Chicago · Licensed center
Start Early - Educare Chicago
- Large play-based center, licensed for 204 children.
What these mean, and where they come from
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
Play-based
“Combining play-based learning, research-backed curriculum and individualized support.”In their words, August 2026.educarechicago.org
One of 70 Chicago-area providers that describe a play-based approach, out of 129 that describe any approach at all.
Shortlist doesn’t have these yet: cost, ratios and staff, sick and biting policies.
What the state has found
Routine visits: 13 of 16 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
- March 19, 2026
- On file
- 16 visits since July 2010 — 3 cited nothing
- Fixed?
- The latest correction deadline was April 19, 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 4 findings
Monitoring visit · March 19, 2026
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · Violation substantiated
Program Requirements for All Ages
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.200(m) · Violation corrected
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(10) · Violation corrected
Cited: FHSEC305
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation substantiated
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 348098 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jun 2025 Monitoring visit 7 findings
Monitoring visit · June 17, 2025
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3) through (q)(1) · Violation corrected on site · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3) · 407.370(f)(2) · 407.370(q)(1)
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · Violation corrected
Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(f)(7) · Violation corrected on site
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(e) · Violation corrected on site
Cited: CCASEC4
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 348098 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Feb 2024 Monitoring visit 8 findings
Monitoring visit · February 2, 2024
General Requirements for Personnel
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(7) through (f) · Rule cited again · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(7) · 407.100(f)
Organization and Administration
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e) · Violation corrected
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(4) · 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(q)(2) · Violation corrected
Equipment and Materials
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(f) · Violation corrected
Cited: FHSEC305
0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 348098 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Mar 2023 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · March 10, 2023
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f) · Rule cited again
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 348098 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jan 2020 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · January 9, 2020
General Requirements for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 348098 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Oct 2017 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · October 19, 2017
Guidance and Discipline
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(c)(6) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 348098 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jan 2017 Monitoring visit 2 findings
Monitoring visit · January 31, 2017
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(f) · Violation corrected
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(2) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 348098 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Feb 2016 Monitoring visit 4 findings
Monitoring visit · February 10, 2016
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3) · Violation corrected
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(a)(2) · Violation corrected
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(2) · Violation corrected
Equipment and Materials
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(5) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 348098 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Feb 2014 Monitoring visit 3 findings
Monitoring visit · February 4, 2014
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · Violation corrected
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(2) · Violation corrected
Medications
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.360(e) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 348098 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Oct 2013 Monitoring visit 1 finding
Monitoring visit · October 25, 2013
Guidance and Discipline
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(c)(6) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 348098 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 31, 2013
Personnel Records
2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) through (3) · Violation corrected
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3)
Background Checks for Personnel
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 348098 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Feb 2011 Monitoring visit 4 findings
Monitoring visit · February 15, 2011
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)
Personnel Records
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · Violation corrected
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 348098 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.
Jul 2010 Monitoring visit 2 findings
Monitoring visit · July 20, 2010
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(c)(9) · Violation corrected
Health Requirements for Children
1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(h) · Violation corrected
DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 348098 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).
A day here
- Meals
- Two USDA guideline-approved meals and snacks provided daily
- Diapers
- Helps families obtain diapers, pull-ups, wipes, and infant formula/food
- Updates for parents
- ClassDojo
- Hours
- 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, 5 days a week, year round
Details
- Website
- educarechicago.org
- Address
- 5044 S Wabash Ave
- License
- license issued (il)
Do you run Start Early - Educare Chicago? Shortlist has no tuition, ratios or policies 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.
How they teach
- Approach — Checked August 2026 educarechicago.org
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, Diapers, Updates for parents, Hours, Calendar — Checked August 2026 educarechicago.org
Details
- Phone, Address, License — Checked July 2026 sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "START EARLY - EDUCARE CHICAGO" under Provider Name and 60615 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 348098).
- Website — Checked August 2026 educarechicago.org