WELCOME TO
University Childcare
University Childcare is committed to providing a safe, nurturing, enriching, and healthy environment for children. We believe that play is the work of young children, and we provide ample time for this “work” to take place.
Children develop at their own speed and learn best when actively involved in the learning process. Each day, children will explore the classroom and new ideas through dramatic play, art, water play, outdoor activities, stories, block building, and talking with teachers. Participation and learning with their peers will also reaffirm their own development.
We provide the highest quality of service for children between the ages of six weeks to six years old. Our students are from various ethnic backgrounds, so there is a global aspect of enrichment present every day. By embracing our unique differences and celebrating commonalities, we have more impact on learning and the formation of empathy and compassion. Our specialized approach at Allison’s Infant & Toddler Center (AITC) contributes to a robust pride in the child’s community, expanding the intellectual richness of each day spent with us.
We believe in a structured program that addresses the physical, intellectual, social, emotional and holistic development of each child. They are unique and have untapped potential. We encourage their beautiful individualism to enhance the child’s confidence in their abilities. This belief-in-self allows them to thrive in future endeavors.
While we want our students to be independent and discerning learners, we also would like them to be team learners, too. By applying a proactive and diverse child-care approach, our students learn to face difficulty, the unknown, and the unpredictable in a self-assured way. This leads to skill-development, where they formulate their own creative solutions to any challenges in their path.
Get to know
CEO Corner
Allison Perkins-Caldwell is the CEO and founder of Allison’s Infant & Toddler Centers, University Childcare, Little Feet Big Dreams Learning Academy, and Baby Cakes Learning Academy. She received a bachelor’s degree in Nursing, with a minor in Psychology, from Chicago State University. In 2011, she obtained a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Early Childhood Education from The University of Illinois at Chicago. Mrs. Caldwell believes in the lasting benefits of continued education and plans to pursue her PHD in Non-Profit Management beginning in 2023.
In the early 2000’s, Allison saw a news item about the violence plaguing the Englewood community, changing her life’s mission forever. Having served her country for eight years in the Army National Guard, she was intimately aware of the importance of protection and caregiving for others. The news report reflected a new perspective about the community she was born and raised in, one where her memories didn’t align with the plight escalating in Englewood. Allison knew that to help improve a community’s mindset, every solution began with its youth. She committed to taking resolute action, and in November 2004, Allison’s Infant and Toddler Center in Englewood opened its doors ...