Chicago · Licensed center
Smart From The Start LLC
At a glance
- Medium center, licensed for 100 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 6 of its 13 licensing inspections since September 2018.
See each inspection
Licensing inspections
Jul 23, 20263 citations
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(4)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
Oct 27, 202516 citations
Organization and Administration
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(i)
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(d)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(i)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Special Requirements for School-Age Children
Special Requirements for School-Age Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.220(c)(2)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(3)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(4)
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(f)(2)
Organization and Administration
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(l)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC7.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC7.
- Aug 6, 2025Nothing cited
Apr 10, 20246 citations
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(5)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(d)
Daily Arrival and Departure of Children
Daily Arrival and Departure of Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.260(f)(1)(a)
- Jan 25, 2023Nothing cited
Mar 24, 202225 citations
Staffing Structure
Staffing Structure
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(2)
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)(2)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(3)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(7)
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(d)
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)(2)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(6)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(b)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(c)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(d)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(1)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(4)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(f)(2)
Qualifications for Child Care Director
Qualifications for Child Care Director
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(a)
Qualifications for Early Childhood Assistants and School-age Assistants
Qualifications for Early Childhood Assistants and School-age Assistants
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.150(c)
Grouping and Staffing
Grouping and Staffing
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(d)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a)
Guidance and Discipline
Guidance and Discipline
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)
Jun 14, 20211 citation
Grouping and Staffing
Grouping and Staffing
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a)
- Jun 3, 2021Nothing cited
- May 4, 2021Nothing cited
Oct 15, 20204 citations
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(q)(2)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(6)
- May 17, 2019Nothing cited
- Jan 15, 2019Nothing cited
- Sep 26, 2018Nothing cited
The state cited rules at 6 of this center's 13 inspections. Most Chicago-area centers inspected 10 or more times had rules cited at some but not all of theirs, as this center did: 78% of 868.
How all 868 Chicago-area centers inspected 10 or more times compare
Of the 868 Chicago-area centers the state inspected 10 or more times, how many of those inspections cited a rule:
- Some78%This center
- All22%
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — Illinois DCFS
- Last visit
- July 23, 2026
- On file
- 13 visits since September 2018 — 7 cited nothing
- Fixed?
- The latest correction deadline was August 24, 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.
Jul 2026 Monitoring visit 3 findings
Monitoring visit · July 23, 2026
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4) · Violation corrected
Health Requirements for Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(4) · 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 505978 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Oct 2025 Monitoring visit 16 findings
Monitoring visit · October 27, 2025
General Requirements for Personnel
4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(8) through (i) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(8) · 407.100(d) · 407.100(f) · 407.100(i)
Organization and Administration
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(i) through (l) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(i) · 407.70(l)
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)
Health Requirements for Children
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(3) through (4) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(3) · 407.310(a)(4)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(1) through (2) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(1) · 407.370(f)(2)
Special Requirements for School-Age Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.220(c)(2) · Violation corrected
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC7.
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 505978 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Apr 2024 Monitoring visit 6 findings
Monitoring visit · April 10, 2024
Personnel Records
3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) through (e)(5) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(e)(5)
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1) · Violation corrected
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(d) · Violation corrected
Daily Arrival and Departure of Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.260(f)(1)(a) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 505978 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Mar 2022 Monitoring visit 25 findings
Monitoring visit · March 24, 2022
Personnel Records
10 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) through (f)(2) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4) · 407.120(a)(6) · 407.120(b) · 407.120(c) · 407.120(d) · 407.120(e)(1) · 407.120(e)(4) · 407.120(f)(2)
General Requirements for Personnel
6 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1) through (d) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1) · 407.100(c)(2) · 407.100(c)(3) · 407.100(c)(7) · 407.100(c)(8) · 407.100(d)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(d) through (i)(4)(a) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(d) · 407.250(i)(4)(a)
Staffing Structure
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(2) · Violation corrected
Background Checks for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation corrected
Qualifications for Child Care Director
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(a) · Violation corrected
Qualifications for Early Childhood Assistants and School-age Assistants
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.150(c) · Violation corrected
Grouping and Staffing
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a) · Violation corrected
Guidance and Discipline
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a) · Violation corrected
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 505978 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jun 2021 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · June 14, 2021
Grouping and Staffing
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 505978 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Oct 2020 Monitoring visit 4 findings
Monitoring visit · October 15, 2020
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e) through (q)(2) · Violation corrected · Violation corrected on site
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e) · 407.370(e)(3) · 407.370(e)(6) · 407.370(q)(2)
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 505978 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Details
- Phone
- (773) 966-6499
- Address
- 1939 W 79th St, Chicago, 60620
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 July 2026 sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov/…/ProviderLookup.aspx. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "SMART FROM THE START LLC" under Provider Name and 60620 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 505978).
- Website — Checked August 2026 smartfromthestart.net
- 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 "SMART FROM THE START LLC" under Provider Name and 60620 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 505978).
- Ages they serve — Checked August 2026 smartfromthestart.net
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.