When you’re searching for childcare, you’ll find providers with a wide range of backgrounds and credentials. Some hold associate’s degrees in early childhood education; others are experienced parents with years of hands-on childcare experience; and some, like Eva Makris at Early Milestones Home Daycare, are certified teachers with graduate-level training in early childhood development.
Does it matter? We think it does. Here’s why.
What It Means to Be a Certified Early Childhood Teacher in Illinois
In Illinois, a teaching certificate issued by the State Board of Education requires a formal degree program, supervised student teaching, and passing state licensure exams. It’s the same credential required to teach in Illinois public schools — and it’s exceptionally rare to find it in a home daycare setting.
Eva Makris, the owner and director of Early Milestones, holds a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is a certified teacher licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education. This isn’t a weekend certification or an online course — it’s a full graduate-level academic credential combined with state teaching licensure.
How Formal Training Shows Up in Day-to-Day Care
Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Eva’s coursework included deep study of child development theory — including the work of Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and Erik Erikson. This means she designs activities and interactions that are matched to where each child actually is developmentally, not just where they’re expected to be by age.
Curriculum Planning
A certified teacher knows how to construct a curriculum — not just fill time with activities. At Early Milestones, the daily schedule is intentionally designed to build pre-literacy, gross motor, cognitive, and social-emotional skills in sequence, with age-appropriate scaffolding across the infant, toddler, and preschool programs.
Observation and Assessment
Teachers are trained to observe children systematically and use what they see to adjust their approach. If a child is struggling with tummy time, falling behind in language development, or excelling and needing more challenge — a trained educator notices, documents, and responds.
Communication with Families
Graduate-level teacher preparation includes training in family engagement and communication. Eva communicates proactively with parents, provides detailed daily reports for infant families, and is able to speak with you specifically and knowledgeably about your child’s development.
What the Research Says
The research on early childhood education is consistent: the quality of the caregiver is the most important factor in early childcare quality. The National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) long-term study found that higher caregiver education and more sensitive caregiving were among the strongest predictors of positive child outcomes in cognitive, language, and social development.
Choosing a provider with formal education in early childhood development isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s one of the most meaningful quality indicators available to parents.
What This Means for Your Family
When you enroll your child at Early Milestones, you get something that very few Chicago home daycares can offer: a program directed by an educator with the same professional training as a licensed classroom teacher, in a small, home-like setting with a low child-to-caregiver ratio.
Your child isn’t just supervised — they’re being intentionally taught, observed, and guided by someone who has dedicated her career to understanding how young children learn and grow.
Ready to see it for yourself? Schedule a visit at Early Milestones →
Early Milestones Home Daycare | 6125 Waveland Ave., Chicago, IL 60634 | (773) 988-5886