Helen Lucy Child Care INC.

The staff at Helen Lucy are really sweet and you can tell they care about the kids, but the communication on the health side is a little hit or miss. I feel like whenever a bug is going around the classroom, we don't always get a heads-up until my kid is already coming home with a fever. It’s a typical small daycare setup—usually pretty clean, but the kids are definitely on top of each other which doesn't help with germs. I wish they were a bit stricter with the sick-child policy because it feels like there's always a lingering cough in the room. It's an okay spot if you need local care, but you'll definitely be dealing with the usual daycare plagues pretty often.

Honestly, Helen Lucy has been a solid choice for us in Norwood Park. The place is always looking clean when I drop off my son, and they don't have that weird 'stale' smell some daycares get, you know? They’re pretty strict about the 24-hour fever-free rule, which can be a pain when you have to miss work, but it definitely keeps the revolving door of stomach bugs in check. Communication about things like hand-foot-and-mouth going around is usually pretty fast via text or email, so I appreciate the heads-up to watch for symptoms! Only downside is the outdoor play area is a bit small, but they make it work for the kids.