Stepping Stones Learning Academy, Llc
GoldiCheck · State record
Protective Plan issued on 2023-10-11 (407270C6A: Staff used PROHIBITED PHYSICAL DISCIPLINE on a child) — DCFS assessed an active child safety risk
Category check
2 safety areas flagged serious — see red below.
Safety
can be flagged seriousKey findings
Most recent or most severe violations based on your filters.
Staff member working WITHOUT a completed background check (Child Care Act §7(a))
Illinois law (Child Care Act §7(a)) requires daycare employees to pass a criminal history check before working with children. This citation is recorded when that screening is incomplete or not documented for someone in the facility's personnel records. DCFS typically pairs it with a corrective plan requiring the screening be completed.
Staff member working WITHOUT a completed background check (Child Care Act §7(a))
Illinois law (Child Care Act §7(a)) requires daycare employees to pass a criminal history check before working with children. This citation is recorded when that screening is incomplete or not documented for someone in the facility's personnel records. DCFS typically pairs it with a corrective plan requiring the screening be completed.
Staff member with NON-WAIVABLE disqualifying criminal record working with children (Health Care Worker Background Check Act §25-I)
This citation category applies when a background check identifies a Category I record — the offense classes Illinois never permits a waiver for. Under the Act, a person with such a record cannot work with children. Check the status shown with this finding: a Category I citation most often reflects the screening system doing its job — the check surfaced a record and the facility acted on it — rather than a continuing situation.
All violations
42 violations shown (86 outside lookback window)
Background checks(10)
Staff member working WITHOUT a completed background check (Child Care Act §7(a))
Illinois law (Child Care Act §7(a)) requires daycare employees to pass a criminal history check before working with children. This citation is recorded when that screening is incomplete or not documented for someone in the facility's personnel records. DCFS typically pairs it with a corrective plan requiring the screening be completed.
Background check not completed for a household or non-staff member
Staff member working WITHOUT a completed background check (Child Care Act §7(a))
Illinois law (Child Care Act §7(a)) requires daycare employees to pass a criminal history check before working with children. This citation is recorded when that screening is incomplete or not documented for someone in the facility's personnel records. DCFS typically pairs it with a corrective plan requiring the screening be completed.
Background check not completed for a household or non-staff member
Staff member with NON-WAIVABLE disqualifying criminal record working with children (Health Care Worker Background Check Act §25-I)
This citation category applies when a background check identifies a Category I record — the offense classes Illinois never permits a waiver for. Under the Act, a person with such a record cannot work with children. Check the status shown with this finding: a Category I citation most often reflects the screening system doing its job — the check surfaced a record and the facility acted on it — rather than a continuing situation.
Staff member with disqualifying criminal record working with children (Health Care Worker Background Check Act §25-II)
This citation category applies under Illinois' Health Care Worker Background Check Act when a background check identifies a Category II record — offenses such as certain drug felonies, robbery, or aggravated assault. These are presumptively disqualifying, though DCFS may grant a formal waiver under specific conditions. Check the status shown with this finding: these are commonly recorded once screening has surfaced the record and the facility has responded.
Staff member with NON-WAIVABLE disqualifying criminal record working with children (Health Care Worker Background Check Act §25-I)
This citation category applies when a background check identifies a Category I record — the offense classes Illinois never permits a waiver for. Under the Act, a person with such a record cannot work with children. Check the status shown with this finding: a Category I citation most often reflects the screening system doing its job — the check surfaced a record and the facility acted on it — rather than a continuing situation.
Staff member with disqualifying criminal record working with children (Health Care Worker Background Check Act §25-II)
This citation category applies under Illinois' Health Care Worker Background Check Act when a background check identifies a Category II record — offenses such as certain drug felonies, robbery, or aggravated assault. These are presumptively disqualifying, though DCFS may grant a formal waiver under specific conditions. Check the status shown with this finding: these are commonly recorded once screening has surfaced the record and the facility has responded.
Staff member working WITHOUT a completed background check (Child Care Act §7(a))
Illinois law (Child Care Act §7(a)) requires daycare employees to pass a criminal history check before working with children. This citation is recorded when that screening is incomplete or not documented for someone in the facility's personnel records. DCFS typically pairs it with a corrective plan requiring the screening be completed.
Staff worked with children WITHOUT completed background check
Discipline(1)
Staff used PROHIBITED PHYSICAL DISCIPLINE on a child
Illinois prohibits physical punishment — hitting, slapping, shaking, or physical restraint used as discipline — in licensed daycares. This citation code is recorded when an inspector documents that prohibition being breached.
Health & sanitation(2)
Diapering or toileting requirement not met
Diapering or toileting requirement not met
Building safety(10)
Transportation safety requirement not met
Indoor facility or space safety requirement not met
Indoor facility or space safety requirement not met
Indoor facility or space safety requirement not met
Outdoor playground safety requirement not met
Indoor facility or space safety requirement not met
Outdoor playground safety requirement not met
Indoor facility or space safety requirement not met
Outdoor playground safety requirement not met
Outdoor playground safety requirement not met
Staff training(8)
Required pre-service or early in-service training not completed (mandated reporter, life safety, emergency plan, communicable disease)
Annual 15-clock-hour in-service training requirement not met
Required pre-service or early in-service training not completed (mandated reporter, life safety, emergency plan, communicable disease)
Annual 15-clock-hour in-service training requirement not met
Annual 15-clock-hour in-service training requirement not met
Required pre-service or early in-service training not completed (mandated reporter, life safety, emergency plan, communicable disease)
Pre-employment physical exam or TB screening missing
Annual 15-clock-hour in-service training requirement not met
Paperwork / records(11)
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Enrollment or discharge procedure not followed
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Enrollment or discharge procedure not followed
How we rate this daycareIllinois DCFS records›
DCFS doesn't grade violations, so we classify each citation by the rule it cites: rules tied to immediate child safety (supervision, background checks, discipline, and the higher-risk building and health rules) are red; administrative rules (ratios, training, paperwork) are yellow. Classification is per citation, so two findings in the same category can differ.
🔴 Serious concerns — any of:
- A child-safety (red) violation is still unresolved — past its correction deadline, or cited again as a repeat
- DCFS issued a Protective Plan — a formal finding of an active risk to a child
- 2 or more violations are past their correction deadline
🟡 Watch carefully — any of:
- A child-safety (red) violation was corrected or is being corrected
- 3 or more administrative (yellow) violations
- 1 violation is past its correction deadline
- An active corrective plan — DCFS formally required a fix
🟢 Clean
Actively licensed, with no violations (or only minor, corrected ones) in your lookback window.
Data sourced from Illinois DCFS (DCFS Sunshine). Last updated: Aug 7, 2026. GoldiCheck is not affiliated with DCFS. Always verify with the DCFS Sunshine record (search Provider #600377).