Complaint Review: Little Marvels Preschool

Little Marvels is a daycare or preschool (their website and email state they are preschool) their logo and signature state that they are "Little Marvels Early Childhood School", I guess it depends on the day of what they want to be.

They opened their doors in 2014, charged less than similiar competitors to get their center full and come 2016, they gave everyone a 10% increase. If you said anything, you were told that you are lucky it wasn't 13% as Michael wanted it (a quote from Daniela)

Come 2017, they give a 6% increase; to explain the numbers, any center in Illinois only raises their yearly rates between 2-3%; so try and explain that to Little Marvels and they'll make you think you don't understand "they are a small business" they have different costs and they need to employ good teachers.

Michael Slepak, is part of the Dad/daughter team and his title "business manager". Basically, he has no office in the center, but send bills and makes it nearly impossible to speak to him in a professional way because he hides behind email. He is abrupt, aggressive and yell and initimates you if you disagree with him. His daughter Daniela, is the Director and hides behind him if she doesn't want to talk to you so basically you go around in circles trying to get any straight answers.

Daniela Slepak Caracas actually lacks any sort of long term employment with preschool as she sells it. She was actually only a middle school history teacher for 3 years, not with a long term background with early child care as she sells it. This research is from her LinkedIn account, checking through various records and again her employment bio is vague. Second, after she had a baby, she brings her child to work, which would be fine, if she actually came to work on time; instead coming in at 10-11am, pushing her child's schedule on the paid client's kids so her kid doesn't nap at the right hours and cries  and is disruptive, but hey, it's HER center.

Here's an example of how they dealt with complaints after a 16% increase (or $250 more a month) when parents complained: you received a condescending form letter, here is an excerpt:

"First we recognize that any price increase is never welcome news; it never comes at the "right time" or in the "right" amount...

We strive to pay well above the minimum wage-- If we agree to pay $11.00 an hour to someone who makes us a cup of coffee, surely, we should pay a teacher to whom we entrust our children more."

From talking to many (former as they keep leaving) teachers; the starting pay at Little Marvels is $10.50! A lead teacher only makes $12.50 and they only get one .25-.50 hour raise after six months- and then no raise for another full year! I don't blame the staff for going elsewhere when the average Chicago daycare pays $13.00 starting!

They also lock you in by their expectation that you not only have to give them 30 days notice to leave; but you have to pay two months upfront when you start since they bill a month out and they expect a full month's tuition as a deposit for last month (Don't you wish you could get your pay checks a month in advance BEFORE you do the work?); you don't like them, well they have you locked in financially for 60 days when most centers it's just a $200-500 deposit and a wo week notice.

They don't follow their own website; they don't offer various programs; foreign language, dance, gymnastics, martial arts... it took them two years to add soccer; a program that costs extra; to be added so your child can watch his classmates play soccer while they sit in the classroom. Another way for Little Marvels to get extra income.

There is no structure to their staffing. From a  former employee "They don't always do all of the finger printing and background checks on all new employees before they start working there. They waited on doing the necessary paperwork with several employees who started work when I was there."

While I can't confirm or deny this employee's experience as true or false or as improper, I can state that I did experience a similar experience in regard to immunization paperwork. 

Perhaps they don't want to spend the time and money properly caring for your child's safety as they claim!

Again, don't have any arguments with them as they will use words like "uncomfortable" or "harassing" about your behavior; they'll state that "people" have issues with you although you'll never hear who these so-called people are nor why it's LM's business to comment or get involved with parent discussions after hours. 

Finally, if you end up leaving, they'll make those 60 days so uncomfortable as they'll ask your child's teachers where you are going and why you would ever CONSIDER the competition.