We believe childhood should be filled with love, sunshine, stories, muddy shoes, healthy meals full of fruits and vegetables, meaningful friendships, and endless opportunities to wonder.
More than a name, Icare represents a community where families and educators partner together with trust, respect, and compassion.
A timeless proverb sums it all “It takes a village to raise a child.”
Our mission is to create a warm, home-like environment where every hug, every story, every outdoor adventure, and every homemade meal helps children grow into confident, kind, and lifelong learners
“Growing curious minds, kind hearts, and lifelong learners.”
You don't mind muddy shoes: you believe some of the best childhood learning happens outdoor, through puddles, parks, nature, and real life adventures.
You believe children should spend their days reading, exploring, and creating, not in front of screens.
You prefer a small, close-knit setting where your child is truly known, loved, and understood.
You value fresh, homemade meals and healthy habits beginning early.
You believe childhood should be joyful, unhurried, and full of wonder.
You want your child to spend days in a warm, sun-filled, natural enviroment that feels more like a second home than a commercial space.
We head outside to run, climb, dig, splash, explore, observe, and simply be children.
Parks such as Marryman, Margaret Donahue, Sheil, Hawthorne playground, Hamilton playground are just some of places we visit.
Outdoor play gives children space to move their bodies, build confidence, take balancing risks, connect with nature, and discover the world through real experiences.
At Icare, books are part of our everyday rhythm. Children enjoy over 60 minutes of reading throughout the day, from cozy story time to spontaneous moments when someone brings over a favorite book and asks, “Again!”
We also make regular trips to the Merlo Chicago Public Library and, if you ask the children, the CTA ride there may be just as exciting as choosing the books! 🙂
And every classroom has that book. At Icare, one of our longtime favorites is Llama Llama Red Pajama. When children arrive in their own pajamas, the story suddenly becomes a full experience and somehow, it never gets old.
Our goal is simple: to make books feel joyful, familiar, and loved, so that reading becomes something children naturally reach for, not something they are told to do.
Instead of teachers spending the day on phones entering app updates, they’re fully present with the children. At pick-up, we value genuine face-to-face conversations, sharing your child’s day, celebrating milestones, and answering questions personally. We believe no app can replace a meaningful relationship between families and teachers.
Yes-we all do yoga! As a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-500), Biljana has been teaching children and adults throughout the Chicago community for over seven years, leading classes at Gallagher Way every Tuesday at 7AM, neighborhood parks, and yoga studios across Chicago. Through age-appropriate yoga, breathing exercises, and mindfulness activities, children develop balance, coordination, body awareness, self-confidence, and emotional regulation, all while having fun!
Inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, children learn through play, exploration, open-ended materials, and projects based on their interests rather than worksheets.
And our classroom doesn’t end at our front door! We take our wonder on the road, exploring Chicago’s favorite treasures through exciting field trips to the Lincoln Park Zoo, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, neighborhood libraries, and beyond. From discovering wildlife to getting lost in a world of books, every adventure sparks new questions, big discoveries, and little eyes full of wonder!
Children are introduced to Spanish through songs, stories, and everyday conversations, helping them appreciate different languages and cultures from an early age.
Less scrolling. More exploring. More connecting. More being a child.
When did screens become a necessary part of childhood? At Icare, we believe they never had to be!
You won’t find a television in our daycare, or even in my own home! And that’s intentional. We believe the first years of life are meant for muddy hands, curious minds, endless questions, belly laughs, meaningful conversations, and big imaginations.
Childhood doesn’t need a screen to be extraordinary.
Research supports the importance of limiting screen exposure during early childhood. A 2023 study published in JAMA Pediatrics, involving more than 7,000 children, found that greater screen time at age one was associated with increased risk of communication and problem-solving developmental delays at ages two and four.
At Icare, we choose to fill those precious early years with what growing minds and bodies need.
Because children don’t need to watch the world on a screen when there’s a whole wonderful world waiting to be explored!!!
Have you ever seen a line of cute little ducks walking through Lakeview? That might just be us!
At Icare, learning doesn’t stay inside four walls. Our neighborhood becomes part of our classroom as we explore the places that make everyday life meaningful and fun. We might stop by Jewel-Osco to pick out the perfect apples, visit the dentist’s office, explore the library, or discover local parks and community spaces along the way.
If you have a business in Lakeview, don’t be surprised if we come visit! We love helping children connect with the real world around them, one small adventure at a time!
With small group sizes and lasting relationships, every child and family is known, celebrated, and loved!
At Icare, real food matters! No artificial colors, artificial flavors, or highly processed foods. Just fresh, organic, seasonal ingredients and wholesome, homemade meals. We believe little bodies deserve real nourishment!
But the best part? When our little chefs put on their aprons and take over the kitchen! We measure, mix, stir, taste, and make a glorious mess. Does everything turn into mush? Absolutely! But with a little help from our teachers, that colorful mess sometimes becomes something deliciously edible!
At Icare, we believe that knowing your child means knowing YOU, too! We love hearing your stories, sharing little milestones, celebrating family traditions, and sometimes exchanging parenting tips (because we’re all figuring this out together!).
Just real conversations, honest updates, and teachers who genuinely know your child.
After all, we’re not just building relationships with children. We’re building a community of families
Unlike traditional childcare programs that separate children strictly by age, Icare embraces a mixed-age learning environment where children grow together as a community.
Research shows that mixed-age environments naturally encourage:
Empathy and compassion through caring for younger friends.
Leadership and confidence as older children model skills and behaviors.
Cooperation, patience, and problem-solving during everyday interactions.
This philosophy closely aligns with the work of Maria Montessori, who intentionally designed mixed-age classrooms to encourage peer learning, independence, and leadership. It also reflects the values of the Reggio Emilia approach, which views children as capable learners who construct knowledge through relationships, collaboration, and shared experiences.
At Icare, our mixed-age community is like a thriving hive, where every child has a unique place and every stage of development is celebrated. Younger children learn by watching older friends, while older children develop empathy, confidence, and leadership by helping those who are younger. Together, we create a caring community where children grow through relationships, curiosity, and joyful discovery.
4–15 Months
Discovering their bodies, their voices, and the world around them
15–24 Months
Little explorers on the move, where first Words, first Friendship, Growing Independency, and Big Feelings take Flight!
2–3 Years
Step Aside Everyone, Curiosity Takes the Lead! Imagination Blossoms through Books, Movement, Creativity, and Meaningful Play!
3–4 Years
Little Leaders, Big Adventures!
At this stage, we’re building the foundation for kindergarten readiness! Our Brilliant Bees become little classroom assistants, proudly helping serve water, pass out lunch, lead circle time, and take on everyday responsibilities.
Big responsibilities, little hands, and endless possibilities!
Real stories.
“If this location has a spot available, grab it and don’t hesitate. My very first visit to iCare had me leave amazed and already decided to make sure this was where my 1 year old spent time when away from me. They care for the kids with all the attention to detail a parent would and teach the children in the most creative and fun ways imaginable. My great concern when looking for a daycare was whether my child would have nutritious meals and spend quality time learning and developing, but at iCare she’s been thriving from day 1. Billy is a true teacher, and the rest of the staff are so attentive to both the kids and the parents. My husband and I both love it, and most importantly my baby girl excitedly runs toward their door every single morning !”
“If this location has a spot available, grab it and don’t hesitate. My very first visit to iCare had me leave amazed and already decided to make sure this was where my 1 year old spent time when away from me. They care for the kids with all the attention to detail a parent would and teach the children in the most creative and fun ways imaginable. My great concern when looking for a daycare was whether my child would have nutritious meals and spend quality time learning and developing, but at iCare she’s been thriving from day 1. Billy is a true teacher, and the rest of the staff are so attentive to both the kids and the parents. My husband and I both love it, and most importantly my baby girl excitedly runs toward their door every single morning !”
A Day in the Life of a Little Bee
A Day in the Life of a Busy Bee
Long after children leave Icare, we hope they remember how it felt to be here.
Every day, we nurture confidence, creativity, c ompassion, resilience, respect, and a lifelong love of learning.
Because caring for children isn’t simply what we do – it’s who we are.
At Icare, we take play seriously (but ourselves? Not so much!). Every muddy puddle, wobbly tower, silly song, and endless “WHY?” is an opportunity to learn.
Our five developmental pillars guide our everyday monthly calendar, helping little minds and bodies grow at their own pace.
From tiny fingers learning to hold a spoon to little feet running full speed across the park, we’re always on the move!
We climb, jump, balance, dance, paint, scoop, pour, and occasionally put our shoes on the wrong feet. That’s learning, too!
Why did the tower fall? Which cup holds more water? How many apples are in our basket? And why, WHY, WHY?
We count, sort, measure, build, experiment, recognize shapes, and discover patterns through everyday play.
From grocery shopping in Lakeview to building houses with blocks, we’re developing problem-solving skills, logical thinking, memory, and early math concepts.
Sharing is hard. Waiting for a turn? Even harder! And sometimes your best friend takes the truck you really, REALLY wanted.
That’s where some of life’s biggest lessons begin.
Through friendships, teamwork, mixed-age play, and gentle guidance, we practice kindness, empathy, patience, resilience, and understanding our emotions.
At Icare, conversations never stop! From a baby’s first babbles to a preschooler’s very detailed story about a dinosaur driving a fire truck, every voice matters.
We read, sing, rhyme, ask questions, tell stories, explore letters, and introduce new vocabulary through everyday experiences.
Our favorite part? When children become the storytellers and suddenly we’re the ones who have to sit quietly and listen!
A cardboard box becomes a rocket ship. A stick becomes a magic wand. And a bowl of paint? Well, sometimes the artist becomes the canvas!
Because imagination doesn’t come with instructions, and neither should every childhood adventure!
From our tiniest Little Bees to our independent Brilliant Bees, we celebrate each child’s unique developmental journey.
But wait… there’s one exception to all five pillars!
NONE of this matters when there are puddles outside! Because then, we have one—and ONLY one—very important mission:
JUMP IN EVERY PUDDLE AND GET AS DIRTY AS POSSIBLE!
DAILY SCHEDULE-MUSIC ENRICHMENT- FOREIGN LANGUAGE – ORGANIC MENU – YOGA/MINDFULNES – OUTDOOR PLAY
At Icare, we believe that great teachers don’t simply teach – they observe, listen, inspire, and build meaningful relationships.
Every child arrives with unique strengths, interests, and ways of learning. By carefully observing their curiosity, listening to their questions, and celebrating their discoveries, we create experiences that are meaningful and personal.
Inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, our environment becomes the “third teacher,” thoughtfully prepared to encourage exploration.
More importantly, we believe children learn best when they feel deeply loved, respected, and understood.
Meet Ms. Biljana Peulic
(Founder/Program director)
Jasna Ziga
Teacher
Every generation has asked the same question:
“How do children learn best?”
For more than 2,000 years, great thinkers, philosophers, and educators have searched for that answer. While their words were written centuries ago, their wisdom continues to inspire the way we care for children today.
At Icare, we are honored to carry a small piece of that legacy forward.
Plato recognized different stages of childhood and proposed that the curriculum school includes games, music, stories, and drama that would illustrate the values needed by all good citizens. He understood that children learn best when learning feels joyful and meaningful rather than forced.
At Icare: You'll hear laughter, songs, stories, dancing, and endless opportunities for imaginative play because joyful experiences create lifelong learners.
Aristotle believed that the habits formed during early childhood become the foundation for the person a child will grow to become.
At Icare: Kindness, responsibility, respect, and perseverance are learned one small moment at a time.
Comenius believed education should awaken curiosity, engage the senses, and help children discover the world through real experiences instead of memorization. His revolutionary ideas continue to shape early childhood education today.
At Icare: Children learn by exploring nature, creating, asking questions, experimenting, and discovering!
He developed the theory, based on his medical knowledge, experience, and emerging philosophy of human understanding, that the child comes into the world with a mind like a blank slate (tabula rasa)
He believed experiences, relationships, and the environment shape who children become.
At Icare: We believe that every child Every Child Begins With Unlimited Potential
While centuries separate us from these remarkable thinkers, one belief continues to guide our work:
At Icare, children are surrounded by love, meaningful relationships, nature, books, music, healthy food, movement, and endless opportunities to explore. Our curriculum is not created months in advance, it grows naturally from children's questions, interests, discoveries, and everyday experiences.
Although our classrooms may look different from those imagined by Plato, Aristotle, Comenius, or Locke, our purpose remains beautifully familiar:
To nurture curious minds, kind hearts, and confident children who love learning, and love being themselves.
For your thoughts something is creative, and your world is Productive, and your thoughts and your world together are MAGNIFICENTLY EFFECTIVE in giving birth to your REALITY.
