Aurora · Licensed center

The Goddard School

Medium center, licensed for 114 children.
Shortlist has found no website for it yet.

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.

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

What the state has found

Routine visits: 10 of 12 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 2, 2025
On file: 12 visits since January 2017 — 2 cited nothing
Fixed?: The latest correction deadline was January 1, 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.

Dec 2025 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · December 2, 2025

General Requirements for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 447655 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Dec 2024 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · December 6, 2024

General Requirements for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 447655 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Oct 2023 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · October 6, 2023

Outdoor Play Area

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(f) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 447655 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jun 2023 Monitoring visit 7 findings

Monitoring visit · June 13, 2023

Staffing Structure

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(1) through (e) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(1) · 407.90(e)

Program Requirements for All Ages

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

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

Background Checks for Personnel

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

Qualifications for Child Care Director

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(a) · Violation corrected

Health Requirements for Children

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 447655 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Apr 2023 Monitoring visit 5 findings

Monitoring visit · April 18, 2023

Grouping and Staffing

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a) through (d)(1) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a) · 407.190(d)(1)

Provisions Pertaining to the License

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.60(g) · Rule cited again

Qualifications for Child Care Director

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(a) · Violation corrected

Qualifications for Early Childhood Assistants and School-age Assistants

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.150(c) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 447655 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Dec 2022 Monitoring visit 9 findings

Monitoring visit · December 2, 2022

Personnel Records

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

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3)

Staffing Structure

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(2) through (e)(1) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(2) · 407.90(e)(1)

Provisions Pertaining to the License

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.60(g) · Violation corrected

General Requirements for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(2) · Violation corrected

Health Requirements for Children

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6) · Violation corrected

Medications

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.360(d)(4) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 447655 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jul 2022 Compliance monitoring visit nothing cited

Jan 2020 Monitoring visit 3 findings

Monitoring visit · January 10, 2020

Qualifications for Child Care Director

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(j)(3) · Violation corrected on site

Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.140(h) · Rule cited again

Grouping and Staffing

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 447655 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Dec 2019 Monitoring visit 15 findings

Monitoring visit · December 3, 2019

Nutrition and Meal Service

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(g) through (k)(4) · Violation corrected · Rule cited again

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(g) · 407.330(j) · 407.330(k)(4)

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3) through (f)(3) · Violation corrected

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

Provisions Pertaining to the License

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.60(g) through (h) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.60(g) · 407.60(h)

Personnel Records

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3) through (4) · Violation corrected · Rule cited again

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4)

General Requirements for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f) · Rule cited again

Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.140(h) · Rule cited again

Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(b) · Violation corrected

Hand Washing

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.320(a)(2) · Violation corrected

Cited: CCASEC4

0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation substantiated

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 447655 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

May 2019 Monitoring visit 13 findings

Monitoring visit · May 2, 2019

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3) through (p)(2) · Violation corrected · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3) · 407.370(n) · 407.370(p)(2)

General Requirements for Personnel

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) through (f) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · 407.100(f)

Personnel Records

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4) through (c) · Violation corrected · Violation corrected on site

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4) · 407.120(c)

Equipment and Materials

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(b) through (g) · Violation corrected · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(b) · 407.380(g)

Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.140(h) · Rule cited again

Nutrition and Meal Service

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(j)(3) · Violation corrected

Outdoor Play Area

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(i) · Violation corrected

Cited: FHSEC305

0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 447655 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Feb 2019 Compliance monitoring visit nothing cited

Jan 2017 Monitoring visit 7 findings

Monitoring visit · January 25, 2017

Staffing Structure

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(2) through (d)(1) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(2) · 407.90(d)(1)

Qualifications for Child Care Director

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(a)(2) through (j) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(a)(2) · 407.130(j)

Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers

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

Grouping and Staffing

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

Daily Arrival and Departure of Children

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 447655 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).

Details

6308988411

Address: 949 Waterford Dr
License: license issued (il)
Chain: The Goddard School, a franchiseSource: goddardschool.com
Owner: This school is owned by its franchisee. The Goddard School brand is owned by Sycamore Partners, a private-equity firm.The private-equity firm Sycamore Partners lists Goddard Systems as a current investment. sycamorepartners.comGoddard’s own site says “All Goddard Schools are independently owned and operated.” goddardschool.com

Do you run The Goddard School? 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.

State record

Every state visit and complaint on file, shown in full and never edited. Open a date to read what the state wrote.

Details

Phone, Address, License — Checked August 2026 sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "THE GODDARD SCHOOL" under Provider Name and 60504 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 447655).
Chain — Checked September 2026 goddardschool.com
Owner — Checked September 2026 sycamorepartners.com
Owner — Checked September 2026 goddardschool.com