Chicago · Licensed center
Creative Scholars Preschool
At a glance
- Medium center, licensed for 58 children.
- Hours 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., 5 days a week, year round.
- Tuition Infant $2,780, toddler $2,650, preschool $2,325 a month, full time. See costs
What to know
The license is the range the state allows. It does not say which ages have openings.
What the state has found
The state cited rules at 9 of its 11 licensing inspections since April 2012.
See each inspection
Licensing inspections
- Apr 4, 2025Nothing cited
Apr 25, 20238 citations
Staffing Structure
Staffing Structure
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(d)
Background Checks for Personnel
Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Nutrition and Meal Service
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(b)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
- Mar 29, 2022Nothing cited
Aug 4, 20201 citation
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Dec 10, 20192 citations
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a)
Qualifications for Child Care Director
Qualifications for Child Care Director
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(l)(1)
Jan 4, 20192 citations
Qualifications for Child Care Director
Qualifications for Child Care Director
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(l)(1)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
May 23, 20171 citation
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f)
Mar 28, 20162 citations
Equipment and Materials
Equipment and Materials
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4)(h)
Equipment and Materials
Equipment and Materials
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(5)
Apr 4, 20141 citation
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
Apr 9, 20136 citations
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Organization and Administration
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(3)
Organization and Administration
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(h)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(d)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(3)
Apr 2, 20123 citations
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6)
Background Checks for Personnel
Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110
The state cited rules at 9 of this center's 11 inspections. Most Chicago-area centers inspected 10 or more times had rules cited at some but not all of theirs, as this center did: 78% of 868.
How all 868 Chicago-area centers inspected 10 or more times compare
Of the 868 Chicago-area centers the state inspected 10 or more times, how many of those inspections cited a rule:
- Some78%This center
- All22%
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — Illinois DCFS
- Last visit
- April 4, 2025
- On file
- 11 visits since April 2012 — 2 cited nothing
- Fixed?
- The latest correction deadline was May 25, 2023. 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.
Apr 2023 Monitoring visit 8 findings
Monitoring visit · April 25, 2023
Personnel Records
5 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a) through (4) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a) · 407.120(a)(1) · 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4)
Staffing Structure
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(d) · Violation corrected
Background Checks for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation corrected
Nutrition and Meal Service
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(b) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 483533 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Aug 2020 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · August 4, 2020
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3) · Violation substantiated
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 483533 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Dec 2019 Monitoring visit 2 findings
Monitoring visit · December 10, 2019
Qualifications for Child Care Director
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(l)(1) · Rule cited again
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 483533 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jan 2019 Monitoring visit 2 findings
Monitoring visit · January 4, 2019
Qualifications for Child Care Director
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(l)(1) · Violation corrected
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 483533 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
May 2017 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · May 23, 2017
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 483533 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Mar 2016 Monitoring visit 2 findings
Monitoring visit · March 28, 2016
Equipment and Materials
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4)(h) through (5) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4)(h) · 407.380(j)(5)
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 483533 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Apr 2014 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · April 4, 2014
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 483533 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Apr 2013 Monitoring visit 6 findings
Monitoring visit · April 9, 2013
Organization and Administration
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(3) through (h) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(3) · 407.70(h)
Personnel Records
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) through (4) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(4)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(d) · Violation corrected
Health Requirements for Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(3) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 483533 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Apr 2012 Monitoring visit 3 findings
Monitoring visit · April 2, 2012
Background Checks for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation corrected
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · Violation corrected
Health Requirements for Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 483533 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
What it costs
Creative Scholars PreschoolMost Chicago-area prices (middle 80%)
Monthly, full time. The band is the middle 80% of Chicago-area full-time prices for that age; 17 infant, 21 toddler and 18 preschool programs publish one.
- Part time
- $1,325 to $1,945 a month
- Application fee
- $300
- Siblings
- 5% family discount when more than one child is enrolled at the same time
A day here
7 a.m. to 6 p.m., 5 days a week, year round
Schedule and closed
- Schedule
- Full-day, offered as 2-day, 3-day, or 5-day per week programs
- Closed
- 10 holidays and breaks a year
Dates
MLK Day & Staff Dev Day (Jan 19), Parent Teacher Conferences (Mar 6), Spring Break (Mar 23-27), Memorial Day (May 25), Juneteenth Day (Jun 19), Independence Day (Jul 3), Labor Day (Sept 7), Indigenous Peoples' Day & Staff Dev Day (Oct 12), Thanksgiving Break (Nov 25-27), Winter Break (Dec 24 - Jan 1, 2027)
Policies
- Enrollment
- Open enrollment; families placed on a waiting list when no spots are available and notified when a spot opens
Details
- Phone
- (773) 489-6543
- Address
- 1735 N Elston Ave, Chicago, 60622
We couldn’t find some information that may matter to your decision: openings, child care subsidies, teaching approach, ratios and staff, a typical day, and who owns it. We can ask the program for you and copy you in.
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.
What it costs
- Infant, Toddler, Preschool, Second price, Sibling discount — Checked August 2026 creativescholarspreschool.com
- Application fee — Checked August 2026 creativescholarspreschool.com
State record
From Illinois DCFS’s published reports, last checked November 8, 2026.
A day here
- Hours, Schedule — Checked August 2026 creativescholarspreschool.com
- Calendar — Checked August 2026 creativescholarspreschool.com
- Closed — Checked August 2026 creativescholarspreschool.com/…/school-calendar-2026.pdf
Policies
- Enrollment — Checked August 2026 creativescholarspreschool.com
Details
- Phone, Address, License — Checked July 2026 sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov/…/ProviderLookup.aspx. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "CREATIVE SCHOLARS PRESCHOOL" under Provider Name and 60622 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 483533).
- Website — Checked August 2026 creativescholarspreschool.com
- Ages on the license — Checked November 2026 sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov/…/ProviderLookup.aspx. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "CREATIVE SCHOLARS PRESCHOOL" under Provider Name and 60622 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 483533).
- Ages they serve — Checked August 2026 creativescholarspreschool.com
Medium means the middle half of Chicago-area’s 1,948 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 49 to 118 children. Small is 8 to 48; large is 119 to 487.
The ages on the license are what the state licenses it to care for, which can be wider than the ages it takes.