Centro Nuestro Child Development Center

My toddler has been at Centro Nuestro for about six months and honestly, I'm really happy with the health vibe there. Since they are NAEYC accredited and part of the Early Head Start network, they actually have to follow pretty strict sanitation and safety rules compared to some of the smaller home daycares I looked at. The space always smells clean when I walk in, and I haven't seen the 'permanent' layer of dust you sometimes find in older buildings in Humboldt Park. They are also super inclusive of kids with special medical needs, which tells me the staff actually pays attention and isn't just overwhelmed. My only real gripe is that communication about when a bug is going around the classroom can be a little slow sometimes—I've definitely received the 'heads up' email a day after my kid already came home with the sniffles. But overall, for a city daycare, they do a great job keeping things healthy and making sure the kids are well-fed and active.

My little one has been at Centro Nuestro for about six months now and honestly, I've been happy with how they handle the usual daycare germs. The center stays pretty clean and I always see the staff wiping down toys and surfaces when I drop off in the morning. They’re super strict about sending kids home if they have a fever or a weird cough, which can be annoying when you have to leave work, but I appreciate that it keeps the whole class from getting sick at the same time. The communication is good too—they usually send home a note or tell us at pickup if something like hand, foot, and mouth is going around the neighborhood. It’s a solid local spot and I feel like they actually care about the kids staying healthy.