At a Glance

For 30 years, the McGaw YMCA’s Children’s Center has been one of the most trusted institutions in Evanston. We are a leader in providing high-quality, accessible, and affordable early childhood education and school-age programming for children from 0 to 12 years of age.

We believe the values and skills learned early on are vital building blocks for quality of life and future success. At our center, babies develop trust and security, preschoolers learn early literacy and explore their environment, and school-age kids make friends, learn new skills, and make memories in our After School and Day Camps.

We strive to create a community where everyone feels welcome and engaged in supporting  our young learners. We are committed to building confident kids today and bright futures tomorrow, and we invite you to join us!

Our curriculum… is research-based, age appropriate, and culturally relevant. Utilizing the latest in brain and child development research, our curriculum stimulates infants and toddlers, prepares our preschoolers for kindergarten, and ensures our school-age students are exploring their full potential.

Our teachers… understand the cognitive, physical, and social development of children. Our after-school and day camp counselors serve as exceptional role models, trained to support children as they try new things.

Our facility… serves a wide range of ages and activities, and our classrooms are intentionally designed to enhance the social, intellectual, emotional, and physical growth of all children.

Plus, we have the added bonus of being part of the McGaw YMCA. This means we have access to unique facilities, including large gyms and two swimming pools, as well as highly trained staff who are dedicated to supporting all children and youth.

We invite you to visit and learn more about what makes the Children’s Center different from other centers. You will be able to see our facility, visit classrooms, and meet teachers and staff. There’s no better way to understand what we can offer your family.

We want to make our high-quality early childhood education and school-age programming affordable and accessible to everyone in our community. Please know that we offer scholarships to many of our families.

We look forward to meeting you soon!

Raising children is a partnership between families and educators to nourish children’s physical, social emotional, language, and cognitive development through play based learning. We create an environment where children can feel safe to explore the world around them through curriculum and unique enrichments that build thoughtful life-long learners.