Chicago · Licensed center
The Gardner School Of River North
At a glance
- Large center, licensed for 187 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 5 of its 7 licensing inspections since December 2020.
See each inspection
Licensing inspections
Jul 7, 20262 citations
Background Checks for Personnel
Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(11)
- Feb 26, 2026Nothing cited
Aug 8, 202523 citations
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)
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)
Grouping and Staffing
Grouping and Staffing
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a)
Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers
Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(f)(8)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(d)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(1)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2)
Guidance and Discipline
Guidance and Discipline
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(3)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6)
Nutrition and Meal Service
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(l)(1)
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(b)
Napping and Sleeping
Napping and Sleeping
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(c)
Medications
Medications
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.360(e)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3)
Equipment and Materials
Equipment and Materials
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4)
Equipment and Materials
Equipment and Materials
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(5)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
Aug 30, 202217 citations
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)(8)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1)
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)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a)
Daily Arrival and Departure of Children
Daily Arrival and Departure of Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.260(e)(3)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)
Nutrition and Meal Service
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(b)
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(a)(5)(i)
Napping and Sleeping
Napping and Sleeping
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(j)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3)
Equipment and Materials
Equipment and Materials
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4)(j)
Equipment and Materials
Equipment and Materials
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4)(k)
- Dec 13, 2021Nothing cited
Sep 28, 20216 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)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
Dec 16, 20201 citation
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5)
The state cited rules at 5 of this center's 7 inspections. Most Chicago-area centers inspected 7 times had more: 66% of 149 had rules cited at 6 or more.
How all 149 Chicago-area centers inspected 7 times compare
Of the 149 Chicago-area centers the state inspected 7 times, how many of those inspections cited a rule:
- 2 of 71%
- 3 of 75%
- 4 of 714%
- 5 of 714%This center
- 6 of 726%
- All 740%
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — Illinois DCFS
- Last visit
- July 7, 2026
- On file
- 7 visits since December 2020 — 2 cited nothing
- Fixed?
- The latest correction deadline was September 8, 2025. 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.
Jul 2026 Monitoring visit 2 findings
Monitoring visit · July 7, 2026
Background Checks for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation substantiated
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(11) · Violation substantiated
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 591434 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Aug 2025 Monitoring visit 23 findings
Monitoring visit · August 8, 2025
Personnel Records
4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) through (e)(4) · Repeat violation · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4) · 407.120(e)(4)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(d) through (i)(2) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(d) · 407.250(i)(1) · 407.250(i)(2)
Health Requirements for Children
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(3) through (6) · Violation substantiated
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(3) · 407.310(a)(6)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3) through (e)(3) · Repeat violation · Violation substantiated
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3) · 407.370(e)(3)
Equipment and Materials
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4) through (5) · Violation substantiated
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4) · 407.380(j)(5)
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 substantiated
Grouping and Staffing
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a) · Violation substantiated
Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(f)(8) · Violation substantiated
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(l)(1) · Violation substantiated
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(b) · Violation substantiated
Napping and Sleeping
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(c) · Violation substantiated
Medications
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.360(e) · Violation substantiated
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 591434 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Aug 2022 Monitoring visit 17 findings
Monitoring visit · August 30, 2022
Personnel Records
6 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) through (e)(5) · Violation substantiated
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4) · 407.120(e)(4) · 407.120(e)(5)
General Requirements for Personnel
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) through (8) · Violation substantiated
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · 407.100(c)(8)
Equipment and Materials
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4)(j) through (k) · Violation substantiated
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4)(j) · 407.380(j)(4)(k)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a) · Violation substantiated
Daily Arrival and Departure of Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.260(e)(3) · Violation substantiated
Health Requirements for Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a) · Violation substantiated
Nutrition and Meal Service
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(b) · Violation substantiated
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(a)(5)(i) · Violation substantiated
Napping and Sleeping
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(j) · Violation substantiated
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3) · Violation substantiated
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 591434 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Sep 2021 Monitoring visit 6 findings
Monitoring visit · September 28, 2021
Personnel Records
3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) through (4) · Violation substantiated
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4)
Health Requirements for Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6) · Violation substantiated
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation substantiated
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation substantiated
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 591434 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Dec 2020 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · December 16, 2020
Health Requirements for Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 591434 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Details
- Phone
- (312) 546-3183
- Address
- 500 W Superior St, Chicago, 60654
We couldn’t find some information that may matter to your decision: openings, child care subsidies, cost, hours and late pickup, teaching approach, ratios and staff, 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.
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 "THE GARDNER SCHOOL OF RIVER NORTH" under Provider Name and 60654 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 591434).
- 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 "THE GARDNER SCHOOL OF RIVER NORTH" under Provider Name and 60654 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 591434).
Large means the biggest quarter of Chicago-area’s 1,948 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 119 to 487 children. Small is 8 to 48; medium is 49 to 118.
The ages on the license are what the state licenses it to care for, which can be wider than the ages it takes.