Chicago · Licensed center
Kensington School Of Lincoln Park
A academic center in Chicago, licensed for 214 children. Barbara Marlas (Founder) has been there since 1969. The state cited something at 4 of 6 routine visits (Chicago-area centers: about 5 in 6).
Large center. Large means the biggest quarter of Chicago-area’s 1,949 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 119 to 487 children. Small is 8 to 48; medium is 49 to 118.
How they teach
Academic and play-based
“Kensington School's curriculum is traditional and academic at its core, innovative in creation, and forward-thinking in educational philosophy.”In their words. kensingtonschool.com, August 2026
“Play-based programs encouraged children's independence and social confidence.”In their words. kensingtonschool.com, August 2026
One of 10 Chicago-area providers that describe an academic approach, out of 129 that describe any approach at all.
Who cares for your child
Ratio not published
Barbara Marlas (Founder) since 1969.
Of 5,346 Chicago-area providers, 27 publish how long a named staff member has been there; the longest tenure at each of those has a median of sixteen years.
Shortlist doesn’t have these yet: cost, hours and late pickup, sick and biting policies.
What the state has found
Routine visits: 4 of 6 cited something
Across Chicago-area centers, the state cites something at about 5 in 6 routine visits (19,088 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
- April 17, 2026
- On file
- 6 visits since March 2024 — 2 cited nothing
- Fixed?
- The latest correction deadline was April 13, 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 12 findings
Monitoring visit · March 12, 2026
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)(6) · 407.100(f)
Medications
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.360(b)(1) through (e) · Repeat violation · Violation substantiated
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.360(b)(1) · 407.360(e)
Organization and Administration
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e) · Violation corrected on site
Background Checks for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation corrected
Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(f)(8) · Violation corrected
Nutrition and Meal Service
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(l)(1) · Violation corrected on site
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(a)(5) · Violation corrected
Equipment and Materials
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(5) · Violation substantiated
Cited: FHSEC305
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 626896 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Mar 2025 Monitoring visit 7 findings
Monitoring visit · March 3, 2025
Health Requirements for Children
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6) through (d) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6) · 407.310(d)
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(8) · Violation corrected
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)(1) · Violation corrected
Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(b) · Violation corrected
Medications
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.360(b)(1) · Violation substantiated
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 626896 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
May 2024 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · May 16, 2024
Grouping and Staffing
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(g) · Violation substantiated
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 626896 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Mar 2024 Monitoring visit 2 findings
Monitoring visit · March 19, 2024
Provisions Pertaining to Permits
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.65(f) · Violation corrected on site
Nutrition and Meal Service
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(l)(1) · Violation substantiated
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 626896 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
A day here
- Meals
- Serves high-quality, natural foods; allergies and food restrictions carefully monitored
Details
- Phone
- 6309908000
- Website
- kensingtonschool.com
- Address
- 2745 N Lincoln Ave
- License
- license issued (il)
- Established
- 1969
- Chain
- Kensington SchoolSource: kensingtonschool.com
Do you run Kensington School Of Lincoln Park? Shortlist has no tuition, hours or ratios for it, because the state does not publish that. Add what is missing. It is free and takes about ten minutes.
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 · kensingtonschool.com
How they teach
- Approach — Checked August 2026 · kensingtonschool.com
Who cares for your child
- Staff — kensingtonschool.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
- Meals — Checked August 2026 · kensingtonschool.com
Details
- Phone, Address, License — Checked July 2026 · sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "KENSINGTON SCHOOL OF LINCOLN PARK" under Provider Name and 60614 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 626896).
- Website — Checked August 2026 · kensingtonschool.com
- Established — Checked August 2026 · kensingtonschool.com
- Chain — Checked September 2026 · kensingtonschool.com