McGaw YMCA Children's Center 1420 Maple Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201

"We sent our now kindergartener to the preschool for two years. Pros: Very diverse classes. My son had friends from all over the world. Swim lessons are offered to classes. This was an amazing perk. Gym class is offered too. Another great perk. The school offers a vegetable garden that kids can investigate. Our last year’s instructors were AMAZING. Very loving and competent. The community of parents was nice to have. We are still in contact with several families. Cons: Some of the teachers and staff acted unprofessional, unfriendly and frankly burnt out. The building is old and not handicapped accessible. Visitors are supposed to be buzzed in, but I witnessed folks being buzzed in without a second glance. Cold weather guidelines prevented our son from walking half a block to swim lessons and gym. It was ridiculous. The kids can make the short trek. Our son’s kindergarten teacher commented that our son started the year behind other kids who attended preschool. Overall, it’s fine, but I don’t think we will send our younger son there."

"Wonderful staff, loving teachers and welcoming, and diverse, classroom environment at the McGaw Y Children's Center. Everyone there works so hard and is so dedicated to the kids. My child has really thrived in the part-day program. The pre-k kids swim twice a week as part of the curriculum, which really sets this program apart, and has built my child's confidence in the water. I believe in the greater Y mission, and I feel my child is very loved here, in addition to getting fantastic academic prep for kindergarten, for which she is very well-prepared now!"

"I cannot say enough good things about this early childhood care and education center. The staff is amazing: dedicated, caring, and well-trained. The facility is great, considering this is a non-profit organization. The teachers do so much with so little! Imagine what the could do with the kind of budget a place like Bright Horizons has? Great community of involved parents. Fantastic diversity in both kids and staff. Love everything!"

"Tons of employees at this place have no college credit whatsoever I can see that they are definitely not getting inspected properly by NAEYC, the staff surely do not meet those standards. You would think most parents would want someone with more than a high school diploma working with an infant!"