Lockport · Licensed center
Mary Sears Childrens Academy
At a glance
- Large center, licensed for 162 children.
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 8 of its licensing inspections since March 2017.
See each inspection
Licensing inspections
May 21, 20245 citations
Background Checks for Personnel
Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110
Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers
Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(f)(24)
Napping and Sleeping
Napping and Sleeping
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(b)(1)
Napping and Sleeping
Napping and Sleeping
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(j)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3)
Jan 30, 20242 citations
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(3)
Feb 7, 20238 citations
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(d)
Qualifications for Child Care Director
Qualifications for Child Care Director
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(k)(1)
Qualifications for Child Care Director
Qualifications for Child Care Director
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(m)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(d)
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(a)(5)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(1)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(t)(2)
Outdoor Play Area
Outdoor Play Area
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(f)
Feb 22, 20222 citations
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Feb 4, 20225 citations
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(8)
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)(4)
Daily Arrival and Departure of Children
Daily Arrival and Departure of Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.260(d)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
Feb 1, 20181 citation
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)
Jul 21, 201713 citations
Program Requirements for All Ages
Program Requirements for All Ages
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.200(d)(3)
Transportation
Transportation
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.280(t)(2)
Transportation
Transportation
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.280(t)(3)
Transportation
Transportation
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.280(t)(4)
Hand Washing
Hand Washing
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.320(a)(1)
Nutrition and Meal Service
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(g)(1)
Nutrition and Meal Service
Nutrition and Meal Service
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(i)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(1)(a)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(1)(b)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(2)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(3)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(6)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(7)
Mar 28, 20171 citation
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(5)
The state cited rules at all 8 of this center's inspections. Most Chicago-area centers inspected 8 times had fewer: 63% of 128.
How all 128 Chicago-area centers inspected 8 times compare
Of the 128 Chicago-area centers the state inspected 8 times, how many of those inspections cited a rule:
- 3 of 83%
- 4 of 86%
- 5 of 819%
- 6 of 816%
- 7 of 818%
- All 838%This center
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — Illinois DCFS
- Last visit
- May 21, 2024
- On file
- 8 visits since March 2017 — all of them cited findings
- Fixed?
- The latest correction deadline was July 15, 2024. 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.
May 2024 Monitoring visit 5 findings
Monitoring visit · May 21, 2024
Napping and Sleeping
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(b)(1) through (j) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(b)(1) · 407.350(j)
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)(24) · Violation corrected
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jan 2024 Monitoring visit 2 findings
Monitoring visit · January 30, 2024
Health Requirements for Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a) · Violation corrected
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(3) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Feb 2023 Monitoring visit 8 findings
Monitoring visit · February 7, 2023
Qualifications for Child Care Director
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(k)(1) through (m) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(k)(1) · 407.130(m)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(1) through (t)(2) · Violation corrected on site
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(1) · 407.370(t)(2)
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(d) · Violation corrected
Health Requirements for Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(d) · Violation corrected
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(a)(5) · Violation corrected on site
Outdoor Play Area
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(f) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Feb 2022 Monitoring visit 2 findings
Monitoring visit · February 22, 2022
Personnel Records
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3) through (4) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4)
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Feb 2022 Monitoring visit 5 findings
Monitoring visit · February 4, 2022
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 corrected
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4) · Violation corrected
Daily Arrival and Departure of Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.260(d) · Violation corrected on site
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 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Feb 2018 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · February 1, 2018
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jul 2017 Monitoring visit 13 findings
Monitoring visit · July 21, 2017
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
6 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(6) through (f)(3) · Violation corrected · Violation corrected on site
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(6) · 407.370(e)(7) · 407.370(f)(1)(a) · 407.370(f)(1)(b) · 407.370(f)(2) · 407.370(f)(3)
Transportation
3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.280(t)(2) through (4) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.280(t)(2) · 407.280(t)(3) · 407.280(t)(4)
Nutrition and Meal Service
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(g)(1) through (i) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(g)(1) · 407.330(i)
Program Requirements for All Ages
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.200(d)(3) · Violation corrected
Hand Washing
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.320(a)(1) · Violation corrected on site
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Mar 2017 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · March 28, 2017
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(5) · Violation corrected on site
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Details
- Phone
- (815) 552-3582
- Address
- 16151 S Farrell Rd, Lockport, 60441
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, 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.
State record
From Illinois DCFS’s published reports, last checked November 8, 2026.
Details
- Phone, Address, License — Checked August 2026 sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov/…/ProviderLookup.aspx. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "MARY SEARS CHILDRENS ACADEMY" under Provider Name and 60441 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 554086).
- 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 "MARY SEARS CHILDRENS ACADEMY" under Provider Name and 60441 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 554086).
Large means the biggest quarter of Chicago-area’s 1,948 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 119 to 487 children. Small is 8 to 48; medium is 49 to 118.
The ages on the license are what the state licenses it to care for, which can be wider than the ages it takes.