First United Methodist Child Care Center

My two kids(5 and almost 4) have attended FUMCCC since fall 2020. We have been really impressed with every classroom the kids have been in. Many of the teachers have been around for a long time (some since the 90s and it 2000s), which is a huge accomplishment given high teacher turnover in early child education and teaching in general. All of the teachers and administration seem to know all of the kids, and the kids feel very comfortable there and have developed essential academic and social skills. We are going to be sad when our kids go to kindergarten because it’s been a great place for them.

My kids love this place. It is an excellent environment for young children. The teachers are kind and committed. The facility is really nice. And I love that starting at 2 years old the kids get to play at the park twice a day. I definitely recommend over other childcare providers in town.

My review is solely of the 4 year old class teacher, the assistant director and the Director. We were not pleased with this school at all and came in with high hopes. First off, our 3 year old child was placed with 4 and 5 years that were going to kindergarten. The teacher in the 4 year old class seems to not be able to handle kids with energy. She seems to prefer kids who sit still all the time and it is our belief that my son did not look like the other kids that she may have preferred. The teacher herself did not seem to know how to handle certain situations and seemed frazzled. Even the director advised us to switch schools because my child was being treated or could be treated differently by the teacher. The Assistant director has a very bad attitude and does not know who to handle situations either. The Director herself comes off pleasant however, she did try to intervene but misguided us horribly. I would only recommend this school if your child is docile or of a certain color. Once again my review is solely of the people I mentioned and not reflective of the other teachers.

The teachers and administrators are kind, caring, and committed to ensuring a fun and safe environment for kids to explore, grow, and learn. They are also very open to suggestions and responsive to any questions or concerns. I also like that FUMCCC has earned a Silver Circle of Quality from ExceleRate Illinois, defined as programs that "meet or go beyond quality standards in three areas: learning environment and teaching quality; administrative standards; and training & education." This mirrors our experience as well.

We have been at FUMCCC for almost 4 years now and have nothing but positive things to say about it. One of the first things that impressed me when we toured back in 2014 was when we were walking through the hallway, the Director said hi and knew the names of all the kids passing her in the hallway. From then on - we have always felt that the teachers and office staff care SO much about the kids that go there. They also have very high marks on ensuring the kids have a clean and safe facility for daycare. Another perk - the kids have lots of large motor space. In the winter, there is a gym for the bigger kids and a large motor room with lots of toys for the smaller kids. When it's good weather, the big kids go to West Side Park and the smaller kids have a nice outdoor playground to play in. I could go on and on...go check it out! :)