Chicago · Licensed center

Fantasy Island Schools For Kids

What these mean, and where they come from

Medium means the middle half of Chicago-area’s 1,949 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 49 to 118 children. Small is 8 to 48; large is 119 to 487.

How they teach

Play-based, nature and outdoor and bilingual

“We also incorporate play-based learning opportunities that help children develop social skills, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence.”In their words, August 2026.fantasyislandschoolsforkids.com

“In our bilingual preschool in Chicago, students learn English and Polish (and are exposed to additional languages through cultural immersion) in ways that feel natural, engaging, and joyful.”In their words, August 2026.fantasyislandschoolsforkids.com

“Time spent in our nature-based play areas is not recess—it is research.”In their words, August 2026.fantasyislandschoolsforkids.com

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

Shortlist doesn’t have these yet: cost, hours and late pickup, ratios and staff, sick and biting policies.

What the state has found

Routine visits: 4 of 4 cited something

Chicago-area centers: the state cites something at about 5 in 6 routine 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
April 27, 2026
On file
4 visits since July 2013 — all of them cited findings
Fixed?
The latest correction deadline was May 27, 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.

Apr 2026 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · April 27, 2026

Personnel Records

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 483511 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Apr 2023 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · April 5, 2023

Personnel Records

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 483511 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Mar 2018 Monitoring visit 2 findings

Monitoring visit · March 19, 2018

Personnel Records

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4) · Violation corrected

Health Requirements for Children

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(4) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 483511 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jul 2013 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · July 1, 2013

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 483511 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

How the comparison is built

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

A day here

Meals
Three freshly cooked meals provided daily at no additional cost
Outdoors
Daily outdoor time with guided exploration, weather observation, and sensory play

Details

7737753125

Website
fantasyislandschoolsforkids.com
Address
6100 N Milwaukee Ave
License
license issued (il)
Ages they serve
18 months through age 5, including kindergarten-readiness

Do you run Fantasy Island Schools For Kids? Shortlist has no tuition, hours or ratios for it, because the state does not publish that. Adding it is free and takes about ten minutes.

Add what is missing
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

How they teach

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