Kangaroo Korner Daycare and Preschool (KK) was a pioneering daycare center in Forest Park. Like many businesses, it was thriving prior to the statewide lockdown to combat COVID-19. Owner Suzanne Logan was forced to shut her doors after 42 years and they never reopened.
Now she’s selling off KK’s furniture, equipment and supplies. It’s a bittersweet ending for a business that had become part of her lifeblood.
“We had so many close relationships,” Logan recalled, “we couldn’t even say goodbye.”
KK was founded in the late 1960s by Harold and Arlene Dunn. They bought the former corner bakery and transformed it into a daycare center. There were few such facilities in those days and it was difficult for parents to find quality daycare. When they retired, they hoped their daughter would take over, but she moved to Seattle.
So they turned to Logan, a family friend who had obtained degrees in Elementary Education and Special Education from UIC. She started working at KK in 1974. The Dunn family later sold the business and building to Logan on a contract basis. The 24-year-old became sole owner of KK in 1978.
It was a good fit for Logan, who loved caring for children and getting to know their families. KK also had a prime location. It was across the street from Field-Stevenson School and a few blocks from The Park. Parents also found it convenient, being close to the Blue Line and I-290.
The state licensed the facility to accommodate 50 children. They ranged in age from 15 months to their 9th birthday. Word-of-mouth spread about KK and it had a huge waiting list. Most of the kids were from Forest Park and Oak Park. The clientele was quite diverse, with many children of immigrants. There was a cook to prepare meals and 50 cots for taking naps.
The kids, though, spent much of their time outdoors. They played sports at The Park, while kids 4 and older could swim at the pool. KK had its own playground, plus 12-seat strollers for taking walks. They even had a van for home and school transportation.
Coordinating these activities was all-consuming for Logan. There was also an educational component to KK. Toddlers were potty-trained and worked on art projects. The key was keeping them from consuming crayons or finger paint.
The curriculum became more complex for 4- to 5-year-olds. To prepare them for school, students even worked on science projects. KK had a staff of 12-15 teachers, who had the proper certifications and personalities for caring for kids.
KK completed a new classroom in 1981 and expanded to 70 students. The biggest change she saw was the increase in single-parent families. Logan sometimes hired parents to work at KK to defray their daycare costs.
She has been invited to graduations and weddings. It was a treat for kids to put on shows for their parents. Holiday celebrations were also big. KK even staged graduations with students wearing caps and gowns.
It was difficult for Logan when the whirlwind of running a daycare facility suddenly stopped. Her husband Dan, a contractor, believed that closing KK was meant to happen. The property had been rezoned for residential, so no business can operate in the 5,200-square-foot building. Logan has made the tough transition from non-stop activity to emptying the building. She and Dan plan to sell their Forest Park home and move to a condo in Mexico.
Logan says she is proud that KK provided a healthy environment, with a caring staff that allowed children to grow, learn and flourish.
