Chicago · Licensed center

Mountain Top Kids Early Learning Center

What these mean, and where they come from

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

How they teach

Creative Curriculum and play-based

“Through play, your child will learn about themselves and work guided by our well trained teachers.”In their words, August 2026.mtkschool.com

“Within the Creative Curriculum, not only does the teacher serve as a role model but also a moderator for student interaction. The Creative Curriculum places an emphasis on teachers working with parents and families for the child's benefit.”In their words, August 2026.mtkschool.com

One of 26 Chicago-area providers that describe a Creative Curriculum approach, out of 129 that describe any approach at all.

Shortlist doesn’t have these yet: cost, ratios and staff, a typical day, sick and biting policies.

What the state has found

Routine visits: 4 of 5 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
December 30, 2024
On file
5 visits since May 2017 — 1 cited nothing
Fixed?
The latest correction deadline was December 10, 2021. 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.

Dec 2024 Compliance monitoring visit nothing cited
Nov 2021 Monitoring visit 2 findings

Monitoring visit · November 10, 2021

Personnel Records

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

Equipment and Materials

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j) · Violation substantiated

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 553928 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Nov 2018 Monitoring visit 12 findings

Monitoring visit · November 1, 2018

Guidance and Discipline

5 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a) through (4) · Violation substantiated · Repeat violation

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a) · 407.270(a)(1) · 407.270(a)(2) · 407.270(a)(3) · 407.270(a)(4)

Staffing Structure

4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(2) through (f) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(2) · 407.90(a)(3) · 407.90(e) · 407.90(f)

Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.140(h) · Violation substantiated

Grouping and Staffing

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a) · Violation substantiated

Health Requirements for Children

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5) · Repeat violation

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 553928 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Nov 2017 Monitoring visit 25 findings

Monitoring visit · November 16, 2017

General Requirements for Personnel

5 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1) through (h) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1) · 407.100(c)(2) · 407.100(c)(3) · 407.100(d) · 407.100(h)

Guidance and Discipline

5 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a)(1) through (5) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a)(1) · 407.270(a)(2) · 407.270(a)(3) · 407.270(a)(4) · 407.270(a)(5)

Organization and Administration

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(1) through (3) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(1) · 407.70(e)(2) · 407.70(e)(3)

Personnel Records

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) through (6) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(6)

Hand Washing

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.320(a)(1) through (b)(1) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.320(a)(1) · 407.320(b)(1)

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(2) through (3) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(2) · 407.370(f)(3)

Background Checks for Personnel

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

Students and Youth Aides

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.160(a) · Violation substantiated

Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(b) · 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 553928 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

May 2017 Monitoring visit 7 findings

Monitoring visit · May 18, 2017

Program Requirements for All Ages

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.200(p) through (r) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.200(p) · 407.200(r)

Qualifications for Child Care Director

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(j)(2) · Violation substantiated

Enrollment and Discharge Procedures

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(g) · Violation substantiated

Daily Arrival and Departure of Children

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.260(d) · Violation substantiated

Nutrition and Meal Service

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(k)(1) · Violation substantiated

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e) · Violation substantiated

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 553928 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

Schedule
before and after school (school-age program)

Details

5743294339

Website
mtkschool.com
Address
3108 W Devon Ave
License
license issued (il)
Ages they serve
Infants through school age (Kindergarten to 12 years old)

Do you run Mountain Top Kids Early Learning Center? Shortlist has no tuition, ratios or policies 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

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 "MOUNTAIN TOP KIDS EARLY LEARNING CENTER" under Provider Name and 60659 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 553928).
  • Website — Checked August 2026 mtkschool.com
  • Ages they serve — Checked August 2026 mtkschool.com