Chicago · Licensed center
Shining Star Early Learning Academy
- Medium center, licensed for 105 children.
What these mean, and where they come from
Medium means the middle half of Chicago-area’s 1,949 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 49 to 118 children. Small is 8 to 48; large is 119 to 487.
Who cares for your child
Ratio not published
Gicele Wray-Lindley (Founder) since 2004. One other staff is named on their site, with no start year given.
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, teaching approach, a typical day, sick and biting policies.
What the state has found
Routine visits: 14 of 20 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
- January 16, 2026
- On file
- 20 visits since February 2010 — 6 cited nothing
- Fixed?
- The latest correction deadline was February 16, 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.
Jan 2026 Monitoring visit 6 findings
Monitoring visit · January 16, 2026
General Requirements for Personnel
4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(6) through (h) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(6) · 407.100(c)(7) · 407.100(c)(8) · 407.100(h)
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3) · Violation corrected
Nutrition and Meal Service
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(l)(1) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 495161 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Feb 2024 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · February 21, 2024
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 495161 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jan 2023 Monitoring visit 6 findings
Monitoring visit · January 5, 2023
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)
Organization and Administration
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e) · Violation corrected
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a) · Violation corrected
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(a)(4) · Violation corrected
Cited: FHSEC305
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 495161 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Feb 2022 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · February 1, 2022
Nutrition and Meal Service
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(j)(2) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 495161 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jan 2021 Monitoring visit 2 findings
Monitoring visit · January 27, 2021
Grouping and Staffing
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(d) · Violation corrected
Nutrition and Meal Service
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(l)(1) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 495161 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jan 2018 Monitoring visit 5 findings
Monitoring visit · January 23, 2018
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f) · Violation corrected
Background Checks for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation corrected
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(d) · Violation corrected
Health Requirements for Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(4) · Violation corrected
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 495161 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jan 2017 Monitoring visit 3 findings
Monitoring visit · January 31, 2017
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) · 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 495161 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jan 2015 Monitoring visit 4 findings
Monitoring visit · January 16, 2015
Personnel Records
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) through (3) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · 407.120(a)(3)
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(d) · Violation corrected
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(4) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 495161 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jan 2014 Monitoring visit 8 findings
Monitoring visit · January 27, 2014
Personnel Records
5 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) through (5) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4) · 407.120(a)(5)
Staffing Structure
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(b) through (d) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(b) · 407.90(d)
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 495161 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Sep 2012 Monitoring visit 5 findings
Monitoring visit · September 26, 2012
Outdoor Play Area
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(i) through (l)(1) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(i) · 407.390(l)(1)
Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(f)(21) · Violation corrected
Nutrition and Meal Service
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(h) · Violation corrected
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(2) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 495161 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Sep 2010 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · September 29, 2010
Grouping and Staffing
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 495161 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jul 2010 Monitoring visit 11 findings
Monitoring visit · July 9, 2010
Personnel Records
4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) through (4) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4)
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)
Health Requirements for Children
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(1) through (4) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(1) · 407.310(a)(4)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(2) through (3) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(2) · 407.370(f)(3)
Equipment and Materials
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 495161 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Mar 2010 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · March 12, 2010
Grouping and Staffing
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 495161 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Feb 2010 Monitoring visit 4 findings
Monitoring visit · February 11, 2010
Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(b) through (h)(8) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(b) · 407.210(h)(8)
Organization and Administration
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(n)(3) · Violation corrected
Grouping and Staffing
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 495161 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).
Details
- Website
- shiningstaryouth.com
- Address
- 338 E 103rd St
- License
- license issued (il)
- Ages they serve
- ages 6 weeks to 6 years old
- Established
- 2009
Do you run Shining Star Early Learning Academy? Shortlist has no tuition, hours or ratios for it, because the state does not publish that. Adding it is free and takes about ten minutes.
Add what is missingSources 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.
Who cares for your child
- Staff shiningstaryouth.com
Who cares for your child
- Staff shiningstaryouth.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.
Details
- Phone, Address, License — Checked July 2026 sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "SHINING STAR EARLY LEARNING ACADEMY" under Provider Name and 60628 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 495161).
- Website — Checked August 2026 shiningstaryouth.com
- Ages they serve, Established — Checked August 2026 shiningstaryouth.com