Chicago · Licensed center

Discovery Early Learning Center

What the state has found

The state cited rules at 5 of its 7 licensing inspections since June 2022.

Of the 157 Chicago-area centers with 7 licensing inspections, 15% had rules cited at 5 of them, as this center did. 40% had rules cited at all 7.

Licensing inspections

Mar 4, 202618 citations

  • Grouping and Staffing

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a)

  • Organization and Administration

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(n)(3)

  • Nutrition and Meal Service

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(a)

  • Nutrition and Meal Service

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(d)

14 more from this inspection

  • Nutrition and Meal Service

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(k)(1)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3)

  • Nutrition and Meal Service

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(l)(1)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(6)

  • Staffing Structure

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(d)

  • Staffing Structure

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(b)

  • Background Checks for Personnel

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(7)

  • Hand Washing

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.320(a)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(r)(3)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(11)

  • Nutrition and Meal Service

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(g)

  • Personnel Records

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)

Dec 11, 202513 citations

  • Grouping and Staffing

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a)

  • Background Checks for Personnel

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110

  • Personnel Records

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)

  • Personnel Records

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)

9 more from this inspection

  • Staffing Structure

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)

  • Grouping and Staffing

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(d)(1)

  • Staffing Structure

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(d)

  • Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(c)(5)

  • Organization and Administration

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(b)

  • Organization and Administration

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(n)(3)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3)

  • Personnel Records

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(c)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)

Nov 22, 2023No rules cited
May 31, 20238 citations

  • Background Checks for Personnel

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110

  • Personnel Records

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(c)

  • Personnel Records

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)

  • Personnel Records

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)

4 more from this inspection

  • Personnel Records

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)

  • Personnel Records

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(4)

  • Personnel Records

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(5)

  • Personnel Records

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(f)(1)

Jan 6, 202311 citations

  • Personnel Records

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(b)

  • Qualifications for Child Care Director

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(l)(1)

  • General Requirements for Personnel

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)

  • Background Checks for Personnel

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110

7 more from this inspection

  • Enrollment and Discharge Procedures

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)

  • Health Requirements for Children

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)

  • Outdoor Play Area

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(f)

  • Personnel Records

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)

  • Qualifications for Child Care Director

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(m)(1)

  • Organization and Administration

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(n)

  • Qualifications for Child Care Director

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(m)(2)

Oct 5, 20229 citations

  • Qualifications for Child Care Director

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(m)(1)

  • Staffing Structure

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(3)

  • Staffing Structure

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(1)

  • Personnel Records

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)

5 more from this inspection

  • Staffing Structure

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(5)

  • Staffing Structure

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(d)(1)

  • Grouping and Staffing

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a)

  • Qualifications for Child Care Director

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(l)(1)

  • Staffing Structure

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(4)

Jun 2, 2022No rules cited
Read every record and the state’s reports

State record — Illinois DCFS

Last visit
March 4, 2026
On file
7 visits since June 2022 — 2 cited nothing
Fixed?
The latest correction deadline was January 12, 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 18 findings

Monitoring visit · March 4, 2026

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

6 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3) through (r)(3) · Violation substantiated · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3) · 407.370(e) · 407.370(e)(6) · 407.370(e)(7) · 407.370(e)(11) · 407.370(r)(3)

Nutrition and Meal Service

5 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(a) through (l)(1) · Violation substantiated · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(a) · 407.330(d) · 407.330(g) · 407.330(k)(1) · 407.330(l)(1)

Staffing Structure

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(b) through (d) · Violation substantiated · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(b) · 407.90(d)

Organization and Administration

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(n)(3) · Repeat violation

Background Checks for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation substantiated

Personnel Records

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4) · Violation substantiated

Grouping and Staffing

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a) · Repeat violation

Hand Washing

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.320(a) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 592735 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Dec 2025 Monitoring visit 13 findings

Monitoring visit · December 11, 2025

Personnel Records

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a) through (c) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a) · 407.120(a)(4) · 407.120(c)

Organization and Administration

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(b) through (n)(3) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(b) · 407.70(n)(3)

Staffing Structure

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a) through (d) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a) · 407.90(d)

Grouping and Staffing

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a) through (d)(1) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a) · 407.190(d)(1)

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3) through (e) · Violation corrected on site · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3) · 407.370(e)

Background Checks for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation substantiated

Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(c)(5) · Violation substantiated

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 592735 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Nov 2023 Compliance monitoring visit nothing cited
May 2023 Monitoring visit 8 findings

Monitoring visit · May 31, 2023

Personnel Records

7 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) through (f)(1) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4) · 407.120(c) · 407.120(e)(4) · 407.120(e)(5) · 407.120(f)(1)

Background Checks for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation substantiated

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 592735 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jan 2023 Monitoring visit 11 findings

Monitoring visit · January 6, 2023

Qualifications for Child Care Director

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(l)(1) through (m)(2) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(l)(1) · 407.130(m)(1) · 407.130(m)(2)

Personnel Records

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a) through (b) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a) · 407.120(b)

Organization and Administration

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(n) · Violation corrected

General Requirements for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) · Violation corrected

Background Checks for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110 · Violation corrected on site

Enrollment and Discharge Procedures

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i) · Violation corrected

Health Requirements for Children

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a) · Violation corrected

Outdoor Play Area

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(f) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 592735 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Oct 2022 Monitoring visit 9 findings

Monitoring visit · October 5, 2022

Staffing Structure

5 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(1) through (d)(1) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(1) · 407.90(a)(3) · 407.90(a)(4) · 407.90(a)(5) · 407.90(d)(1)

Qualifications for Child Care Director

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(l)(1) through (m)(1) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(l)(1) · 407.130(m)(1)

Personnel Records

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · 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 592735 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jun 2022 Compliance monitoring visit nothing cited

Openings, child care subsidies, cost, hours and late pickup, teaching approach, ratios and staff, a typical day, and sick and biting policies aren’t on this page.

Details

7735572157

Address
7538 S Halsted St
License
license issued (il)

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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.

All checked July 2026.

State record

From Illinois DCFS’s published reports, last checked October 9, 2026.

Details

  • Phone, Address, License sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov/…/ProviderLookup.aspx. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "DISCOVERY EARLY LEARNING CENTER" under Provider Name and 60620 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 592735).

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.