Lockport · Licensed center

The Goddard School

Large center, licensed for 148 children.
A Goddard School franchise. The brand is owned by Sycamore Partners, a private-equity firm.
Shortlist has found no website for it yet.

What the state has found

The state lists 7 visits below. Shortlist has not read the reports behind them, so there is no share of visits that cited something to set beside other providers yet.

State record — Illinois DCFS

Last visit: July 19, 2024
On file: 7 visits since July 2021
Fixed?: The latest correction deadline was September 28, 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 2024 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · July 19, 2024

Nutrition and Meal Service

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 653264 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jul 2024 Monitoring visit 5 findings

Monitoring visit · July 16, 2024

General Requirements for Personnel — Child Abuse / Neglect Report Made

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(a)(1) through (11) · Violation substantiated

Illinois does not publish what came of a report; that investigation is confidential.

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(a)(1) · 407.100(a)(3) · 407.100(a)(11)

Program Requirements for All Ages — Child Abuse / Neglect Report Made

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.200(r) · Violation substantiated

Illinois does not publish what came of a report; that investigation is confidential.

Guidance and Discipline — Child Abuse / Neglect Report Made

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(c)(2) · Violation substantiated

Illinois does not publish what came of a report; that investigation is confidential.

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 653264 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Sep 2023 Monitoring visit 4 findings

Monitoring visit · September 6, 2023

Grouping and Staffing

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

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

Provisions Pertaining to the License

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

Napping and Sleeping

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(i)(4) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 653264 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jun 2023 Monitoring visit 9 findings

Monitoring visit · June 27, 2023

Staffing Structure

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

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(2) · 407.90(a)(5) · 407.90(d)

General Requirements for Personnel

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

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(d) · 407.100(f)

Background Checks for Personnel

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

Personnel Records

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

Enrollment and Discharge Procedures

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(k)(1) · Violation corrected

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 653264 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jul 2022 Monitoring visit 14 findings

Monitoring visit · July 7, 2022

General Requirements for Personnel

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

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(2) · 407.100(c)(5) · 407.100(c)(6) · 407.100(c)(7) · 407.100(d) · 407.100(f)

Personnel Records

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

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

Organization and Administration

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

Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers

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

Enrollment and Discharge Procedures

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(c)(9) · Violation corrected

Guidance and Discipline

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a) · Violation corrected

Health Requirements for Children

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 653264 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Oct 2021 Monitoring visit 2 findings

Monitoring visit · October 19, 2021

Staffing Structure

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(1) through (b) · Rule cited again · Violation corrected

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 653264 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jul 2021 Monitoring visit 6 findings

Monitoring visit · July 8, 2021

Staffing Structure

4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a) through (d)(1) · Violation substantiated

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

Personnel Records

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3) · Violation substantiated

Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 653264 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

8154159100

Address: 16523 W 159th St
License: permit issued (ip)

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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.

Details

Phone, Address — Checked August 2026
License — Checked October 2026 sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov/…/ProviderLookup.aspx. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "THE GODDARD SCHOOL OF LOCKPORT" under Provider Name and 60441 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 653264).
Who runs it — Checked October 2026 goddardschool.com/…/lockport/lockport
Who runs it — Checked October 2026 sycamorepartners.com
Who runs it — Checked September 2026 goddardschool.com/about

The private-equity firm Sycamore Partners lists Goddard Systems as a current investment. sycamorepartners.com

Goddard’s own site says “All Goddard Schools are independently owned and operated.” goddardschool.com

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