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.
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.
Services
Irving Park Early Learning Center has been committed to caring for children in the Irving Park, Ravenswood, and Albany Park communities for 20 years. Established in 1999 by Rose Ocasio, B.A.Ed., ECE, a mother and entrepreneur; she recognized a need for high-quality childcare in her neighborhood that not only provides a friendly, safe space but a fun and nurturing learning environment.
Leaving your child in another person's care can be stressful but at IPELC we make your little one's health, safety and security our number one priority. Our goal is to go above and beyond the standard security requirements for your child to provide the best possible care. Criminal background checks conducted on all staff members to ensure compliance with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
Our high-quality operation would not be possible without our wonderful staff who bring passion, creativity, and warmth to our classrooms every day. They work hard to nurture and inspire our students, helping them to learn and grow. They are also committed to our vision of creating a loving and safe environment for our children.
Our curriculum is designed with an emphasis on developmental milestones. These milestones are behaviors or physical skills that most infants and children can do by a certain age. They include how they play, learn, speak, act and move, providing important information about a child's early development.
Reviews (20)
L. M.
Jun 29, 2021
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Our daughter has attended four preschools and IPITC is by far the best!
She was enrolled from Spring 2020 to Summer 2021. The director Ms. Bardha and all the staff are so attentive and friendly. Her teacher, Ms. Carmen, is the absolute best! She used highly effective creative learning strategies in the classroom, and kept us informed of Kathleen's progress and the areas she needed help with. The instruction included wonderful books, mathematical games, and even science experiments, designed for the young child.
Other schools we attended, including Montessori, did not compare to the quality
She was enrolled from Spring 2020 to Summer 2021. The director Ms. Bardha and all the staff are so attentive and friendly. Her teacher, Ms. Carmen, is the absolute best! She used highly effective creative learning strategies in the classroom, and kept us informed of Kathleen's progress and the areas she needed help with. The instruction included wonderful books, mathematical games, and even science experiments, designed for the young child.
Other schools we attended, including Montessori, did not compare to the quality
Zac R.
Jun 11, 2021
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From day one, we felt the love and care staff provided to our son. We know he feels safe and loved at school and really enjoys his time there. He is always excited to show us the art he creates and often talks about his teachers and friends while at home. We're constantly impressed with all that he learns as well as how his English and Spanish vocabularies have grown. Staff navigated the COVID-19 pandemic with great care and always made decisions based on the safety of students and teachers. This is a truly great place that cares about its students!
Joanne T.
Oct 07, 2020
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We have been part of the IPELC for over a year and could not be happier with our experience. As an educator myself, I wanted a center that's aligned with my own beliefs with childhood development and play-based learning with an emphasis on community and relationships. The Director of the center is actively involved with the teachers and families. She knows every name and supports throughout the day in various capacities (which is unlike any other center or daycare we toured). Additionally, the teachers are kind, loving and focused on child development and personal growth. This is not daycare
Robin S.
May 25, 2020
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My 4 year old and 2 year old have attended Irving Park Early Learning Center since they were 3 months old. We couldn't be happier with the teachers and educational curriculum at the center! Our children love their teachers and enjoy going to "school." We are thankful for the daily communication and pictures from the teachers through the Tadpoles app. In addition, we appreciate the family-centered environment and have made many great friends over the past 4 years.
Megan P.
Oct 20, 2019
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After touring many daycares locally and in the suburbs near my office, we selected Irving Park Early Learning Center for our daughter. IPELC was the only daycare that truly felt like home for our daughter. The staff are friendly, warm, loving and foster creativity and growth. I continue to be amazed as our oldest daughter moves from the infant room to toddler to two's at the learning environment each teacher provides. She has loved each classroom equally and looks forward to school every day! It's reassuring to know she loves all her teachers, is so well cared for and is learning so much
Anna P.
Dec 18, 2018
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I have only wonderful things to say about IPELC. We love all the personnel and so does our 3.5 year old daughter who we started here when she was only 11 weeks old. As a first time mom going back to work, I was super worried about leaving my little baby girl, but once I saw the teachers and how much love there is in the infant room and all other classes, I trusted my mother's instinct and was so right! She made many friends, grew and learned so much here thanks to the wonderful, loving and caring teachers. They have a very well established routine filled with diverse developmental activities
Eric C.
Aug 03, 2018
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I don't write many reviews but feel that IPELC deserves some praise. My son attended Irving Park Early Learning Center from 3 months to 15 months of age. During this time, the staff at IPELC went above and beyond to care for our son. Every teacher in the center knew my son (even those in other rooms) and made sure to greet him with a smile every time they saw him. In order to enter the infant room, you walk through the entire center. During this short walk, you are able to see how great the staff is and how hard they work to meet the needs of all their kiddos.
The centers director
The centers director
Jennifer Z.
Jun 12, 2018
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I could not be happier with the choice to send my 2 kids to Irving Park Early Learning Center. The teachers that we have encountered (toddler room, 2 year olds, and preschool) have made me feel very comfortable to leave my children in their care. The teachers are warm and welcoming. They get to know all the kids really well and form positive relationships. They use positive behavior techniques to redirect children and support following the class rules. You can tell the teachers are invested in the children and their work at the center. My kids have learned so much! They do great units and projects
Lori A.
Mar 21, 2018
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Attending Irving Park Early Learning Center has been an incredibly positive experience for my son Âand our whole family! We are so pleased with the care and education that IEPLC has provided. The IEPLC staff is very patient and kind. Every morning we are welcomed to our son's "second home," and I feel so happy and comfortable knowing that he is safe and loved during the day. When I pick him up, he is eager to show me what he is doing and point out his friends in the classroom. I can tell that he has learned and had fun all day long! Bardha and her staff always have our son&apos
Kristen W.
Aug 25, 2017
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My daughter has been at IPELC for two and a half years and will be leaving this week to start kindergarten. She has thrived under the loving care of teachers Ms. Carmen, Ms. Nayeli, Ms. Stephanie, and Ms. Daisy. I don't even know if we would have made it through potty training without the magical Ms. Carmen, and Ms. Stephanie really made learning exciting for my daughter and her friends. The director, Bardha, has always been a kind presence and takes concerns very seriously. She was a special help to us in the first couple of weeks when transitions were rough, which I will always be thankful
Emily F.
Aug 07, 2017
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IPELC is a wonderful place where kids thrive! My toddler loves the teachers, nature walks, circle time, and playground that is, fortunately, on the premises! The staff goes above and beyond to build a community for the parents, with occasional family events. It's an impressive place with caring teachers and creative lesson plans. I highly recommend IPELC!
Jill S.
Mar 16, 2017
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Having our child in Irving Park Early Learning Center has been amazing. She started when she was 12 weeks old and is now 4. I wasn't sure about having my child in daycare but having her there has made me so glad that we decided to enroll her here. She has learned such a variety of topics that it's fun to hear her talk about her day. The teachers are great and take great care of the children. The program gives you daily updates about the day- as an infant when the diaper was changed, when they slept, and when they ate & now in the Pre-K class we find out what they are learning
Amy I.
Mar 03, 2017
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I would like to provide my glowing recommendation of the Irving Park Early Learning Center. I have two children at the center - one in toddlers and the other in Pre-K - and they are both very happy. My older child has been a student at IPELC since she was a toddler herself and has learned so many things including (but not limited to) counting, the alphabet, music and songs, Spanish-language counting and music, social skills, manners and listening, how to be a member of a team, arts and crafts, imaginative play, etc. She comes home with stories and songs all the time. My son is in the toddlers class
Victoria V.
Feb 02, 2017
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As first time parents of a preemie our search for the perfect daycare was so important. After spending a month in the NICU we were again going to leave our daughter to be cared for by people other than ourselves. We are so lucky to have found Irving Park Early Learning Center (IPELC.) My transition back to work could not have gone smoother. Every single person has been so wonderful to her, my husband and I that we cannot thank them enough. Our daughter started there at 4 months and now, at 16 months could not be happier. The staff is wonderful and truly cares about each child.
We give IPELC
We give IPELC
Eric S.
Nov 09, 2015
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We originally had our daughter in a different daycare center where we noticed she was not at all happy, her demeanor and personality gave signs. After giving it a little time to see if it was something attributed to adjusting or the school itself, we were convinced a change was definitely required. This is when we decided to look into IPELC.
After a rough start at a different facility, we were naturally apprehensive. She started in the toddler room with Ms. Carmen, where the collective efforts Ms. Bardha (Director) and Ms. Carmen (teacher) enabled our daughter to quickly settle in and participate
After a rough start at a different facility, we were naturally apprehensive. She started in the toddler room with Ms. Carmen, where the collective efforts Ms. Bardha (Director) and Ms. Carmen (teacher) enabled our daughter to quickly settle in and participate
Molly D.
Aug 10, 2015
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I can't say enough great things about IPELC. My 2 1/2 year-old daughter and 4-month-old son went here and absolutely loved it. We were only there for a short time because we moved to the suburbs and ended up selling our house much more quickly than we had expected. If we had continued to live in the city, we would have stayed here through preschool, without a doubt. The staff is incredibly loving and nurturing. When I dropped off the kids every day, it felt as though I was simply bringing them to a relative's house. It's a neighborhood (non-franchised) daycare, so it has a very homey
Jody G.
Mar 11, 2015
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My daughter has been going to IPELC since March 2011 and we've never looked back in terms of where we thought she would get the best childcare. She started in the infant room (with Ms. Ericka) at just 12 weeks old and the teachers made me feel so comfortable leaving her there with them. It's hard leaving your baby in someone else's care, but the teachers would also update me on her day and we would work together on any transitions going on (i.e. sleeping in crib, eating baby food, switching to a sippy cup, etc.). They ended up teaching me so much as a first time mom!
She has
She has
Sandra H.
Feb 24, 2015
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I visited Irving Park Early Childhood Center while I was pregnant with my son and it just felt like the right place; convenient and safe. As you walk into the center, you find happy, playful, engaged children in very colorful bright and appropriately structured classrooms. Artwork and student work is displayed for all to see and admire. My first thought was: this feels good to see happy children and interacting with one another. Plus, the classrooms were laid in an open concept, because overall , safety comes first.
As a first time parent, it was still difficult for me to leave my child under
As a first time parent, it was still difficult for me to leave my child under
Martha G.
Jun 04, 2012
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My son has been attending Irving Park Early Learning Center since April 2011. He entered the program when he was 11 weeks old and started in the infant room. A few months ago, he moved up to the toddler room.
My son loves going to school. Every day - even when he hasn't been having the best morning - he is happy when we get to the center, and he gets a huge smile on his face when he sees his teachers. When I arrive to pick him up, he is almost always having fun and enjoying himself.
Another thing that I like about the center is the fact that the lead teacher in my son's room talks
My son loves going to school. Every day - even when he hasn't been having the best morning - he is happy when we get to the center, and he gets a huge smile on his face when he sees his teachers. When I arrive to pick him up, he is almost always having fun and enjoying himself.
Another thing that I like about the center is the fact that the lead teacher in my son's room talks
Jill B.
Oct 04, 2009
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My husband and I had our child, an infant, enrolled in the day care program here but really should have kept looking for other options. I can't speak for their toddler programs, so you're on your own there.
We should have known something wasn't right with this school when our child's application and deposit payment for enrollment went missing. It should have tipped us off that they aren't very organized at this day care facility.
At the time of our first tour of the facility, we were told by the director that she would like us to spend time with our child at the start
We should have known something wasn't right with this school when our child's application and deposit payment for enrollment went missing. It should have tipped us off that they aren't very organized at this day care facility.
At the time of our first tour of the facility, we were told by the director that she would like us to spend time with our child at the start
