Chicago · Licensed center
Breakthrough Beginners
At a glance
- Medium center, licensed for 71 children.
- Run by a nonprofit. A board oversees it, and there are no owners taking profit.
What to know
The license is the range the state allows. It does not say which ages have openings.
What the state has found
The state cited rules at 4 of its 5 licensing inspections since July 2023.
See each inspection
Licensing inspections
Aug 5, 202616 citations
Organization and Administration
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(6)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(6)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a)
Guidance and Discipline
Guidance and Discipline
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(3)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(p)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
Aug 6, 20254 citations
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
- Feb 27, 2025Nothing cited
Jun 17, 20249 citations
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a)
Organization and Administration
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(i)
Guidance and Discipline
Guidance and Discipline
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a)
Background Checks for Personnel
Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
Jul 31, 20236 citations
Background Checks for Personnel
Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(4)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
The state cited rules at 4 of this center's 5 inspections. Chicago-area centers inspected 5 times split: about a quarter had fewer, about a quarter the same, and about half more (127 centers).
How all 127 Chicago-area centers inspected 5 times compare
Of the 127 Chicago-area centers the state inspected 5 times, how many of those inspections cited a rule:
- 1 of 56%
- 2 of 56%
- 3 of 512%
- 4 of 528%This center
- All 547%
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — Illinois DCFS
- Last visit
- August 5, 2026
- On file
- 5 visits since July 2023 — 1 cited nothing
- Fixed?
- The latest correction deadline was September 4, 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.
Aug 2026 Monitoring visit 16 findings
Monitoring visit · August 5, 2026
Personnel Records
4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) through (6) · Violation corrected · Rule cited again
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4) · 407.120(a)(6)
General Requirements for Personnel
3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) through (f) · Violation corrected · Rule cited again
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · 407.100(c)(6) · 407.100(f)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
2 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)(4)(a)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3) through (p) · Violation substantiated
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3) · 407.370(p)
Organization and Administration
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e) · Violation corrected
Guidance and Discipline
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a) · Rule cited again
Health Requirements for Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(3) · Violation corrected
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Rule cited again
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Rule cited again
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 539770 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Aug 2025 Monitoring visit 4 findings
Monitoring visit · August 6, 2025
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f) · Violation corrected
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3) · Rule cited again
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a) · Violation corrected
Health Requirements for Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 539770 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jun 2024 Monitoring visit 9 findings
Monitoring visit · June 17, 2024
General Requirements for Personnel
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1) through (5) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1) · 407.100(c)(5)
Organization and Administration
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(i) · Violation corrected
Background Checks for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Rule cited again
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3) · Rule cited again
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a) · Violation corrected
Guidance and Discipline
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a) · Violation corrected
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Rule cited again
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Rule cited again
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 539770 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jul 2023 Monitoring visit 6 findings
Monitoring visit · July 31, 2023
Personnel Records
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3) through (e)(4) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(e)(4)
Background Checks for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation corrected
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3) · Violation corrected
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 539770 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Details
- Phone
- (872) 444-8210
- Address
- 3219 W Carroll Ave, Chicago, 60624
We couldn’t find some information that may matter to your decision: openings, child care subsidies, cost, hours and late pickup, teaching approach, ratios and staff, a typical day, and sick and biting policies. We can ask the program for you and copy you in.
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 November 8, 2026.
Details
- Phone, Address, License — Checked July 2026 sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov/…/ProviderLookup.aspx. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "BREAKTHROUGH BEGINNERS" under Provider Name and 60624 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 539770).
- Website — Checked August 2026 breakthrough.org
- Ages on the license — Checked November 2026 sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov/…/ProviderLookup.aspx. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "BREAKTHROUGH BEGINNERS" under Provider Name and 60624 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 539770).
- Who runs it — Checked October 2026 projects.propublica.org
Medium means the middle half of Chicago-area’s 1,948 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 49 to 118 children. Small is 8 to 48; large is 119 to 487.
The ages on the license are what the state licenses it to care for, which can be wider than the ages it takes.