Easter Seals

Being a new parent and searching for childcare was not a fun task. We looked at all types of places from very pricey to no way will I send my child here. Easters Seals was amazing! They were very kind, patient and helpful. At first I thought, boy they need a lot of notes for my son’s file for creams, etc but realized it was to cover themselves. My son started here when he was 6 months old to 18 months because we sadly had to leave because we moved to the suburbs. I even drove him into the city to still go to Easter Seals but that became too much for us. On his last day I cried as they gave him gifts because they would miss him so much. I still talk to my son about Ms. Luz and he smiles.
We are at a new childcare in the suburbs which is fine but not even comparable to Easter Seals. They clean the toys every night, teach good hygiene with washing hands before/​after eating and after changing the babies diapers. They spoke Spanish to my son which was a bonus! He started to learn a few words here and there which was amazing.
If you live in the area and you are looking for a childcare, this is the place! The staff loves your child as if they are their own. We miss you!

Gilchrist-​Marchman preschool was recommended by a CPS counselor for our four year old son, who was diagnosed with Autism. They accept children with special needs, so we thought they may be a good option.
I attempted to contact Morayma Cancel, the interim director, and received no response to emails or phone calls. I then attempted to contact Greg O’Brien, who is in charge of admissions, and again got no response. After continued attempts to contact them, I was finally able to schedule a tour with Mr. O’Brien.
I took the tour and placed my son’s name on the waiting list in May 2013. At that time, Mr. O’Brien told me they would likely have openings in August. He also asked me to contact him in July for an update.
In early July, I sent him an email asking if we were still on-​track for August admission. I got no response. After follow-​up emails and phone calls, I was finally able to reach Morayma Cancel in early August. She told me she would look into whether our son would be admitted and call me back that same day.
She didn’t call back that day or the next. She didn’t respond to my emails, so I started trying to get through to anybody there. I found out Ms. Cancel had gone on vacation.
I tried contacting others at the center, but didn’t have any luck. Finally, Ms. Cancel did email me to tell me that they would *not* have room for our son.
In total, I tried to contact the following people: Morayma Cancel, Gregory O’Brien, Jayashree Rao, and Delores Nickel. Most of my emails and phone messages went completely unanswered. It was only after significant effort that I was able to get any response from anybody at Gilchrist Marchman.
Given the unresponsiveness of the staff and poor communication, I can’t recommend Gilchrist Marchman. If you have any choice, don’t even bother with them.