Chicago · Licensed center

Explora Learning Center 1 LLC

What the state has found

The state cited rules at all 5 of its licensing inspections since May 2025.

Of the 130 Chicago-area centers with 5 licensing inspections, 45% had rules cited at all 5, as this center did.

Licensing inspections

Dec 17, 20251 citation

  • Grouping and Staffing

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(g)

Dec 5, 20258 citations

  • Organization and Administration

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

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

  • Daily Arrival and Departure of Children

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.260(d)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(a)

4 more from this inspection

  • Personnel Records

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

  • Personnel Records

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

  • Confidentiality of Records and Information

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.80(a)

  • Personnel Records

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

Nov 7, 20251 citation

  • General Requirements for Personnel

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(b)(2)

Oct 24, 20252 citations

  • Background Checks for Personnel

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110

  • Nutrition and Meal Service

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(h)

May 5, 20253 citations

  • Personnel Records

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120

  • Health Requirements for Children

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5)

  • Equipment and Materials

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380

Read every record and the state’s reports

State record — Illinois DCFS

Last visit
December 17, 2025
On file
5 visits since May 2025 — all of them cited findings
Fixed?
The latest correction deadline was January 4, 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.

Dec 2025 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · December 17, 2025

Grouping and Staffing

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(g) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 629022 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Dec 2025 Monitoring visit 8 findings

Monitoring visit · December 5, 2025

Personnel Records

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) through (4) · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4)

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(a) through (e)(3) · Violation substantiated

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

Organization and Administration

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e) · Violation substantiated

Confidentiality of Records and Information

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.80(a) · Violation substantiated

Daily Arrival and Departure of Children

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.260(d) · Violation substantiated

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 629022 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Nov 2025 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · November 7, 2025

General Requirements for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(b)(2) · Violation substantiated

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 629022 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Oct 2025 Monitoring visit 2 findings

Monitoring visit · October 24, 2025

Background Checks for Personnel

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

Nutrition and Meal Service

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(h) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 629022 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

May 2025 Monitoring visit 3 findings

Monitoring visit · May 5, 2025

Personnel Records

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120 · Violation corrected

Health Requirements for Children

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(5) · Violation corrected

Equipment and Materials

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380 · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 629022 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Openings, child care subsidies, cost, ratios and staff, and sick and biting policies aren’t on this page.

How they teach

STEAM

“STEAM curriculum and holistic activities: Science, technology, engineering, arts, and math programs, alongside physical education and the arts, to stimulate mind and body.”

A day here

Hours
6:30 AM to 5:30 PM, 5 days a week
Meals
Fresh meals prepared daily from natural ingredients, nothing canned or processed, including homemade baby purees
Outdoors
Daily outdoor time for infants via stroller walks and playground play

Details

3127303506

Website
exploralearningcenter.com
Address
5859 W Irving Park Rd
License
license issued (il)
Established
2025

Run Explora Learning Center 1 LLC? Correct or add anything here, free.

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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.

How they teach

State record

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

A day here

Details

Small means the smallest quarter of Chicago-area’s 1,949 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 8 to 48 children. Medium is 49 to 118; large is 119 to 487.