Kiddie Academy of Arlington Heights

We enrolled our two year old during the Fall/​Winter of 2015 and had a very good experience. We visited multiple centers in the area and found them to either be much more expensive or the facility was much older/​run down. I was a bit hesitant because of Kiddie Academy’s location (strip mall next to X Sport Fitness and Kohl’s), but the inside is actually very spacious and parking was never an issue because of reserved parking for parents right outside of the Kiddie Academy entrance.
What we really liked:
* Each day, a «tadpole» is sent from an iPad — it includes photos of your child during the day, what they ate, and diaper changes
* The caregivers were fantastic. In particular, our son connected quite closely to Ms. Abby, Ms. Julie, and especially Ms. Emily.
* The facility is secured with a computerized login to check in/​out your child with a passcode
* The price was much more reasonable than many of the other facilities in the area (despite being much nicer than most of the other daycares). We really felt like we got a fantastic deal
* They have a monthly calendar of foods (breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc). It’s not a gourmet meal, but it’s nice to see that they’ve taken the time to come up with unique meal options and avoid repeats.
* There’s a clear educational focus that I really liked.
* In the beginning and after Christmas break, our son had a difficult time going back to daycare. We really appreciated that we could call during the day and speak with one of the caregivers in the room to check on our son.
Areas for improvement:
* We would have liked a clearer transition plan for our two year old (moving from the toddler room to the two year old room). Our son turned two in late October, but he really only began transitioning in January. In fairness, he was at home for two weeks during Christmas break. By January, we had planned to have our son stay at home for the spring, so we decided to keep him in the toddler room for the remainder of the month, but it would have been nice for him to transition in November to be challenged intellectually and to be with similarly aged children
* The payment system is easy, but it isn’t directly connected to the check-​in kiosk that shows your balance. It would be nice if everything was automatically connected and up to date as soon as a payment is made.
* Although the toddler room had plenty of toys, we would have liked to have more books that weren’t as beat up. Our son loves to read and it would have been nice to have newer books. The Arlington Heights library frequently has book sales — it might be a good idea for the center to restock with new books in better condition.

I enrolled my 1 year old daughter in August 2015, this seemed like a great place at the time. Tammy (center director) is a good salesperson and says all the right things to make you feel comfortable. My family is vegetarian, so she assured me that they would have plenty of non-​meat protein options to offer. After a week I found out the meat substitute was raisins!!! I was shocked for 2 reasons 1) raisins are not protein (duh) 2) children under 2 should not be fed raisins, this is in the DCFS day care licensing standards. When I questioned Tammy, she said «it depends on the licensing «, which was a lie.
After only 2 weeks, we removed my daughter from this day care. I did not have any confidence in the care she was receiving.
I also did not like that the teachers were constantly on the iPads. They use them to track daily activities, but I felt it was too much exposure for the children.
They also refused to refund the $ 150 enrollment fee, which I felt was unfair due to the circumstances.
I have nothing positive to say about this daycare and I would not recommend it to anyone.

After starting a new job, we needed to find a daycare open past 6pm. We only had a handful to choose from but even without the extended hours, this facility is wonderful.
What I like:
* The infant caregivers are attentive, skilled and caring.
* From the outside it just looks like it’s part of a strip mall, but inside it’s lovely and spacious.
* The facility is very clean and up-​to-​date.
* Security is great. All the parents have a unique entry code and each room has video monitoring (you can not view through the day but it is nice to know it’s being filmed in case something happens$
* There is dedicated parking spots for drop off/​pick up time.
* Owner is trained in child psychology and very involved with day-​to-​day operations
* Director is responsive and professional with a lot of experience.
* My baby seems to like it… He’s well-​rested, well-​fed and happy throughout the day.
* Tadpoles! These are awesome daily reports, photos and videos they send via iPad minis the caregivers have throughout the day. There’s an app for mobile device or you can view online you can see it all in so its all digital and you can keep for your records. They email/​send via the app a report each day. Sooooo helpful and makes me feel like they are paying attention all day long.
* There is a focus on learning and they keep track of your child’s progress and abilities. There’s a curriculum for each age group.
* Menu is good and they take into account allergies. The director said they try to serve as much organic as possible, which is important to us.
* Outdoor area is great with lots of play structures for all ages, water play area, AstroTurf grass and a secure fence for added security
* Polices are safety-​focused.
* Breastfeeding friendly… they know how to pace feed and the difference between heating, storage and shelf-​life of breastmilk vs formula).
* Reasonable tuition (mid-​range for daycares in area).
Dislikes:
* parent tuition payment login could be more intuitive, but it’s awesome that they have online payment
* no fault of their own, but traffic on Dundee Rd in this area is not great during rush hour so it adds a few extra minutes to my already long work day
Overall, I’m very happy with the daycare and think it’s a place my little one can grow and learn for years to come!
I

We’ve been truly impressed with the nurturing, educational and spirited environment the Kiddie Academy team has provided and we know our 15-​month-​old son loves spending time there. The teachers really go above and beyond to make sure each child is learning and having fun at the same time. The daily reports are a joy to get and we know exactly what he did throughout the day, what activities he enjoyed, what foods he ate, when he napped and when he was changed. The pictures and the videos we get during the day always make us smile and rest easy knowing he is in good hands and having a blast!

We had to scramble to find day care for our 1 year old due to our wonderful caregiver suddenly falling ill. This was right after the Palatine measles scare, where everyone pulled their kids out of kindercare.
New facility, nice and clean. Love the tadpoles up dates. Very thourough, very professional.