Cornerstone Children’s Learning Center

I continue to be an enormous fan of Cornerstone, and I wanted to post an update that they are in the process of obtaining approval and building out an infant and toddler room that should be open in the Spring of 2016. If you are looking for quality and affordable care for your baby/​kids, do yourself a favor and check this place out. It’s a hidden gem in Chicago.

My son has been attending school here since November 2014. He loves coming to school each day. The teachers are great and engaging and the administrative staff is easy to talk to and work with. Location is great as well and very close to downtown. It definitely feels like a family at CCLC.

I have been taking my children to Cornerstone for 5 years now. The staff is caring and lovable to the children. They do a wonderful job teaching while having fun. My three year old always looks forward to going to school. And my oldest that graduated from there, also likes to attend on CPS holidays. I really enjoy taking my kids there because I know I leave them in good hands. The teachers try their best to teach the kids as much as possible to get them ready for CPS testing. This is truly a wonderful place!

I highly recommend Childtime at Cornerstone. Our almost-​4-​yo has been attending since January of 2014, and he loves it more everyday. All of the highly qualified teachers bring different skills and talents to their classrooms, and they all seem to know every child. We know that when our son moves into the next level, the teachers already know and appreciate him for who he is. The staff members are also highly participatory in the daily activities and the children love them all. Everyone is so patient and kind. We have all learned so much from being members of this community!
One of the greatest values of being at Childtime at Cornerstone is that it is truly diverse. Our son gets to learn how to be with and respect all kinds of folks from different countries and backgrounds. That is a rare and treasured experience.

What a great childcare and education facility. The teachers and staff all work closely together and the vibe is very welcoming and kind as a result. My very attached three year old had a rough transition at first, but with the care and kindness of all the teachers at cclc she truly thrived. The hours and drop off /​pick up times are very flexible and would be great for most working families. I would frequently drop off around 7:30 am and there is always a dedicated care provider available to engage and interact with the children until the ‘school day’ starts. A huge bonus is the serving of breakfast, lunch, and a snack. I can’t say enough good things about the staff — every person from the food preparer to office staff to teachers to the director was kind and engaged and made a positive impact on my daughter. Highly recommended.

I highly recommend Cornerstone Daycare! My 35 month old daughter receives nurturing care from her awesome team of two year old room teachers (ms. Vanessa, ms. Sandy, ms. Danika and mr. Jeff). I appreciate the diversity of both staff and students there. My daughter had learnt so much and enjoys going to daycare daily! It puts this working mom at ease.

I have sent my two kids to the children center on Wells street, and seeing them happy is a good measure of the center’s success in educating and keeping kids interested and in a constant learning path. The teachers are friendly, loving, sociable, and very caring with each and every kid that I know at the center. Also, it is the most culturally diverse place that I know. My kids interact with people of all cultures, which makes it even more exciting. One thing to point out is my 4-​year old kid does not want to leave at the end of the day, which is also a good measure of the center’s environment. This is my son’s last year and I am very thankful in life that I found an affordable place to take care of my kid and educate him while I was busy at work. I highly recommend this place. Giulio Pedota

Just wanted to second Janine’s thorough review. We’ve had two kids at Cornerstone/​Childtime over the past eight years and we really loved the teachers and vibe, as well as both the curricular and extracurricular activities. Special kudos to Ms. Marsha and Ms. Cicely for their loving care and in-​depth nature activities!

My son currently attends Cornerstone and he has been there for two years. I, like the other reviewers had been researching day cares in my work area. I was not impressed with any of them. I then found Cornerstone online and I really liked the fact that all the teachers wear a uniform top. I think that it is more professional and the children know who the teachers are. My husband, child and I went to their open house and right away I knew this was the perfect place for my son, clean, spacious and friendly environment. They did not have an opening at the time, in the 2 year old room, but Ms. Kristina was excellent in making this happen as soon as possible. This will be my sons last year there because he will start kindergarten in September and I will truly miss the great teachers and staff members. His teachers are always letting me know how things are going and I can talk to them anytime. They have a great learning program, great teachers and staff. Also my son loves the cooked lunches (he said I can’t cook like the lunch lady). I would recommend them to anyone looking for a great Day Care Center.

Cornerstone Children’s Learning Center is one of Chicago’s hidden gems. My daughter has been attending for over a year and a half, and we have loved it. I was reticent at first to put her in a group child care environment after the positive experiences we had had with nanny and babysitters for her first three years of life, but our schedule and geographic needs demanded it. It took my daughter a couple of weeks to adjust to not being the sole center of attention, but once she did, she blossomed. Her teacher at the time, Ms. Anila, did an incredible job of creating a structured and happy classroom environment that balanced learning with fun. She got to know children as individuals and developed relationships such that each child felt that they were her special favorite. Ms. Anila is great, but she is not alone – all of the teachers my daughter has had – Ms. Cicely, Ms. Sandra, Ms. Emily, Ms. Par, and Ms. Keisha – go out of their way to build strong relationships with children and parents. I always have felt that I am working in partnership with the classroom teachers on my daughter’s goals.
Other reasons why I love CCLC:
* It’s a diverse, truly international community. There is a great balance of Asian, Hispanic, White, and Black students. In fact, 18 separate first languages other than English are spoken in the homes of CCLC families. The school also boasts great ethnic and religious diversity (families claim 23 different ethnic identities, from nearly all continents).
* It’s affordable. At $ 240 per week for 3 – 5 year-​olds (and $ 5 more for 2-​year-​olds), this is one of the most affordable schools in the area. This is in large part because the school operates as a Not-​For-​Profit organization in association with nearby LaSalle Street Church. While many families pay full tuition, the school budget allows for scholarships to support those families who demonstrate additional need. Tuition includes Spanish classes with Language Stars as well as Bobby Bear Fun & Fitness classes (which my daughter LOVES) every week.
* It’s a great community. The kids enjoy each other, and they get along. Likewise, there is a strong camaraderie among parents. My daughter doesn’t come with bullying or «bad boy» stories from class. This is a positive environment. In August, I hosted a birthday party off-​site, and most of my daughter’s class was able to attend – an inadvertently HUGE party (25 + young kids). At the end of the party, the hosts of the venue made a point of mentioning how impressed they were at how well everyone shared and got along. I think this is because of how teachers carefully cultivate cooperation and conflict resolution skills (working to develop that social-​emotional intelligence that is so important at this age!), such that children use them even when they are apart from the teachers.
* The facility is great. I have been in many day care centers that feel depressing to me. This is a building that I would want to spend time in. With its second floor location (including a roof-​top outdoor playground) and classrooms surrounded with windows, the school gets lots of light. The rooms are color-​coded and organized into inviting play areas.
* I like the curriculum. The school uses the Regglio-​Emilio — based curriculum adopted by Childtime, its management organization, and has begun implementing the Learning Care System, which actually generates a chart of your child’s progress along 10 or so scales at parent-​teacher conferences, so you can track which skills your child has mastered, and which she will be working on next.
Most families come to CCLC via word of mouth, but I know there are lots more families «out there» who are looking for high quality, affordable preschool/​child care. CCLC is a great option – I know we are going to miss it when my daughter is in Kindergarten next year.