Aurora · Licensed center

The Goddard School

Medium center, licensed for 114 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 cited rules at 10 of its 12 licensing inspections since January 2017.

Of the 860 Chicago-area centers with 10 or more licensing inspections, 78% had rules cited at some but not all of them, as this center did. 22% had rules cited at all of them.

Licensing inspections

Dec 2, 20251 citation

General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f)

Dec 6, 20241 citation

General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f)

Oct 6, 20231 citation

Outdoor Play Area
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(f)

Jun 13, 20237 citations

Program Requirements for All Ages
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.200(p)
Qualifications for Child Care Director
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(a)
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(h)
Staffing Structure
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(1)

3 more from this inspection

Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110
Program Requirements for All Ages
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.200(r)
Staffing Structure
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(e)

Apr 18, 20235 citations

Qualifications for Early Childhood Assistants and School-age Assistants
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.150(c)
Grouping and Staffing
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a)
Grouping and Staffing
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(d)(1)
Provisions Pertaining to the License
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.60(g)

1 more from this inspection

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

Dec 2, 20229 citations

Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1)
Staffing Structure
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(2)
Staffing Structure
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(e)(1)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(2)

5 more from this inspection

Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6)
Medications
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.360(d)(4)
Provisions Pertaining to the License
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.60(g)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)

Jul 11, 2022No rules cited

Jan 10, 20203 citations

Grouping and Staffing
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a)
Qualifications for Child Care Director
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(j)(3)
Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.140(h)

Dec 3, 201915 citations

General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f)
Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(b)
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(j)
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(k)(4)

11 more from this inspection

Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(2)
Provisions Pertaining to the License
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.60(g)
Provisions Pertaining to the License
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.60(h)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.140(h)
Hand Washing
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.320(a)(2)
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(g)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(3)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.

May 2, 201913 citations

General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)
Outdoor Play Area
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(i)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(n)
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(j)(3)

9 more from this inspection

Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3)
Equipment and Materials
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(g)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Equipment and Materials
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(b)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(c)
Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.140(h)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(p)(2)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.

Feb 14, 2019No rules cited

Jan 25, 20177 citations

Staffing Structure
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(2)
Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.140(h)
Qualifications for Child Care Director
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(a)(2)
Grouping and Staffing
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a)

3 more from this inspection

Daily Arrival and Departure of Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.260(d)
Staffing Structure
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(d)(1)
Qualifications for Child Care Director
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(j)

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) · Rule cited again · Violation corrected

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

A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, 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 substantiated · Violation corrected

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

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 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.

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

6308988411

Address: 949 Waterford Dr
License: pending renewal application (rn)

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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.

State record

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

Details

Phone, Address — Checked August 2026 sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov/…/ProviderLookup.aspx. 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).
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" under Provider Name and 60504 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 447655).
Who runs it — Checked October 2026 goddardschool.com/…/aurora/aurora
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

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.