and in person right in front of me), yanking toddlers by the arms. Other than very brief time spent sitting on the floor trying to read a book, there were no projects or educational activities. Lighthouse touted "organic meals and snacks" which we learned were daily nutrigrain bars, handfuls of plain tortilla chips, and vegan paste (???). We were given the wrong child's clothing or bottles on a weekly basis. Thankfully we were able to find another daycare nearby and our daughter's experience was immediately night and day different. Actual loving attention that has allowed her to flourish and she is actually giggling and happy to go to school instead of crying. My wife and I chalked it up to bad experience and not the right fit and never planned to leave a negative review until now. Months after leaving, we continue to receive advertisement flyers in the mail encouraging us to become franchise owners of our very own Lighthouse facility! These are just a sample of the direct bullet points from their flyer: - Average gross revenue $1,507,797 - No nights, weekends, or childcare experience needed - Recession resistant & essential industry - Recurring revenue + hidden expansion opportunities - $57 billion industry, growing 9% in 5 years If you are taking the time to read these reviews and you live in the north chicago area, please, I encourage you to explore the numerous daycare and school opportunities that surround you. Many that will take tremendous care of your little one and actually make an effort to engage and educate them. Not simply cut corners like a bad franchise restaurant to maximize profit.
• MW

  Melissa Wasielewski

  Feb 6, 2019
  5.0
  They are educational! My children are smarter, more interactive, and happier because of Children's Lighthouse! The experiences they have cannot be recreated at home. They are growing into better kids both mentally and physically because of the curriculum. More, the staff genuinely loves my kids. I could not ask for a better home away from home for them. We love you, Children's Lighthouse!

Frequently Asked Questions About Children's Lighthouse of Chicago - North Center Chicago