Chicago Commons

Chicago Commons’ three core activity areas – early childhood education, family-centered adult services, and senior services – create opportunities and move families toward educational success, economic security, and health and well-being.

For 128 years, Chicago Commons has maintained the values of the historic settlement house movement by continually engaging in dialogue with community residents. We base our strategic direction on listening to the people we serve, understanding how the neighborhoods around us are changing, and seeking innovative ways to respond.

Today, Chicago Commons’ multigenerational approach supports low-income families in achieving their goals. For seniors and adults with disabilities, our services help people maintain their independence and quality of life. For families with young children, we provide a supportive environment, resources, and holistic approach to enable success.

Chicago Commons provides services for children, families, and seniors, including:

• Comprehensive early education for ages birth to age five at four directly operated early education family centers, as well as an after school and summer Youth Program for ages 5-12 at our Pilsen location.
• Program oversight to four subgrantee early education agencies and six Community Partners Program sites.
• Family Hub wraparound services to engage the whole family, delivering financial, employment, and health workshops and coaching.
• Adult Day Services and Home Care services throughout the Chicago Metropolitan Area, helping seniors and adults with disabilities maintain their quality of life.

Chicago Commons is a leading provider of high-quality services to children, families, and seniors in Chicago and beyond.

Chicago Commons is a recognized leader in early childhood education.
• Commons’ early education centers were among the first Head Start-funded programs in the nation to systematically implement the principles of the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy, earning us national attention. Through Reggio Emilia, children engage in student-driven investigations, hands-on activities, and questioning that develops higher-order thinking. Private preschools in Chicago using Reggio Emilia have tuitions approaching $25,000. By bringing this high-quality learning approach to low-income families, Chicago Commons is helping to dismantle educational inequity.
• Chicago Commons’ early childhood education programs have been recognized by ExceleRate Illinois as GOLD Circle of Quality programs for meeting the highest quality standards in learning environment and teaching quality, administrative standards, and teacher training. Our centers are also accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children for meeting high standards.

Chicago Commons’ Family Hub is an innovative model that provides over 550 parents with a full range of wraparound support to meet the needs of the whole family. In 2022:
• Family Hub’s Pathways for Parents program received Comcast NBCUniversal’s Project Innovation award.
• 70% of those participating in employment coaching completed a milestone and increased job-readiness.
• 77% of participants in our Pathways for Parents program complete their first two semesters of college coursework.
• 80% of participants in Wellness Wednesdays workshops reported that they used health strategies that they learned in the workshops, such as self-care and stress management skills.

Our senior care programs rank highly in terms of client satisfaction, and we are proud to bring the highest quality home care and adult day service to low-income clients across the city.
• Our programs support 1,100 seniors and adults with disabilities in 2022, providing them with a life of independence, dignity, and respect.
• Commons’ Adult Day Service (ADS) center has operated in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood since 2012. Participants at our center receive individualized therapy, socialize with others, and eat a nutritious meal. ADS also provides a Caregiver Support group for family members.
• Home Care Aides are available 24 hours a day to help homebound seniors with daily activities, provide personal care, or simply offer a friendly ear.

Chicago Commons began in 1894 as a settlement home for immigrants on the near Northwest side looking to build a life for their families. Over the years, Chicago Commons has evolved alongside the communities we serve as their needs have changed. Today, Chicago Commons is a cornerstone in some of the city’s most under-resourced neighborhoods, providing innovative Early Childhood Education, Family Hub services, and Senior Services. Our directly operated centers serve families with a median household annual income of $15,050, mainly in Humboldt Park, Pilsen, Bronzeville, and Back of the Yards. In collaboration with our subgrantee centers, Commons’ programs reach nearly 1,750 children , 556 parents, and 1,100 seniors.