Chicago · Licensed center

Children's Creative Center

A play-based center in Chicago, licensed for 43 children. The state cited something at 9 of 9 routine visits (Chicago-area centers: about 5 in 6).

How they teach

Play-based and developmental

“This play-based and emergent, thematic approach engages children’s natural curiosity and helps them reach key developmental milestones per Illinois State Board of Education.”In their words. childrenscreativecenter.com, August 2026

“By focusing on the development of the “whole child”-nurturing their academic, emotional, social, physical, and cognitive growth-we create a supportive space that extends beyond the classroom.”In their words. childrenscreativecenter.com, August 2026

One of 70 Chicago-area providers that describe a play-based approach, out of 129 that describe any approach at all.

Who cares for your child

Ratio not published

Ten staff are named on their site, with no start years given.

Shortlist doesn’t have these yet: cost, sick and biting policies.

What the state has found

Routine visits: 9 of 9 cited something

Across Chicago-area centers, the state cites something at about 5 in 6 routine visits (19,088 visits).

From Illinois DCFS’s published reports, last checked September 25, 2026.

Read every record and the state’s reports

State record — Illinois DCFS

Last visit
January 7, 2026
On file
9 visits since March 2016 — all of them cited findings
Fixed?
The latest correction deadline was February 7, 2026. Illinois DCFS does not publish whether it was made.
Most serious
Illinois DCFS does not publish a severity level for a citation, so there is no most-serious to name.

Illinois DCFS cites each subsection of a rule separately, so one audit of a filing cabinet can produce ten citations. It publishes the rule’s title and a correction deadline, but no description of what was observed.

Jan 2026 Monitoring visit 11 findings

Monitoring visit · January 7, 2026

General Requirements for Personnel

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) through (d) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · 407.100(c)(8) · 407.100(d)

Nutrition and Meal Service

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(l)(1) through (m) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(l)(1) · 407.330(l)(2) · 407.330(m)

Personnel Records

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · Violation substantiated

Health Requirements for Children

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(1) · Violation substantiated

Diapering and Toileting Procedures

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(a)(5) · Violation substantiated

Cited: CCASEC4

0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation substantiated

Cited: FHSEC305

0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation substantiated

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 545362 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Feb 2024 Monitoring visit 3 findings

Monitoring visit · February 20, 2024

General Requirements for Personnel

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) through (f) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · 407.100(d) · 407.100(f)

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 545362 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jan 2023 Monitoring visit 3 findings

Monitoring visit · January 30, 2023

General Requirements for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f) · Violation substantiated

Cited: CCASEC4

0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected

Cited: FHSEC305

0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 545362 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Dec 2021 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · December 14, 2021

Cited: CCASEC4

0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 545362 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Nov 2020 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · November 2, 2020

Napping and Sleeping

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(e) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 545362 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Dec 2017 Monitoring visit 13 findings

Monitoring visit · December 12, 2017

Hand Washing

5 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.320(a)(1) through (6) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.320(a)(1) · 407.320(a)(2) · 407.320(a)(3) · 407.320(a)(5) · 407.320(a)(6)

Personnel Records

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) through (4) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4)

General Requirements for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · Violation corrected

Background Checks for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation corrected

Guidance and Discipline

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a) · Violation corrected

Nutrition and Meal Service

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(p)(1) · Violation corrected

Cited: CCASEC4

0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 545362 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Dec 2016 Monitoring visit 5 findings

Monitoring visit · December 22, 2016

Personnel Records

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3) through (4) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4)

General Requirements for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · Violation corrected

Background Checks for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation corrected

Cited: CCASEC4

0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 545362 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Aug 2016 Monitoring visit 4 findings

Monitoring visit · August 8, 2016

Health Requirements for Children

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a) through (6) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a) · 407.310(a)(5) · 407.310(a)(6)

Organization and Administration

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 545362 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Mar 2016 Monitoring visit 5 findings

Monitoring visit · March 17, 2016

Health Requirements for Children

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5) through (6) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5) · 407.310(a)(6)

Organization and Administration

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(i) · Violation corrected

Enrollment and Discharge Procedures

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a) · Violation corrected

Guidance and Discipline

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 545362 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

A day here

Sleep
Infants kept on individualized, flexible napping schedules rather than a fixed nap time
Updates for parents
Brightwheel app for messages, photos, and daily updates
Hours
7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, 5 days a week

Details

Phone
7732704696
Website
childrenscreativecenter.com
Address
2026 W Belmont Ave # 2028
License
license issued (il)

Do you run Children's Creative Center? Shortlist has no tuition, ratios or policies for it, because the state does not publish that. Add what is missing. It is free and takes about ten minutes.

Sources and dates

Where every fact on this page came from, and when Shortlist last checked it against that source. Anything Shortlist could not source is named here rather than left blank.

How they teach

How they teach

Who cares for your child

State record

Every state visit and complaint on file, shown in full and never edited. Open a date to read what the state wrote.

A day here

Details

  • Phone, Address, License — Checked July 2026 · sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "CHILDREN'S CREATIVE CENTER" under Provider Name and 60618 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 545362).
  • Website — Checked August 2026 · childrenscreativecenter.com