Chicago · Licensed center

Care-A-Lot II Early Learning Center, Inc

What these mean, and where they come from

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

How they teach

Developmental and play-based

“In order to fix on children’s developmental needs, we have adapted the teachings and theory of Jean Piaget and his ‘Theory of Cognitive Development.'”In their words, August 2026.carealot4kids.com

“Social interaction and play are primary factors to our philosophy. We view play as a prelude to the acquisition and understanding of developmental skills.”In their words, August 2026.carealot4kids.com

One of 20 Chicago-area providers that describe a developmental approach, out of 129 that describe any approach at all.

What it costs

$997 a month for a toddler

Toddler$997

Lower than 21 of 22 Chicago-area providers that publish a full-time toddler price.

Preschool$909

Lower than 18 of 19 Chicago-area providers that publish a full-time preschool price.

Care-A-Lot II Early Learning Center, IncMost Chicago-area prices (middle 80%)

Scale $0 to $4,000 a month. Chicago-area prices as of September 29, 2026. Part-time $779 to $888 a month. Application fee $50. Prices from their website, August 2026.

Shortlist doesn’t have these yet: ratios and staff, sick and biting policies.

What the state has found

Routine visits: 13 of 14 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
March 4, 2026
On file
14 visits since July 2011 — 1 cited nothing
Fixed?
The latest correction deadline was March 10, 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.

Mar 2026 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · March 4, 2026

Cited: CCA83

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 270229 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jan 2026 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · January 28, 2026

Grouping and Staffing

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190 · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 270229 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Oct 2025 Monitoring visit 2 findings

Monitoring visit · October 8, 2025

General Requirements for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100 · Violation corrected

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(6) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 270229 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Aug 2025 Monitoring visit 7 findings

Monitoring visit · August 7, 2025

Personnel Records

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

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

General Requirements for Personnel

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

Nutrition and Meal Service

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(g) · Violation corrected

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(6) · Violation corrected

Cited: FHSEC305

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 270229 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jul 2024 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · July 22, 2024

Personnel Records

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · Violation substantiated

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 270229 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jul 2023 Monitoring visit 10 findings

Monitoring visit · July 17, 2023

Staffing Structure

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

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

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(10) through (11) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(10) · 407.370(e)(11)

Confidentiality of Records and Information

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.80(a) · Violation corrected

General Requirements for Personnel

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

Background Checks for Personnel

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

Students and Youth Aides

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.160(b) · Violation corrected

Grouping and Staffing

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

Napping and Sleeping

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 270229 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jun 2022 Monitoring visit 6 findings

Monitoring visit · June 27, 2022

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(2) through (e)(11) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(2) · 407.370(e)(1)(c) · 407.370(e)(6) · 407.370(e)(11)

Diapering and Toileting Procedures

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(k)(1) · Violation corrected

Equipment and Materials

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 270229 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jul 2021 Monitoring visit 5 findings

Monitoring visit · July 1, 2021

Personnel Records

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

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

Organization and Administration

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

General Requirements for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · Violation substantiated

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 270229 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Mar 2019 Compliance monitoring visit nothing cited
Jun 2018 Monitoring visit 7 findings

Monitoring visit · June 13, 2018

Enrollment and Discharge Procedures

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(1) through (2) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(1) · 407.250(i)(2)

General Requirements for Personnel

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

Personnel Records

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

Grouping and Staffing

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

Outdoor Play Area

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390 · Violation corrected

Cited: FHSEC305

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 270229 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Sep 2015 Monitoring visit 3 findings

Monitoring visit · September 4, 2015

General Requirements for Personnel

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

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(6) · 407.100(h)

Nutrition and Meal Service

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(k)(1) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 270229 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jul 2014 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · July 31, 2014

Hand Washing

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.320(a)(8) · Violation corrected on site

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 270229 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Oct 2012 Monitoring visit 5 findings

Monitoring visit · October 12, 2012

Provisions Pertaining to the License

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

Grouping and Staffing

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

Hand Washing

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.320(a)(2) · Violation corrected

Napping and Sleeping

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

Cited: null

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 270229 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jul 2011 Monitoring visit 3 findings

Monitoring visit · July 27, 2011

Outdoor Play Area

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(i) through (l) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(i) · 407.390(i)(2) · 407.390(l)

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 270229 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).

A day here

Outdoors
daily outdoor playground time set aside per seasonal temperature, indoor large-motor equipment as the alternative
Hours
7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, 5 days a week, year round
Schedule
full-time and part-time (7:00 AM-12:15 PM), 2-5 days/week

Details

7737630888

Website
carealot4kids.com
Address
5522 North Milwaukee Avenue
License
license issued (il)
Ages they serve
15 months to 12 years old

Do you run Care-A-Lot II Early Learning Center, Inc? Shortlist has no ratios or policies for it, because the state does not publish that. Adding it is free and takes about ten minutes.

Add what is missing
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.

How they teach

How they teach

What it costs

  • Toddler, Preschool, Second price, Application fee — Checked August 2026 carealot4kids.com

State record

Every state visit and complaint on file, shown in full and never edited. Open a date to read what the state wrote.

A day here

Details

  • Phone, Address, License — Checked July 2026 sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "CARE-A-LOT II EARLY LEARNING CENTER, INC" under Provider Name and 60630 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 270229).
  • Website — Checked August 2026 carealot4kids.com
  • Ages they serve — Checked August 2026 carealot4kids.com