Chicago · Licensed center
Little Scholars Journey
At a glance
- Medium play-based center, licensed for 78 children.
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 7 of its 9 licensing inspections since May 2017.
See each inspection
Licensing inspections
Jun 25, 20263 citations
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(5)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3)
May 23, 202510 citations
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)
Staffing Structure
Staffing Structure
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(1)
Qualifications for Child Care Director
Qualifications for Child Care Director
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(m)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(7)
Application for License
Application for License
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.50(c)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(d)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Application for Renewal of License
Application for Renewal of License
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.55(f)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(10)
- Aug 8, 2024Nothing cited
Jun 24, 20244 citations
Background Checks for Personnel
Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(2)
Outdoor Play Area
Outdoor Play Area
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(i)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3)
May 1, 202314 citations
Staffing Structure
Staffing Structure
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(2)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(7)
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)(2)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(4)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(5)
Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers
Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.140(c)(3)
Qualifications for Early Childhood Assistants and School-age Assistants
Qualifications for Early Childhood Assistants and School-age Assistants
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.150(b)
Nutrition and Meal Service
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(l)(1)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(n)
- Aug 10, 2022Nothing cited
Jul 16, 20204 citations
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(f)(2)
Jun 27, 20171 citation
Guidance and Discipline
Guidance and Discipline
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a)
May 10, 20175 citations
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1)
Organization and Administration
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(b)
Qualifications for Child Care Director
Qualifications for Child Care Director
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(a)
Organization and Administration
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)
The state cited rules at 7 of this center's 9 inspections. Most Chicago-area centers inspected 9 times had more: 55% of 127 had rules cited at 8 or more.
How all 127 Chicago-area centers inspected 9 times compare
Of the 127 Chicago-area centers the state inspected 9 times, how many of those inspections cited a rule:
- 2 of 91%
- 3 of 92%
- 4 of 92%
- 5 of 92%
- 6 of 916%
- 7 of 921%This center
- 8 of 924%
- All 931%
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — Illinois DCFS
- Last visit
- June 25, 2026
- On file
- 9 visits since May 2017 — 2 cited nothing
- Fixed?
- The latest correction deadline was July 25, 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.
Jun 2026 Monitoring visit 3 findings
Monitoring visit · June 25, 2026
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(5) · Violation substantiated
Health Requirements for Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5) · Violation substantiated
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3) · Violation substantiated
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 551564 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
May 2025 Monitoring visit 10 findings
Monitoring visit · May 23, 2025
General Requirements for Personnel
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(7) through (d) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(7) · 407.100(d)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3) through (10) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3) · 407.370(e)(10)
Application for License
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.50(c) · Violation corrected
Application for Renewal of License
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.55(f) · Violation corrected
Staffing Structure
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(1) · Violation corrected
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4) · Violation corrected
Qualifications for Child Care Director
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(m) · Violation corrected
Health Requirements for Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 551564 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jun 2024 Monitoring visit 4 findings
Monitoring visit · June 24, 2024
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(2) · Violation corrected
Background Checks for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation corrected
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3) · Violation corrected
Outdoor Play Area
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(i) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 551564 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
May 2023 Monitoring visit 14 findings
Monitoring visit · May 1, 2023
Personnel Records
5 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) through (e)(5) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4) · 407.120(e)(4) · 407.120(e)(5)
General Requirements for Personnel
3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1) through (7) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1) · 407.100(c)(5) · 407.100(c)(7)
Staffing Structure
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(2) · Violation corrected
Background Checks for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation corrected
Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.140(c)(3) · Violation corrected
Qualifications for Early Childhood Assistants and School-age Assistants
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.150(b) · Violation corrected
Nutrition and Meal Service
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(l)(1) · Violation corrected
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(n) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 551564 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jul 2020 Monitoring visit 4 findings
Monitoring visit · July 16, 2020
Personnel Records
4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) through (f)(2) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4) · 407.120(f)(2)
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 551564 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jun 2017 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · June 27, 2017
Guidance and Discipline
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 551564 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
May 2017 Monitoring visit 5 findings
Monitoring visit · May 10, 2017
Organization and Administration
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(b) through (e) · Violation corrected on site
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(b) · 407.70(e)
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · Violation corrected on site
Qualifications for Child Care Director
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(a) · Violation corrected on site
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 551564 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
How they teach
Play-based
“we believe that children learn a great deal of information via play, modeled behavior, and positive encouragement”
Who cares for your child
Ms. Vicky (Assistant Teacher (Rainbow Room)) since 2016, Ms. Darina (Lead Teacher (Sunshine Room)) since 2018 and Janeth Arrieta (Director) since 2018.
10 years · Chicago-area median 16, among 26 that publish
Details
- Phone
- (773) 780-5329
- Address
- 3310 S Archer Ave Unit E, Chicago, 60608
We couldn’t find some information that may matter to your decision: openings, child care subsidies, cost, hours and late pickup, a typical day, sick and biting policies, 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.
How they teach
- Approach — Checked August 2026 littlescholarsjourney.com/about.html
Who cares for your child
State record
From Illinois DCFS’s published reports, last checked November 8, 2026.
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 "LITTLE SCHOLARS JOURNEY" under Provider Name and 60608 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 551564).
- Website — Checked August 2026 littlescholarsjourney.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 "LITTLE SCHOLARS JOURNEY" under Provider Name and 60608 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 551564).
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.