Day care center chicago il: City of Chicago :: Infant/Toddler Programs

Irving Park Early Learning Center

• Nurturing the Whole Child

• Serving Our Community since 1999

• Learn and Explore through Play

• Embracing Diversity

• Dedicated and Professional Staff

• Nurturing the Whole Child

• Serving Our Community since 1999

• Learn and Explore through Play

• Embracing Diversity

• Dedicated and Professional Staff

Welcome to Irving Park Early Learning Center!
Our childcare center is family-owned and operated by Rose Ocasio. When Rose opened IPELC 20 years ago, her whole goal was to provide a place where kids could go and feel like they were at home. She’s achieved that and so much more with the help of our dedicated teachers and staff, building a reputation as a high-quality daycare and learning center. Our students learn through play in a safe and loving environment.

Educational programs at IPELC start with infants (6 weeks to 5 years old), giving your child the tools he or she needs to be ready for school. Our customized curriculum grows and changes with your child, focusing on all areas of development, with the help of engaging learning activities and fun interactions with classmates. We work to bring out the best in our little ones while embracing their differences. Their safety and security are also a top priority, along with keeping our families closely connected to the classroom with our easy app.

Thank you for visiting our website. Please take a few minutes to explore our site and learn more about us. We also encourage you to visit our outstanding center and take a tour to see what makes IPELC so special!

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Ravenswood Manor Day Care Will Close In December, Owners Announce, Shocking Parents

• Credibility:

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RAVENSWOOD MANOR — After more than 20 years serving neighborhood families, the owners of Ravenswood Manor Child Care Center are closing later this year, forcing staff to find other jobs and parents to find day care for their children within a few weeks.

Mary and James Newbold opened the popular day care, 2758 W. Montrose Ave., in 1999. When parents picked up their children last week, James Newbold was outside waiting for them with letters from his wife announcing the center would shut down Dec. 3.

“We realize that the closing of the center will inconvenience our parents for which we apologize,” Mary Newbold wrote in the letter. “To the extent that we can do anything to facilitate your ability to find alternative day care arrangements, please let us know. We will make every attempt to facilitate a smooth transition.”

The Newbolds also own Sunnyside Child Care Center, 4500 N. Winchester Ave., and Ravenswood Montessori School, 1945 W. Wilson Ave. Only the Ravenswood Manor day care is slated to close. 

Reached by phone Thursday, Mary Newbold said after more than 20 years at the Ravenswood Manor location and running two other day cares, she’s “just tired.”

In a separate interview, James Newbold said there were multiple factors leading the couple to close down, but the most challenging one was finding and retaining staff for the Ravenswood Manor center over the past six months. 

“We’ve been there for a long time. We made an attempt to sell the business that did not pan out. So we’ve decided that the best course, given the difficulty with recruiting staff, was to close the business,” James Newbold said.  

While James Newbold said the staffing problems are specific to the Ravenswood Manor location, employees said keeping staff has been a challenge at all three locations for months.

Parents said they began hearing about staffing changes and shortages during the summer. 

Former day care director Nada Matic told parents in a June 16 email she would be on vacation to her home country until the end of August. Toddler teacher Angelica Quiles was to take over as interim director.

Matic never returned, parents and staff said.

By end of September, Quiles told parents there would be a “transitional period” for the center after Matic and another teacher resigned. Quiles would remain as interim director and focus on hiring staff and training “them to the high standard of care [Ravenswood Manor] has always provided your child and family,” she wrote in an email. 

Quiles also said the center was getting staffing help from Ravenswood Montessori while they looked for new teachers.

“Nada, the past director, typically went to Europe for about a month or so and returned. She told us again she’d be leaving this summer,” parent Callie Czerkie said. “Then we get an email from Angelica telling us Nada wasn’t coming back from Europe. That is when it seemed things were really becoming unstable.”

Day cares across the country have struggled with staffing in recent months.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children surveyed more than 7,500 day care workers this summer, and 80 percent said their facilities were short on workers or had at least one open role unfilled for at least one month. 

The majority of workers also said retention got more difficult during the pandemic, especially for programs serving families who need financial assistance.

“The COVID pandemic has reinforced the essential role of child care and early learning for children, working families and the economy,” the survey’s authors said. “Emergency federal and state relief funds have provided critical support for stabilizing child care programs and preventing more widespread permanent program closures, but they do not address the systemic challenges that have plagued the child care market — parents and providers alike — for decades. ”

Parents said they didn’t understand how the Ravenswood Manor day care could close when it has a waitlist and comes highly recommended by other parents. Parent Liz Kores said she heard of other day cares struggling during the pandemic but thought the popularity of Ravenswood Manor would keep it in business.

“We were just shocked,” Kores said. “Our daughter is almost a year old, and we applied to the day care before she was even born because there was a waitlist at the time. Parents are just so eager to get in.”

Parents also praised the precautions the day care staff took to keep their children safe during the pandemic. Parents aren’t allowed to enter the building; they must line up outside and use an app to notify the staff when they’re ready to pick up their children. 

Demelza Wheeler-Ozanne, another parent, recently moved to Portage Park and has commuted to the day care for months “because it felt so much like home,” she said.

“It’s very difficult to find a place that you have so much trust in and so much faith in, especially during a global pandemic when your child is unvaccinated and in a group setting,” Wheeler-Ozanne said. “The staff there is second to none.”

Czerkie’s son has been in day care since she was coming off maternity leave; the staff helped her overcome “first-time parent jitters” of leaving a child, she said. Her son is about to age out of Ravenswood Manor, so she’d been making other arrangements, but she said she feels for the parents who expected to rely on the day care. 

Parents also worry the staff at Ravenswood Manor may be out of a job come the winter holidays, and they are asking other day cares to consider hiring them as soon as possible. 

“These are amazing child care workers and amazing people who all of our children have really grown to love and think of as families,” Czerkie said. “We want to do what we can for them because we really do feel like they have become a part of our family.”

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Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe UPDATED 2020 All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (

) 5.0

1,233 Reviews

Translations made using Google technologies can be displayed here. Google makes no warranties, either express or implied, with respect to translations, including warranties of accuracy and reliability, and any warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-counterfeiting. nine0003

Natalka-d

Lviv, Ukraine 255 publications

A very beautiful and blooming garden.

Apr. 2017 • With friends

A very beautiful and flourishing garden. I recommend setting aside a whole day to visit this place. We were there at the end of April when tulips were in bloom, there was an exhibition of orchids and cacti. Free admission. There is a cafe where you can have a bite to eat.

Published October 2, 2017

This review represents the subjective opinion of a member of the Tripadvisor community and is not the official position of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor checks reviews. nine0003

lopatkinaol

Gelendzhik, Russia38 publications

Very beautiful park! A must visit in Chicago!

July 2017 • For two

A very beautiful park spread over more than 150 hectares. Reservoirs, waterfalls, birds, rabbits, chipmunks. I was especially impressed by the Japanese gardens of course – there are no words, what a beauty!!! We visited exhibitions of bonsai and ekiban. I recommend taking the whole day to visit – the park is very large and every corner is worthy of attention! nine0003

Published July 23, 2017

This review represents the subjective opinion of a member of the Tripadvisor community and is not the official position of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor checks reviews.

Love P

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan192 publications

Beautiful, but far away

Nov. 2016 • With friends

The place is beautiful, but in November there are only the remains of foliage, almost no flowers. Walking is nice and there is where to sit. Livestock included geese and fish. There is no protein. You need to take food with you, because. during lunch, the cafe is not overcrowded and the service is very long. Just a nice park outside the city. nine0003

Published November 13, 2016

This review represents the subjective opinion of a member of the Tripadvisor community and is not the official position of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor checks reviews.

Anatoliy1954

Moscow, Russia326 publications

Evening concert in nature

July 2015 • With friends

In addition to the fact that the Chicago Botanical Garden is a wonderful place in itself, it turns out almost every evening (not late) at six o’clock they organize unpretentious but very pleasant concerts there. I visited one of them. The country band Silver Stars performed. On the terrace of the Regenstein Center, surrounded by breathtaking views and a wonderful audience, two hours of country music. I was struck by the active participation of those present in what was happening. The ladies changed into dancing dresses and shoes, the gentlemen put on their hats and everyone danced heartily, without cheating. The spectacle is breathtaking. Between dances you can eat hamburgers and drink beer and wine. Even. if you are not by car, then getting to Chicago is easy: half an hour by train and you are at the Ogilvie Transportation Center – this is the center of Chicago. nine0003

Published October 9, 2015

This review represents the subjective opinion of a member of the Tripadvisor community and is not the official position of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor checks reviews.

Alexander V. Gagarin

Moscow, Russia799 publications

“Garden perfection”, or “Botanical garden in suburban Chicago”

July 2015 we first of all planned visits to “eco-oriented” attractions. Among them, in the first place was the Chicago Botanical Garden, for a trip to which we had been preparing for a long time. It is the largest botanical garden in the United States and is located in Glencoe, a suburb of Chicago. In addition, it is one of the most visited botanical gardens in the United States. You can get from downtown Chicago by train from the central station (green line). It takes 20 minutes on the road and 15 minutes on foot. We visited many different botanical gardens. You can not say that some of them are better, and some are worse. Each is good in its own way. Each has its own “highlight”. The highlight of the Chicago Botanic Garden is its perfection. In the truest sense of the word. Interestingly, in 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden won the Award for Garden Excellence, awarded annually by the APGA. The Chicago Botanic Garden was opened at 1972 year. And the area of ​​the botanical garden is 156 hectares! On the territory of 25 themed gardens! Three greenhouses. The Botanical Heritage Garden is modeled on the first botanical garden in Europe (Botanical Garden of Padua). For us, as biologists, it was very pleasant that in the park there is a sculpture of the great Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, the author of binary nomenclature in biology. It is amazingly beautiful that the garden is surrounded by both natural and restored forests. There are 9 islands in the garden! Another important thing is that the garden conducts extensive educational activities – here is the Joseph Regenstein School, which hosts over 4 thousand science lessons a year. For an eco-tourist, the Chicago Botanical Garden is a real discovery. In addition, this is a great place for families with children, and the elderly, and young couples and singles. We highly recommend. nine0003

Published August 25, 2015

This review represents the subjective opinion of a member of the Tripadvisor community and is not the official position of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor checks reviews.

Miriam S

192 publications

Four Seasons Beauty North of Chicago

Aug. 2017 • For Two

The Chicago Botanical Garden is a great place to bring guests or visit on your own, so meditation. No matter what guest age you are, there is something for everyone! Children can enjoy their own garden, butterfly garden (extra charge) and train garden (extra charge). When I drive my grandparents, I take them with me on the tram ride through the orchard (extra charge). Otherwise, I took people walking through the Japanese Garden, Touch Garden, Rose Garden Hotel, Greenhouses, or more. During the summer, several free music presentations offer the opportunity for outdoor walks. The music is high from bell ringing concerts to salsa and dancing. The recent addition to the beer garden is a bonus for beer lovers. There is also a cafe with seating, inside and outside. I really like buns! Bicycle drivers can enter for free. There is a car parking fee. Don’t expect to see the entire garden in one visit! There was too much to see. nine0003

Translation: PROMT

Published August 4, 2017

This review reflects the subjective opinion of a member of the Tripadvisor community and is not the official position of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor checks reviews.

Shelliu

Hilton Head, SC4,111 posts

Gorgeous and huge – always more to see

July 2017 • For two

Even after moving into the garden, three times, there is more to see every time. The flowers are lovely, the educational activities and the fork are great (we went to Pepper on a Sunday in the vegetable garden) and the train exhibit is perfect for all ages (its great that they worked out). They also now have a beer garden to enjoy drinks and small snacks around the Rose Garden. Open year round and admission is free, but you have to pay for parking if you’re not a member. You can spend 1-3 hours or a whole day or more, especially if you bring a good book or are an artist and nature professional and want to take in the beauty. wake up, walk, scooter or wheelchair would be a great idea. Tip: if you want to take either the small or large tram, get your tickets first or you’ll be waiting all day, especially on weekends when the early ones sell out fast. nine0003

Published July 30, 2017

This review reflects the subjective opinion of a member of the Tripadvisor community and is not the official position of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor checks reviews.

Ellen B

Bear, Delaware380 contributions

Beautiful gardens!

July 2017 • Family vacation

My sister booked here during a recent visit. You pay for the car, so it can be a very inexpensive trip. The gardens were just beautiful. We loved the extensive rose gardens and the Japanese garden. The formal boxbush district reminded me of Williamsburg. There is also a train garden, which is a must see – the train goes through little versions of American landmarks (White House, New Orleans French Quarter, etc.) made from materials like pine cones and bark. There are several places to eat in the garden. They also offer concerts in the summer – everyone covered when we left. A beautiful and relaxing way to spend the day. nine0003

Published July 29, 2017

This review represents the subjective opinion of a member of the Tripadvisor community and is not the official position of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor checks reviews.

LocaLola24

Racine, Wisconsin402 publications

Pleasure for the senses

July 2017 • For two

My husband and I just spent the day at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Most of the gardens were in flower. There is a map, but sometimes it is a little confusing because the paths wander in circles. As a result, we returned to the same road several times. We spent at five o’clock. Highlights include Japanese Bonsai trees, beautiful grounds of the Japanese Garden, greenhouses with arid, tropical and semi-tropical rooms, vegetable gardens and this year’s special was Brazilian plants. Oh and I can’t forget to mention the amazing Rose Garden Hotel. Indeed, so watch and enjoy. There is a place to buy lunch at the visitor center. You cannot take your own food to eat there. Although you can have a picnic in the parking lot if you wish. We took a tram ride around the grounds for only $6 per person and got a guided tour from Elmer. The gardens are free to enter, but parking is $25 for business days. Be sure to bring comfortable shoes as there is a lot of walking. Many ways are equipped for the disabled. And there are plenty of rest places along the way if you need a seat. Amazing views and it comes from those who don’t like nature. nine0003

Published July 28, 2017

This review represents the subjective opinion of a member of the Tripadvisor community and is not the official position of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor checks reviews.

Martha H

Miami, FL11 posts

Worth a visit to this wonderful garden

July 2017 • Family fun

It’s simply stunning beauty. I really liked it. Love the seating benches all around the park. Very pleasant and perfect location.