Gottlieb Child Development Center celebrates new playground opening
January 26, 2026
CONTACT:
Allison Peters
allison.peters@luhs.org
708-216-6140
MELROSE PARK, IL – The Gottlieb Child Development Center, located at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital (GMH), recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil a newly renovated playground designed specifically for children aged 2 to 5 years old. Licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the Gottlieb Child Development Center welcomes children from 6 weeks to 5 years old, serving both Loyola Medicine families and the local community.
The new “Prehistoric Park” playground was made possible by a gift from the Gottlieb Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Board, which has served the community for over 60 years. “This gift is more than a playground—it’s a promise,” said Woodridge resident and Auxiliary President Jan Morgan “A promise that our youngest learners will have a safe, inspiring environment to grow strong bodies and bright minds.
“It reflects the Auxiliary’s enduring legacy of compassion and commitment, making Gottlieb Memorial Hospital not only a place of healing but a cornerstone of community,” Judith Nealey, director of operations for the Gottlieb Child Development Center.
The ribbon-cutting was attended by members of the Gottlieb Auxiliary Board, Jan Morgan, past presidents Cynthia Gottlieb and Helen Mattis, Gottlieb Memorial Foundation president Jack Weinberg, Elizabeth E. Early, president of Loyola University Medical Center and Sarah Hunter, president of GMH.
“It’s important for parents to feel like they are leaving their child in a safe environment where kids can grow, learn and thrive,” said Hunter. “At Gottlieb, we want these parents to feel comfortable going to work knowing their child is cared for physically and mentally.”
The 55,000-square-foot center provides cozy infant rooms to vibrant Pre-K classrooms. Each space is thoughtfully designed with age-appropriate materials that spark curiosity and creativity. The program is built on a research-based, play-centered curriculum that nurtures social, emotional, and cognitive development.
The Gottlieb Child Development Center is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuition includes three scratch-cooked meals tailored to meet every child’s nutritional needs and preferences. The center offers full-time and part-time enrollment and accepts the Illinois Child Care Assistance financial aid program (CCAP). Discounts are available for Loyola Medicine colleagues. The expansive outdoor yard, playground and spacious indoor gym can accommodate up to 46 children.
“We have many colleagues who were raised in this daycare center and now work at a Loyola Medicine hospital,” said Early. “It’s one big family environment.”
About Loyola Medicine
Loyola Medicine, a member of Trinity Health, is a nationally ranked academic, quaternary care system based in Chicago's western suburbs. The three-hospital system includes Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC), Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, MacNeal Hospital, as well as convenient locations offering primary care, specialty care and immediate care services from nearly 2,000 physicians throughout Cook, Will and DuPage counties. LUMC is a 547-licensed-bed hospital in Maywood that includes the William G. and Mary A. Ryan Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine, the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, the John L. Keeley, MD, Emergency Department, a Level 1 trauma center, Illinois's largest burn center, the Nancy W. Knowles Orthopaedic Institute, a certified comprehensive stroke center, transplant center and a children’s hospital. Having delivered compassionate care for over 50 years, Loyola also trains the next generation of caregivers through its academic affiliation with Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine and Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing.
Established in 1961, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital is a 235-licensed-bed community hospital in Melrose Park that includes the Judd A. Weinberg Emergency Department, the Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery and Bariatric Care, Loyola Cancer Care & Research at the Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Center, acute rehabilitation, a transitional care center, childcare center and fitness center. Founded in 1919, MacNeal Hospital is a 349-licensed-bed teaching hospital in Berwyn with advanced medical, surgical and psychiatric services and a 68-bed behavioral health program.
For more information, visit loyolamedicine.org. You can also follow Loyola Medicine on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly known as Twitter).
About Trinity Health
Trinity Health is one of the largest not-for-profit, faith-based health care systems in the nation. It is a family of 127,000 colleagues and more than 38,300 physicians and clinicians caring for diverse communities across 26 states. Nationally recognized for care and experience, the Trinity Health system includes 93 hospitals, 107 continuing care locations, the second largest PACE program in the country, 142 urgent care locations and many other health and well-being services. In fiscal year 2024, the Livonia, Michigan-based health system invested $1.3 billion in its communities in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs. For more information, visit us at www.trinity-health.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly known as Twitter).