Loss of Longtime Uptown Day Care Center Leaves Families Devastated

Introduction to the Crisis

Megan Vens-Policky has spent the last week scrambling to find new day care for her 4-year-old daughter. Her favorite place, A Step Ahead Learning Center, at 4208 N. Broadway in Uptown, was forced to close its doors after 35 years on Wednesday due to a prolonged dispute between owner Tanneh Parker and the landlord over building conditions and rent. Vens-Policky and other families at the day care have had to hastily make new plans for their children, who have come to adore Parker and their time at A Step Ahead. The parents see her as family and say her eviction is unjust.

The Impact on Families

“In the last week, I’ve reached out to four different day cares, I’ve filled out waitlist applications, I’ve been on tours. It’s a lot,” Vens-Policky said. “All while still working a full-time job and advocating for A Step Ahead.” On Wednesday, the last day for the day care, Parker spent the last hour of the day reading and playing with the children. At pickup, some parents brought gifts for Parker and her employees.

Michael Cotey, a concerned parent whose children attend A Step Ahead Learning Center, points out water damage and mold in an unused section of the day care in Uptown.
Tyler Pasciak Lariviere / Sun-Times

The History of A Step Ahead Learning Center

Parker’s mother, Regina, opened the day care in Uptown in 1989. It eventually expanded across five connected storefronts and served more than 60 children. Parker took over soon after her mother died in 2013. Her troubles with the landlord began in 2015, when Parker began renovations and discovered leaks in the ceilings of some of the storefronts. Parker paused the remodel and contacted the landlord, but she said the problems weren’t fixed.

The Dispute and Its Consequences

By 2019 the conditions worsened. Water “rained” down walls from a plumbing problem in one of the apartments above the day care, damaging books and other supplies. A substance that appeared to be mold developed. Due to the unsafe conditions and seeing no other options, Parker decided to stop using three of her five storefronts for the day care and only paid rent for the two that she was using. Her enrollment dropped to six families. In 2021 she received an eviction notice over incomplete payments, and the landlord took her to court for back rent.

Parents tearfully wait to pick up their children on Wednesday at A Step Ahead Learning Center in Uptown. It was the last day for the day care center.
Tyler Pasciak Lariviere / Sun-Times

The Court Hearing and Aftermath

In a court hearing in 2022, the landlord said the repairs weren’t made because Parker hasn’t given them access for crews to enter the building and do the work, according to a transcript of the proceeding. But Parker denied that and told Judge David Skryd that she has text messages that show her repeatedly asking the landlord to take care of the issues. When Parker’s lawyer asked her to show those to the judge, Skryd said, “I don’t need — we don’t need to see that. She testified to that,” the transcript states. The judge sided with the landlord. An initial $550,000 judgment was issued against Parker, but that was later reduced to $405,000. Facing having to pay that sum and fund her legal challenges, Parker decided it was best to agree to leave the space.

Community Reaction and Support

Her plight got the attention of local community leaders, who reached out to the city to conduct an inspection of the property on Tuesday. The building failed that inspection. Several violations were found, including “severe black furry substance appearing to be mold” and “rotted and water-damaged floors.” The city filed a complaint against the landlord in circuit court Wednesday over those violations, according to a spokesperson for the Law Department.

<img class="Image" alt="Tanneh Parker, owner of A Step Ahead Learning Center in Uptown tearfully hugs a parent who’s coming to pick up her children on the last day open for the Uptown daycare, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. " srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/78955a1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000×2000+0+0/resize/840×560!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%