At Fantasy Island Schools for Kids, your 2 or 3 year old learns in English with Ukrainian-speaking teachers nearby, so a new country feels safer and Ukrainian stays alive. For families settling on Chicago’s Northwest Side and in the nearby suburbs.
If your family has recently arrived in Chicago, your child has already been through a lot of change. Many Ukrainian children start school here with few familiar things and little or no English. Before anything else, they need to feel safe.
At Fantasy Island, Ukrainian-speaking teachers are part of our team, so your child can hear a familiar language from an adult who understands them. All of our staff complete training in trauma-informed care and child development, and our classes are small. The first goal is a calm, steady routine your child can count on every day.
If your child knows little or no English yet, that is where the day begins. English is our language of instruction, and children pick it up the way 2 and 3 year olds learn best: through songs, play, stories and everyday routines like meals and getting ready to go outside.
Our goal is to prepare children to continue their education in American schools, so each day builds English step by step. Weekly music class and our hands-on, multi-sensory curriculum give your child many chances to hear and use new words, with Ukrainian-speaking teachers on our team to help your child feel understood.
You want your child to succeed in English without losing Ukrainian, the language of their family and their home. That worry is real. Many children in new countries slowly stop speaking their first language once school takes over.
Our Ukrainian-speaking teachers lead language activities for Ukrainian-speaking children, so Ukrainian keeps a regular place in your child’s week at school, not only at home. Your child learns that both languages belong to them.
Starting over in a new country is expensive, and daycare can feel out of reach. Fantasy Island accepts the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program, known as CCAP, which helps eligible families pay for child care.
The program, not the school, decides who qualifies and how much is covered, and the questions below explain where to apply. Once you are approved, you can use that help here. Our tuition already includes three meals cooked on-site every day, music class and Brain Gym, so there are no extra costs for food or enrichment.
Leave your phone number and your child’s age. We will call you to pick a time to visit our classrooms at 6100 N Milwaukee Ave. Prefer to talk now? Call 773-206-4627.
No. Fantasy Island is an English-language daycare, and English is the language of instruction because our goal is to prepare children for American schools. Ukrainian-speaking teachers lead language activities for Ukrainian-speaking children, so your child keeps using Ukrainian at school while learning English throughout the day.
Through the everyday life of the classroom. At ages 2 and 3, children pick up a new language naturally through play, songs and daily routines. Ukrainian-speaking teachers help your child feel understood while English grows. Staff are trained in trauma-informed care, which matters for children who have been through big changes.
In Cook County, you apply for the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program through Illinois Action for Children at actforchildren.org. The program is run by the Illinois Department of Human Services, which decides eligibility and amounts. Fantasy Island accepts CCAP, so once you are approved, we can help you understand the next steps with us.
We have Ukrainian-speaking teachers on our team who work with Ukrainian-speaking children. Ask on your tour about speaking with one of them, so you can share your child’s story, routines and worries in the language you are most comfortable with. That first conversation often makes the start much easier.
No. Children do not need to know Ukrainian or Polish to enroll, and families from many backgrounds attend. The school day runs in English for everyone. Our Ukrainian-speaking teachers lead language activities for Ukrainian-speaking children, so if Ukrainian is part of your family, it stays part of your child’s week at school too.
See all daycare options on our Daycare page, compare costs on Tuition & CCAP, or read parent FAQs.
