Chicago · Licensed center
Choochoo Chicago Academy
At a glance
- Medium play-based center, licensed for 52 children.
- Hours 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., 5 days a week.
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 all 5 of its licensing inspections since July 2022.
See each inspection
Licensing inspections
Oct 20, 202511 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)
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(c)(8)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f)
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)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(r)
Guidance and Discipline
Guidance and Discipline
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a)
Nutrition and Meal Service
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(l)(1)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
Dec 6, 20248 citations
Organization and Administration
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)
Staffing Structure
Staffing Structure
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(b)
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(d)
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)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(3)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
Nov 30, 20234 citations
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(5)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2)
Nutrition and Meal Service
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(j)(3)
Medications
Medications
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.360(b)(1)
Dec 15, 20226 citations
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(b)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6)
Equipment and Materials
Equipment and Materials
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(5)
Jul 21, 20222 citations
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(b)
Guidance and Discipline
Guidance and Discipline
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270
The state cited rules at all 5 of this center's inspections. Most Chicago-area centers inspected 5 times had fewer: 53% of 127.
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%
- All 547%This center
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — Illinois DCFS
- Last visit
- October 20, 2025
- On file
- 5 visits since July 2022 — all of them cited findings
- Fixed?
- The latest correction deadline was November 14, 2025. 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 2025 Monitoring visit 11 findings
Monitoring visit · October 20, 2025
General Requirements for Personnel
5 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(c)(6) · 407.100(c)(8) · 407.100(f)
Background Checks for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation corrected
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3) · Violation corrected
Guidance and Discipline
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a) · Violation corrected on site
Nutrition and Meal Service
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(l)(1) · Violation corrected on site
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(r) · Violation substantiated
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 604049 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Dec 2024 Monitoring visit 8 findings
Monitoring visit · December 6, 2024
General Requirements for Personnel
3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) through (f) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · 407.100(d) · 407.100(f)
Organization and Administration
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e) · Violation corrected
Staffing Structure
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(b) · Violation corrected
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · Violation corrected
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, CCASEC4.
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 604049 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Nov 2023 Monitoring visit 4 findings
Monitoring visit · November 30, 2023
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(5) · Violation substantiated
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2) · Violation corrected
Nutrition and Meal Service
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(j)(3) · Violation substantiated
Medications
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.360(b)(1) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 604049 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Dec 2022 Monitoring visit 6 findings
Monitoring visit · December 15, 2022
Personnel Records
3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) through (b) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · 407.120(a)(4) · 407.120(b)
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · Violation corrected
Health Requirements for Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6) · Violation corrected
Equipment and Materials
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(5) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 604049 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jul 2022 Monitoring visit 2 findings
Monitoring visit · July 21, 2022
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(b) · Violation substantiated
Guidance and Discipline
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270 · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 604049 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
A day here
7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., 5 days a week
How they teach
Play-based
“with their hands-on, play-based curriculum, every day is an adventure filled with fun and exploration!”
Details
- Phone
- (312) 998-5482
- Address
- 2941 N Clark St, Chicago, 60657
We couldn’t find some information that may matter to your decision: openings, child care subsidies, cost, ratios and staff, a typical day, sick and biting policies, and who owns it. 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.
How they teach
- Approach — Checked August 2026 choochoochicago.com
State record
From Illinois DCFS’s published reports, last checked November 8, 2026.
A day here
- Hours — Checked August 2026 choochoochicago.com
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 "CHOOCHOO CHICAGO ACADEMY" under Provider Name and 60657 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 604049).
- Website — Checked August 2026 choochoochicago.com
- 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 "CHOOCHOO CHICAGO ACADEMY" under Provider Name and 60657 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 604049).
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.