Picket Fence Daycare and Learning Center

I’m a researcher by nature and looked at numerous day care centers throughout the city for our 3 year old son. Our son did not have a great experience in the first pre-​school he attended, so we came armed to Picket Fence with a list of questions determined to not make the same mistake again. Our priority list included: a safe and nurturing environment, an educational and stimulating curriculum that did not only consist of play time, a creative environment that would optimize his development and last but not least, a committed, caring staff.
We visited both Picket Fence locations (Elmwood Park and River Grove), and met Ms. Toni and her team of educators who were all very warm and open to answering any questions we had. They shared their curriculum with us which included arts, music, reading and dramatic play. We loved that there was a weekly communication plan in place which informed each child’s parent about what their child learned that week and how they were progressing in their development. There was even a section that asked parents to communicate back to the school what the child did over the weekend or any concerns the parents thought the school should be aware of. We knew as soon as we left the school that this was the right school for our son.
Fast forward to today — Placing our son in to Picket Fence was THE best decision we could have ever made for our son. He is excited to go to school, loves his teachers and is learning new things every day. Ms. Toni is not only one of the teachers at the school, but an on-​site and hands-​on owner who is completely immersed in the well-​being of the children and the daily activities of the school.
We are able to speak with Ms. Toni and the teachers any time in-​person or by phone and have even corresponded by email with responses returned very promptly. I wanted to hug Ms. Nicole when she asked me if we would bring a tooth brush for our son so he could brush his teeth after meals! We also love that the school accepts special needs children as we know this will help foster our goal of raising a son who is compassionate and caring for others who may be different from him.
For those parents who want to be more involved, the school offers the opportunity to attend parent committee meetings which allow you to be part of the planning and decision making process for policies, and other school events. We couldn’t be happier with our choice and know that Picket Fence and its teachers will have a positive impact on our son’s success in school and more importantly in his personal development now and in the years to come.