Lockport · Licensed center

Sandcastle Academy

Small center, licensed for 25 children.
Shortlist has found no website for it yet.

What the state has found

The state cited rules at 6 of its 7 licensing inspections since January 2022.

Of the 157 Chicago-area centers with 7 licensing inspections, 27% had rules cited at 6 of them, as this center did. 40% had rules cited at all 7.

Licensing inspections

Jan 7, 20264 citations

Diapering and Toileting Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(k)(1)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(k)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1)

Jul 28, 2025No rules cited

May 9, 20252 citations

Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(o)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCA5G.

Jan 4, 20243 citations

Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6)
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(k)(1)
Outdoor Play Area
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(i)(1)

Dec 7, 20229 citations

General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(6)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(4)

5 more from this inspection

Grouping and Staffing
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(f)
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(k)(1)
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(k)(1)(f)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(11)
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(b)

Mar 3, 20222 citations

Qualifications for Child Care Director
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(b)
Qualifications for Child Care Director
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(j)

Jan 18, 202230 citations

Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(b)
Grouping and Staffing
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(d)(2)
Program Requirements for All Ages
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.200(d)(1)
Program Requirements for All Ages
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.200(d)(3)

26 more from this inspection

Grouping and Staffing
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(d)(4)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(d)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Program Requirements for All Ages
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.200(p)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2)(a)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2)(b)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2)(e)
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5)
Napping and Sleeping
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(c)
Napping and Sleeping
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(h)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(1)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(1)(b)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(11)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(k)(1)
Medications
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.360(d)(2)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a)
Daily Arrival and Departure of Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.260(d)
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(4)
Provisions Pertaining to the License
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.60(g)
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(d)
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(g)
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(k)(4)
Equipment and Materials
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(a)

Read every record and the state’s reports

State record — Illinois DCFS

Last visit: January 7, 2026
On file: 7 visits since January 2022 — 1 cited nothing
Fixed?: The latest correction deadline was February 6, 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.

Jan 2026 Monitoring visit 4 findings

Monitoring visit · January 7, 2026

General Requirements for Personnel

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

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1) · 407.100(c)(5)

Diapering and Toileting Procedures

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(k) through (1) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(k) · 407.340(k)(1)

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 595614 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jul 2025 Compliance monitoring visit nothing cited

May 2025 Monitoring visit 2 findings

Monitoring visit · May 9, 2025

Organization and Administration

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(o) · Violation substantiated

A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCA5G.

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 595614 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jan 2024 Monitoring visit 3 findings

Monitoring visit · January 4, 2024

Health Requirements for Children

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

Diapering and Toileting Procedures

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(k)(1) · Violation corrected

Outdoor Play Area

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 595614 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 7, 2022

General Requirements for Personnel

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

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · 407.100(c)(6) · 407.100(f)

Nutrition and Meal Service

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(k)(1) through (f) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(k)(1) · 407.330(k)(1)(f)

Organization and Administration

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(b) · Violation corrected

Personnel Records

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

Grouping and Staffing

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

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(11) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 595614 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Mar 2022 Monitoring visit 2 findings

Monitoring visit · March 3, 2022

Qualifications for Child Care Director

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(b) through (j) · Violation corrected on site

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(b) · 407.130(j)

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 595614 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jan 2022 Monitoring visit 30 findings

Monitoring visit · January 18, 2022

Enrollment and Discharge Procedures

5 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2) through (4)(a) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2) · 407.250(i)(2)(a) · 407.250(i)(2)(b) · 407.250(i)(2)(e) · 407.250(i)(4)(a)

Health Requirements for Children

4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a) through (d) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a) · 407.310(a)(4) · 407.310(a)(5) · 407.310(d)

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370 through (e)(11) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370 · 407.370(e)(1) · 407.370(e)(1)(b) · 407.370(e)(11)

Program Requirements for All Ages

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.200(d)(1) through (p) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.200(d)(1) · 407.200(d)(3) · 407.200(p)

Personnel Records

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

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

Grouping and Staffing

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(d)(2) through (4) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(d)(2) · 407.190(d)(4)

Nutrition and Meal Service

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(g) through (k)(4) · Violation corrected

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

Napping and Sleeping

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(c) through (h) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(c) · 407.350(h)

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(d) · Violation corrected

Daily Arrival and Departure of Children

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

Diapering and Toileting Procedures

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(k)(1) · Violation corrected

Medications

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.360(d)(2) · Violation corrected

Equipment and Materials

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(a) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 595614 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Openings, child care subsidies, cost, hours and late pickup, teaching approach, ratios and staff, a typical day, and sick and biting policies aren’t on this page.

Details

8152900970

Address: 300 Read St
License: license issued (il)

Run Sandcastle Academy? Correct or add anything here, free.

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.

All checked August 2026.

State record

From Illinois DCFS’s published reports, last checked October 10, 2026.

Details

Phone, Address, License sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov/…/ProviderLookup.aspx. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "SANDCASTLE ACADEMY" under Provider Name and 60441 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 595614).

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.