Chicago · Licensed center
Smart Love Preschool
At a glance
- Medium play-based center, licensed for 55 children.
- Run by a nonprofit. A board oversees it, and there are no owners taking profit.
From their website, read August 2026:
“Preschooler-to-teacher ratio 7:1”
The state’s rule
Illinois sets the most children one adult may care for by age, and the largest group size, in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 2008.190(a).
Infants (6 weeks through 14 months): one adult for every four.
Toddlers (15 through 23 months): one adult for every five.
Two-year-olds: one adult for every eight.
Three-year-olds: one adult for every ten.
Four-year-olds: one adult for every ten.
Five-year-olds (preschool): one adult for every twenty.
School-age children, kindergartners present: one adult for every twenty.
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 7 of its 10 licensing inspections since February 2011.
See each inspection
Licensing inspections
- Feb 10, 2025Nothing cited
- Jan 3, 2024Nothing cited
- Jan 12, 2021Nothing cited
Dec 10, 20152 citations
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)
Dec 17, 20142 citations
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
General Requirements for Personnel
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)
Jan 16, 20133 citations
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6)
May 18, 20115 citations
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Background Checks for Personnel
Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110
Organization and Administration
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)
Personnel Records
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1)
Apr 14, 20113 citations
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)
Mar 16, 20115 citations
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2)(e)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6)
Background Checks for Personnel
Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110
Feb 18, 20116 citations
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5)
Health Requirements for Children
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(6)
Organization and Administration
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(o)(2)
The state cited rules at 7 of this center's 10 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
- February 10, 2025
- On file
- 10 visits since February 2011 — 3 cited nothing
- Fixed?
- The latest correction deadline was December 31, 2015. 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.
Dec 2015 Monitoring visit 2 findings
Monitoring visit · December 10, 2015
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · Violation corrected
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 502567 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Dec 2014 Monitoring visit 2 findings
Monitoring visit · December 17, 2014
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · Violation corrected
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 502567 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jan 2013 Monitoring visit 3 findings
Monitoring visit · January 16, 2013
Health Requirements for Children
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5) through (6) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5) · 407.310(a)(6)
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 502567 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
May 2011 Monitoring visit 5 findings
Monitoring visit · May 18, 2011
Personnel Records
3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) through (3) · Violation corrected · Violation corrected on site
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3)
Organization and Administration
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e) · Violation corrected
Background Checks for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 502567 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Apr 2011 Monitoring visit 3 findings
Monitoring visit · April 14, 2011
Personnel Records
3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) through (4) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4)
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 502567 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Mar 2011 Monitoring visit 5 findings
Monitoring visit · March 16, 2011
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2)(e) through (4)(a) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2)(e) · 407.250(i)(4)(a)
Health Requirements for Children
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5) through (6) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5) · 407.310(a)(6)
Background Checks for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 502567 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Feb 2011 Monitoring visit 6 findings
Monitoring visit · February 18, 2011
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2) through (4) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2) · 407.250(i)(4)
Health Requirements for Children
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5) through (6) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5) · 407.310(a)(6)
Organization and Administration
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e) · Violation corrected
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(o)(2) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 502567 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
A day here
- Outdoors
- Organic gardens and greenhouse serve as living classrooms integrated into the curriculum
Calendar and schedule
- Calendar
- School year
- Schedule
- Half-day
How they teach
Play-based
“Children ages 2 to 6 experience our play-based curriculum both indoors and outside.”
Who cares for your child
Kelly Perez (Vice President Education Programs, & Preschool/Playschool Director) since 2010.
16 years · Chicago-area median 16, among 26 that publish
Details
- Phone
- (773) 665-8052
- Address
- 2222 N Kedzie Blvd, Chicago, 60647
- Established
- 2010
We couldn’t find some information that may matter to your decision: openings, child care subsidies, cost, and sick and biting policies. 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.
Children per adult
- Children per adult — Checked August 2026 smartlovefamily.org
How they teach
- Approach — Checked August 2026 smartlovefamily.org/…/e5e9a8_0d45788d333747d6b7a5615e3c3df5d7.pdf
Who cares for your child
- Staff smartlovefamily.org/smart-love-about-us
- Staff smartlovefamily.org/…/e5e9a8_c29fcc66b3ea4bf29b1c9ab5ed654e92.pdf
- Staff smartlovefamily.org/smart-love-preschool-education
- Staff smartlovefamily.org/…/e5e9a8_592aae4ba1f747d0b703061dfe097b7c.pdf
- Staff smartlovefamily.org/…/e5e9a8_c0ce9b314aaf4ee7ba154f72c505792c.pdf
State record
From Illinois DCFS’s published reports, last checked November 8, 2026.
A day here
- Outdoors — Checked August 2026 smartlovefamily.org
- Calendar, Schedule — Checked August 2026 smartlovefamily.org
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 LOVE PRESCHOOL" under Provider Name and 60647 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 502567).
- Website — Checked August 2026 smartlovefamily.org
- 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 LOVE PRESCHOOL" under Provider Name and 60647 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 502567).
- Ages they serve — Checked August 2026 smartlovefamily.org/…/e5e9a8_c29fcc66b3ea4bf29b1c9ab5ed654e92.pdf
- Established — Checked August 2026 smartlovefamily.org
- Who runs it — Checked October 2026 projects.propublica.org
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.