Since its founding in 1894 by Graham Taylor, Chicago Commons has focused its work in parts of city where needs are most pressing.
Commons opened one of the earliest kindergartens in the city in 1897. And today we are widely recognized as one of the first organizations in the United States to systematically implement the Reggio Emilia approach with low-income families. The Reggio Approach originated in Italy in the 1950s, and is noted for its focus on teacher development, where the teacher is viewed as a co-learner along with the children and parents.
Today, Commons is one of the largest community-based operators of Senior Home Care Service and also operates two Senior Day Care centers.
Harking back to our Settlement House roots, we continue to put a high priority on hiring neighborhood residents, many of whom eventually assume leadership positions. For example, 40% of Child Development staff are parents of current or past children in the program.