Programs at our Flagship and Micro-Centers
Our flagship centers in North Lawndale, Little Village and Albany Park serve children 6 weeks to 17 years of age. Our Micro Centers at Legacy Charter School and KIPP Ascend Primary serve children 3 to 5 years of age.
Contact us for more information or to enroll your family.
Ages 6 weeks – 3 years
Infant Toddler Development
Provides full-day, year-round care and education for children six weeks to three years of age. Children are nurtured in classroom environments that support healthy development and growth to prepare them for success in school and in life. Teachers emphasize responding to children’s natural cues, providing continuity of care, and building strong and consistent relationships between children, parents, and staff.
Ages 3-5
Pre-School Education
Promotes positive development in children three to five, preparing them for success in Kindergarten and beyond. A mixture of dynamic programming helps children develop creativity, self-confidence, and an enthusiasm for lifelong learning. Teachers engage children through play and educational experiences that support cognitive and social-emotional growth.
Ages 3-5
Micro-Centers at Legacy Charter School and KIPP Ascend Primary
Legacy Charter School and KIPP: Ascend Primary partner with the Carole Robertson Center to provide pre-Kindergarten care and education for children three to five. Carole Robertson teachers use the same creative and dynamic programming as our flagship sites, extending our service to two additional classrooms at Legacy, and three at KIPP: Ascend.
Ages 5-17
Out-of-School-Time (OST) Program
Provides after-school, summer and school break programming for school-age students. Our youth programs are open year-round to support working families and provide exceptional programs. Youth learn new skills such as music writing, wood-working, and gardening, all while building social-emotional skills and physical fitness. Additionally, our BASES-K programming provides Kindergarten-focused lessons to ensure successful transitions from pre-K to Kindergarten.
Submit our program interest form!
These programs serve low-income children and families in Chicago. Our staff can help you navigate any eligibility guidelines and fee requirements.
Community-based Programs
More After-School / Out of School Time Programs
The need for after-school programming has extended beyond our facilities. Here are two other locations where after-school programming is available.
KIPP: Ascend
Started in the Winter of 2019, our first off-site after-school program provides enrichment support to families who need care beyond the typical school day at KIPP Ascend.
Saucedo
Started in the Fall of 2020, our second off-site after-school program is offered at Saucedo.
Home-Based services
Home Visiting / Traveling Teacher Services
We provide home-based services for pregnant women and families with infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children. These regular home visits focus on physical, social-emotional, and cognitive growth through interactions, activities, and experiences between the caregiver and child. Weekly home visits are coupled with monthly group social activities for families. These programs expand our array of services to meet the growing demand of families that prefer to receive services in the familiarity of their own home.
Who Can Receive Home Visits?
Our guiding principle is that parents are the expert on their child.
It’s important that our traveling teachers develop a strong partnership with the family with the goal of supporting parent growth, parent-child interactions, development-centered parenting, and family well-being.
Through this program, families receive:
- Weekly home visits
- Diapers, baby formula, and nutritious snacks
- Opportunities to socialize and build social capacity with other families at monthly group activities
For Expectant Mothers
We provide expectant mothers with prenatal assessments, postpartum screening, and appropriate dental and medical services tailored to the needs of the mother.
For Fathers
We provide support to fathers participating in the Heartland Alliance READI program as they seek to deepen bonds and reunite with their children after incarceration.
For Families with Young Children
We serve families of young children who prefer home based early childhood enrichment and family support. These visits are focused on physical, social-emotional, and cognitive interactions between the caregiver and the children.
Need Other Help?
We understand that it can be difficult to ask for help, so teachers will always ask if anything else is needed to help support a child or children in a household. We’re here to help.
“Very nice and friendly staff, always courteous and professional. Staff treats children very nice, I was taken care of there many years ago and my sisters were taken care of there too from 2017-2020, teachers there always put the children first.”
Isai Castro
Enrichment Services
Our Family Support and Engagement Services
To support the families of the Center, all of our programs are also enriched with family support services.
Across all programs, the family support team provides concrete assistance and education to parents and families, including parent classes, advocacy education, partnership around goal-setting, and family activities.
Additionally, all families are provided with social service support, connections to health services, referrals to housing, counseling, employment, and higher education resources. Specialists assist families in navigating the referral process to Early Intervention and Chicago Public Schools, and provide special needs support when needed.
Family Literacy Development
The Family Literacy Development Program is an agency-wide initiative that provides a print-rich environment and fosters a love of books, reading, and learning in children and families. A range of family literacy activities, parent workshops, and take-home materials are provided. The Social Justice and Equity Committee hosts book giveaways with a monthly rotation of relevant, appropriate, and engaging titles to build families’ home libraries. Families and teachers are encouraged to use these books as “mirrors” of their children’s experiences, as well as “windows” into the lives of others.
Music & Fine Arts Education
Music and Fine Arts Education is integrated throughout all center-based programs. Children under the age of 6 participate in weekly music education, learning songs from around the world, playing instruments, and exploring musical concepts. School-age children can participate in a brass and percussion ensemble and arts workshops including dance, studio art, theatre, and technology-based design.
Bilingual Classrooms
The Bilingual Immersion Program enables each classroom at the Center to alternate instruction in English and Spanish to support child language development in both home and second languages.
