Lockport · Licensed center

Mary Sears Childrens Academy

What the state has found

The state cited rules at all 8 of its licensing inspections since March 2017.

Of the 127 Chicago-area centers with 8 licensing inspections, 36% had rules cited at all 8, as this center did.

Licensing inspections

May 21, 20245 citations

  • Background Checks for Personnel

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110

  • Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(f)(24)

  • Napping and Sleeping

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(j)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

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

1 more from this inspection

  • Napping and Sleeping

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(b)(1)

Jan 30, 20242 citations

  • Health Requirements for Children

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

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

Feb 7, 20238 citations

  • Qualifications for Child Care Director

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(m)

  • General Requirements for Personnel

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(d)

  • Qualifications for Child Care Director

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

  • Health Requirements for Children

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(d)

4 more from this inspection

  • Diapering and Toileting Procedures

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(a)(5)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(1)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(t)(2)

  • Outdoor Play Area

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.390(f)

Feb 22, 20222 citations

  • Personnel Records

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

  • Personnel Records

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

Feb 4, 20225 citations

  • General Requirements for Personnel

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(8)

  • Background Checks for Personnel

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110

  • Personnel Records

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

  • Daily Arrival and Departure of Children

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.260(d)

1 more from this inspection

  • A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.

Feb 1, 20181 citation

  • General Requirements for Personnel

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

Jul 21, 201713 citations

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(1)(b)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(2)

  • Program Requirements for All Ages

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.200(d)(3)

  • Transportation

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.280(t)(2)

9 more from this inspection

  • Transportation

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.280(t)(3)

  • Transportation

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.280(t)(4)

  • Hand Washing

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.320(a)(1)

  • Nutrition and Meal Service

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

  • Nutrition and Meal Service

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(i)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

    89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(1)(a)

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

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

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

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

  • Physical Plant/Indoor Space

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

Mar 28, 20171 citation

  • Personnel Records

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

Read every record and the state’s reports

State record — Illinois DCFS

Last visit
May 21, 2024
On file
8 visits since March 2017 — all of them cited findings
Fixed?
The latest correction deadline was July 15, 2024. 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.

May 2024 Monitoring visit 5 findings

Monitoring visit · May 21, 2024

Napping and Sleeping

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(b)(1) through (j) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.350(b)(1) · 407.350(j)

Background Checks for Personnel

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

Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(f)(24) · Violation corrected

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(d)(3) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jan 2024 Monitoring visit 2 findings

Monitoring visit · January 30, 2024

Health Requirements for Children

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

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(3) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Feb 2023 Monitoring visit 8 findings

Monitoring visit · February 7, 2023

Qualifications for Child Care Director

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

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

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(1) through (t)(2) · Violation corrected on site

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(1) · 407.370(t)(2)

General Requirements for Personnel

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

Health Requirements for Children

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

Diapering and Toileting Procedures

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(a)(5) · Violation corrected on site

Outdoor Play Area

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Feb 2022 Monitoring visit 2 findings

Monitoring visit · February 22, 2022

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)

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Feb 2022 Monitoring visit 5 findings

Monitoring visit · February 4, 2022

General Requirements for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(8) · Violation corrected

Background Checks for Personnel

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

Personnel Records

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

Daily Arrival and Departure of Children

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.260(d) · Violation corrected on site

A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.

0 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Feb 2018 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · February 1, 2018

General Requirements for Personnel

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jul 2017 Monitoring visit 13 findings

Monitoring visit · July 21, 2017

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

6 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(6) through (f)(3) · Violation corrected · Violation corrected on site

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(6) · 407.370(e)(7) · 407.370(f)(1)(a) · 407.370(f)(1)(b) · 407.370(f)(2) · 407.370(f)(3)

Transportation

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.280(t)(2) through (4) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.280(t)(2) · 407.280(t)(3) · 407.280(t)(4)

Nutrition and Meal Service

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(g)(1) through (i) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.330(g)(1) · 407.330(i)

Program Requirements for All Ages

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.200(d)(3) · Violation corrected

Hand Washing

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Mar 2017 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · March 28, 2017

Personnel Records

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(5) · Violation corrected on site

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 554086 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

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

8155523582

Address
16151 S Farrell Rd
License
license issued (il)

Run Mary Sears Childrens Academy? Correct or add anything here, free.

Add what is missing
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 August 2026.

State record

From Illinois DCFS’s published reports, last checked October 10, 2026.

Details

  • Phone, Address, License sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov/…/ProviderLookup.aspx. To check it, open sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov's Licensed Provider Lookup, enter "MARY SEARS CHILDRENS ACADEMY" under Provider Name and 60441 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 554086).

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.