Chicago · Licensed center

Better Boys Foundation Kidlab

Medium center, licensed for 90 children.

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: 11 of 11 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: October 22, 2024
On file: 11 visits since October 2010 — all of them cited findings
Fixed?: The latest correction deadline was October 29, 2023. 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.

Oct 2024 Monitoring visit 22 findings

Monitoring visit · October 22, 2024

General Requirements for Personnel

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

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

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

5 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(b) through (q)(2) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(b) · 407.370(e) · 407.370(e)(3) · 407.370(e)(11) · 407.370(q)(2)

Organization and Administration

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e) through (k) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e) · 407.70(k)

Nutrition and Meal Service

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(a) through (g) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(a) · 407.330(g)

Application for License

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.50(b)(1) · Violation substantiated

Application for Renewal of License

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.55(g) · Violation substantiated

Provisions Pertaining to the License

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

Staffing Structure

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a) · Violation substantiated

Background Checks for Personnel

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

Personnel Records

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4) · Violation substantiated

Qualifications for Child Care Director

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(m) · Violation substantiated

Guidance and Discipline

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 016674 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Sep 2023 Monitoring visit 11 findings

Monitoring visit · September 29, 2023

Personnel Records

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

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

Qualifications for Child Care Director

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

Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers

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

Qualifications for Early Childhood Assistants and School-age Assistants

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

Volunteers

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.180(a) · Violation corrected

Grouping and Staffing

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

Enrollment and Discharge Procedures

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 016674 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Sep 2022 Monitoring visit 2 findings

Monitoring visit · September 26, 2022

Personnel Records

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

Daily Arrival and Departure of Children

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 016674 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Oct 2020 Monitoring visit 8 findings

Monitoring visit · October 7, 2020

Personnel Records

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

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a) · 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4) · 407.120(d) · 407.120(e)(3)

General Requirements for Personnel

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

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 016674 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Oct 2019 Monitoring visit 7 findings

Monitoring visit · October 4, 2019

General Requirements for Personnel

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1) through (f) · Violation corrected

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

Personnel Records

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) through (4) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4)

Cited: FHSEC305

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 016674 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Nov 2016 Monitoring visit 6 findings

Monitoring visit · November 18, 2016

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(a)(1) through (e)(3) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(a)(1) · 407.370(e) · 407.370(e)(3)

Enrollment and Discharge Procedures

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(c)(14) through (d) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(c)(14) · 407.250(d)

Personnel Records

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 016674 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Dec 2015 Monitoring visit 16 findings

Monitoring visit · December 15, 2015

Personnel Records

6 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(c) through (f)(2) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(c) · 407.120(e)(3) · 407.120(e)(4) · 407.120(e)(5) · 407.120(f)(1) · 407.120(f)(2)

Organization and Administration

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(1) through (3) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(1) · 407.70(e)(2) · 407.70(e)(3)

Enrollment and Discharge Procedures

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(c)(14) through (i)(4)(a) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(c)(14) · 407.250(d) · 407.250(i)(4)(a)

Health Requirements for Children

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5) through (6) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5) · 407.310(a)(6)

General Requirements for Personnel

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

Equipment and Materials

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 016674 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Oct 2013 Monitoring visit 8 findings

Monitoring visit · October 29, 2013

Organization and Administration

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e) through (k) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e) · 407.70(k)

General Requirements for Personnel

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

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

Personnel Records

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) through (6) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · 407.120(a)(6)

Volunteers

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.180(b) · Violation corrected

Guidance and Discipline

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 016674 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Aug 2012 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · August 17, 2012

Organization and Administration

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 016674 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Sep 2011 Monitoring visit 11 findings

Monitoring visit · September 30, 2011

Equipment and Materials

4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(b) through (j)(6) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(b) · 407.380(j)(4) · 407.380(j)(5) · 407.380(j)(6)

Personnel Records

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

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4)

Organization and Administration

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e) through (k) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e) · 407.70(k)

General Requirements for Personnel

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

Qualifications for Early Childhood Teachers and School-age Workers

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 016674 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Oct 2010 Monitoring visit 10 findings

Monitoring visit · October 27, 2010

Personnel Records

6 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) through (6) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4) · 407.120(a)(5) · 407.120(a)(6)

Equipment and Materials

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4) through (6) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4) · 407.380(j)(5) · 407.380(j)(6)

Volunteers

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.180(b) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 016674 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

7735427300

Website: bbfcenterforthearts.org
Address: 1512 S Pulaski Rd
License: pending renewal application (rn)

Do you run Better Boys Foundation Kidlab? 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.

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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

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 July 2026 sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "BETTER BOYS FOUNDATION KIDLAB" under Provider Name and 60623 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 016674).
Website — Checked August 2026 bbfcenterforthearts.org