Academy of Stars Childcare, Barrington | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

This, for me, is not an attack on the daycare or anything personal toward ownership/director staff. It’s our experience, warning other parents and hoping/begging for change.

We had about two good years and did work with some great teachers. The last few months there were incredibly disheartening, like mind games with us (parents) and suffering for our child, who went from loving school to losing sleep, fighting getting ready, crying and resisting drop-off, and even saying she was sick to stay home.

Despite extra communication with staff, purchasing and sharing emotion books, they repeatedly reported poor behavior and she became even more distressed. As I worried and tried to address it, they blamed it on her being an only child–an inappropriate comment.

I mentioned the anxious/emotional behavior and poor sleep to her doctor.
Casual conversation with medical professionals about school revealed some eye-opening truths: my child said the teachers and staff didn’t like her, that kids were always being yelled at, kids were always in time-out, she just couldn’t do things right for them.

I can’t attest for what else happened while we parents weren’t there, but I can say that three-year-olds don’t yet even know adults shouldn’t be yelling at them or isolating them or putting them in time-out. They don’t know this is wrong and they can’t advocate for themselves. There’s no incentive to fabricate these stories. What I have personally seen was kids sitting, alone, in hysterics, for far more minutes than their ages could possibly be. I know because I once consoled a child who I thought was injured rather than being punished.

I also don’t think the expectations or environment are age appropriate. While they do some great things like gardening, they need to learn through play and be more active. These kids have 13 years of sitting at desks with worksheets ahead of them–there are more options for learning at 3-5.
It would also better serve this group to have adults around for bathroom breaks and closer to the action during outdoor free play time.

But most of all, these kids shouldn’t spend all week walking on eggshells, thinking they’re bad, fearing the people who are supposed to be caring for them, who parents are employing and entrusting with their care. Ideally, at this age, positive reinforcement would be a motivating tool, but it was rare here. Too rare for how young they are. And redirection should be much more frequent than punishment. Instead, it seems to have been the first instinct.

There’s no reason for toddlers/preschoolers to fear the people who should be caring for them during the week. This should be a happy, playful, and safe environment. Full stop. Staff members who don’t want to be with kids and don’t want to make them feel happy and safe shouldn’t be with kids. Period. Leaders who don’t want to guide and create a happy, playful, and safe environment shouldn’t be in charge.
It seems a lot like this environment creates problems and then blames the children for them.
I can also say that after removing her, our bright, eager, and happy kid came back and we’re not seeing these issues in a different school environment.

I hope there is some new awareness with all of the children leaving and they’re able to objectively see problem areas. It’s in such a great location and there is some promising staff.  I hope they are able to retrain in ways that are more appropriate for this age group, safer, and in alignment with state requirements and best practices.

This is the age group where it’s vital to ensure they ARE safe, that they feel safe and secure, and also that they enjoy school. On top of that, it is so difficult as a parent to entrust your care in anyone else. You do your research to the best of your knowledge, you visit, you check reviews online and review state (DCFS) records for complaints, and you talk to other parents. It is heartbreaking and feels like a betrayal when your children aren’t getting the care they deserve, whether that’s intentional or not.
I hope they can turn this around soon.

Both of my kids attended AOS for 3 years and loved their time there. My son was ready for kindergarten after graduating from the All Star 4-yo room and my daughter has made great friends in the Adventurer 3-yo room. All the teachers are kind and truly care about the well-being and happiness of the kids. Everyone loves the outdoor space and water play in the summer. The catered lunch is very convenient for our busy mornings and helps get the kids to try healthy food that they otherwise reject when we try to serve at home. The tuition is very reasonable and the location is hard to beat for where we live.