Olimpia Zaragoza
Director
Olimpia leads Pudding and meets every new family herself, in Spanish or English. She is Mexican American and grew up in the Fox River valley.
Nonprofit community child care in Elgin
A community child care center with a place for every family
Pudding cares for up to 80 children, from 6 weeks to 5 years, with a lead teacher in every room who speaks Spanish or English with you. Ask us whether state child care assistance is open this month.
- Monday to Friday6:30 am – 6:00 pm
- WhatsApp(847) 555-0103
- LanguagesSpanish and English
- WhereElgin, IL
What you can check
The license, the adults for each child and the daily routines
What you can look up before you visit, and what we do every day.
License
Licensed by DCFS
Child care center license · IL License # 000000Verify
Adults to children
1 adult to 4 children
Infants and toddlers, 6 weeks to 2 years
1 adult to 8 children
Twos, 2 to 3 years
1 adult to 10 children
Threes, 3 to 4 years
1 adult to 10 children
Fours, 4 to 5 years
Capacity
80
Ages 6 weeks to 5 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Safe sleep training
- Mandated reporter training
- Food handler training
Safety routines
Drop-off and pickup
A teacher hands each child to you at the room door. We release a child only to the people you list in writing.
Allergies
Tell us about any allergy at the tour; once you enroll, we ask again in private.
Cribs and naps
Babies sleep on their backs, in their own crib, with nothing else in the crib.
Clean hands
Every room washes hands on arrival, before meals and after outdoor play.
Drills
Each room practices fire and weather drills with its teacher.
Visitors
Visitors sign in at the front door and are never left alone with the children.
Ask us about child care assistance
Sample details.
Programs
Four rooms, and the schedules each one offers
Choose a schedule for your child's room.
| Ages | Adults to children | Full day6:30 am–6:00 pm5 days a week | Half day6:30 am–12:30 pm5 days a week | Three days6:30 am–6:00 pmMonday, Wednesday and Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infants and toddlers6 weeks to 2 yearsA crib of their own, floor time and songs in Spanish and English. | 1 adult to 4 children | Offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| Twos2 to 3 yearsA play kitchen, blocks and the first art table. | 1 adult to 8 children | Offered | Offered | Waitlist |
| Threes3 to 4 yearsStory circle, paint and a reading corner. | 1 adult to 10 children | Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Fours4 to 5 yearsStories, counting games and time to run outside. | 1 adult to 10 children | Offered | Offered | Full |
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Opens your child's enrollment file and goes with the application.
- Holding a place
- Keeps your child's place until the first day.
- Supplies
- Paper, paint and the things that wear out with use.
Places by room change through the year; ask at the tour.
Sample programs.
Who cares for them
Meet the people who care for your child
Every room has a lead teacher. Here are three of the people you will meet on a tour, and all three speak Spanish.
Yarely Peralez
Infant and toddler lead teacher
Yarely keeps a note for each family at pickup: what your baby ate, when they slept and what they tried today. She speaks Spanish and English.
Marcial Ruelas
Threes and fours lead teacher
Marcial moves between the threes and fours rooms, so children already know his face when they move up. He speaks Spanish and English.
What families say
What Pudding families tell us
Families who use state assistance and families who pay their own way, in the same rooms.
4.8
64 reviews
5★52
4★9
3★2
2★1
1★0
“The first meeting took the worry out of the paperwork. Olimpia told us exactly what to bring.”
Marisol G.“The teacher speaks Spanish with us and English with her. We feel understood.”
Araceli V.“Some neighbors use state assistance and we pay our own way. At the door, nobody can tell the difference.”
Daniel R.
Sample reviews.
Through the year
Open houses, first days and closures
Come to an open house to see all four rooms, or book a tour any weekday.
This school year
Early August
Open houseFall open house
Walk through every room and meet each teacher. Bring your questions, and a friend if you like.
Late August
First dayFall classes begin
Children visit their new room with a family member the week before.
Late November
ClosedThanksgiving closure
Closed Thursday and Friday.
Late December
ClosedWinter closure
Closed from Christmas Eve through New Year's Day.
Early March
Open houseSpring open house
See the rooms again and meet the teachers your child will have next year.
Mid April
Applications openFall places open
Places open to every family at the same time, whether you use assistance or pay your own way.
Book a tour
Sample dates.
Your first meeting
What to bring to your first meeting
A short list, so nothing takes you by surprise. Bring what you have; we will help you find the rest.
About your child
A birth certificate or other proof of age
The immunization record from your child's doctor
Names and phone numbers of the people who may pick up your child
About your family
A photo ID
Proof of where you live, such as a lease or a bill
Your most recent pay stubs or a letter from your employer
If you want to ask about assistance
Any child care assistance paperwork you have already received
A letter or notice from your caseworker, if you have one
Your questions, in Spanish or English
How to enroll
- 01
Step 1: Get in touch
Message us on WhatsApp, call or use the form. We answer in Spanish or English, usually the same day.
- 02
Step 2: Book a tour
Come see the rooms and meet the teachers; it takes about half an hour. Bring the first-meeting list and all your questions, including the ones about assistance.
- 03
Step 3: Join the waitlist
If your child's room is full, we put your family on the waitlist. When a place opens, we call whoever has waited longest first.
- 04
Step 4: Register
We give you the enrollment forms and you fill them in privately: that is where your child's details, health and the people allowed to pick up go.
- 05
Step 5: The first day
Bring a change of clothes and whatever your child sleeps with. We ask you to stay a little while so you can say goodbye calmly.
Questions from families
What ages do you take?
From 6 weeks to 5 years, in four rooms: infants and toddlers, twos, threes and fours.
Are you licensed by the state?
Yes. Pudding is a center licensed by DCFS, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The license number is at the foot of every page.
Can you help me with state child care assistance?
Ask us whether assistance is open this month. We tell you what we know and go through the steps with you, in Spanish or English. You apply to the state, and the assistance page explains how.
Does anyone speak Spanish?
Yes. Olimpia, Yarely and Marcial speak Spanish and English with families. The forms and pages on this site are in both languages too.
How does tuition work?
It depends on your child's age, the schedule and the days a week. We give you the figures in writing at the tour, for the schedule you choose.
Can I see the center before I decide?
Yes. Book a tour and come with your child. It takes about half an hour and you can ask anything. If you like, bring a relative or a friend.
Want to see the center?
Come on a tour with your child, or message us on WhatsApp and we will answer in English or Spanish.