Chicago · Licensed center

Smart From The Start LLC

Medium center, licensed for 100 children.

What the state has found

The state cited rules at 6 of its 13 licensing inspections since September 2018.

Of the 859 Chicago-area centers with 10 or more licensing inspections, 78% had rules cited at some but not all of them, as this center did. 22% had rules cited at all of them.

Licensing inspections

Jul 23, 20263 citations

Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(4)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.

Oct 27, 202516 citations

Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(i)
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(3)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(2)
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(l)

12 more from this inspection

General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(8)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f)
Health Requirements for Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(4)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(1)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(i)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Special Requirements for School-Age Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.220(c)(2)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(d)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC7.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.

Aug 6, 2025No rules cited

Apr 10, 20246 citations

Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(d)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)

2 more from this inspection

Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(5)
Daily Arrival and Departure of Children
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.260(f)(1)(a)

Jan 25, 2023No rules cited

Mar 24, 202225 citations

Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(7)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(d)

21 more from this inspection

Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(6)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(b)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(d)
Enrollment and Discharge Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(i)(4)(a)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(8)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(2)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(3)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(c)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(4)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(f)(2)
Grouping and Staffing
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a)
Guidance and Discipline
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.270(a)
Staffing Structure
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(2)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(d)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(1)
Qualifications for Child Care Director
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(a)
Qualifications for Early Childhood Assistants and School-age Assistants
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.150(c)

Jun 14, 20211 citation

Grouping and Staffing
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(a)

Jun 3, 2021No rules cited

May 4, 2021No rules cited

Oct 15, 20204 citations

Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(3)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)(6)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(q)(2)

May 17, 2019No rules cited

Jan 15, 2019No rules cited

Sep 26, 2018No rules cited

Read every record and the state’s reports

State record — Illinois DCFS

Last visit: July 23, 2026
On file: 13 visits since September 2018 — 7 cited nothing
Fixed?: The latest correction deadline was August 24, 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.

Jul 2026 Monitoring visit 3 findings

Monitoring visit · July 23, 2026

Personnel Records

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

Health Requirements for Children

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(4) · Violation corrected

A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 505978 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Oct 2025 Monitoring visit 16 findings

Monitoring visit · October 27, 2025

General Requirements for Personnel

4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(8) through (i) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(8) · 407.100(d) · 407.100(f) · 407.100(i)

Organization and Administration

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(i) through (l) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(i) · 407.70(l)

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)

Health Requirements for Children

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(3) through (4) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.310(a)(3) · 407.310(a)(4)

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

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

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

Special Requirements for School-Age Children

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.220(c)(2) · Violation corrected

A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.

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

A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC7.

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

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 505978 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Aug 2025 Compliance monitoring visit nothing cited

Apr 2024 Monitoring visit 6 findings

Monitoring visit · April 10, 2024

Personnel Records

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) through (e)(5) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(e)(5)

General Requirements for Personnel

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

Enrollment and Discharge Procedures

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

Daily Arrival and Departure of Children

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.260(f)(1)(a) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 505978 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jan 2023 Compliance monitoring visit nothing cited

Mar 2022 Monitoring visit 25 findings

Monitoring visit · March 24, 2022

Personnel Records

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

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4) · 407.120(a)(6) · 407.120(b) · 407.120(c) · 407.120(d) · 407.120(e)(1) · 407.120(e)(4) · 407.120(f)(2)

General Requirements for Personnel

6 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1) through (d) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1) · 407.100(c)(2) · 407.100(c)(3) · 407.100(c)(7) · 407.100(c)(8) · 407.100(d)

Enrollment and Discharge Procedures

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(d) through (i)(4)(a) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.250(d) · 407.250(i)(4)(a)

Staffing Structure

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.90(a)(2) · Violation corrected

Background Checks for Personnel

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

Qualifications for Child Care Director

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(a) · Violation corrected

Qualifications for Early Childhood Assistants and School-age Assistants

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.150(c) · Violation corrected

Grouping and Staffing

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 505978 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jun 2021 Monitoring visit 1 finding

Monitoring visit · June 14, 2021

Grouping and Staffing

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 505978 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Jun 2021 Compliance monitoring visit nothing cited

May 2021 Compliance monitoring visit nothing cited

Oct 2020 Monitoring visit 4 findings

Monitoring visit · October 15, 2020

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e) through (q)(2) · Violation corrected · Violation corrected on site

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e) · 407.370(e)(3) · 407.370(e)(6) · 407.370(q)(2)

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 505978 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

May 2019 Compliance monitoring visit nothing cited

Jan 2019 Compliance monitoring visit nothing cited

Sep 2018 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

7739666499

Website: smartfromthestart.net
Address: 1939 W 79th St
License: pending renewal application (rn)
Ages they serve: six weeks to age 12 (79th Street location); six weeks to age 5 (Armitage Ave location)

Run Smart From The Start LLC? 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.

State record

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

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 FROM THE START LLC" under Provider Name and 60620 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 505978).
Website — Checked August 2026 smartfromthestart.net
Ages they serve — Checked August 2026 smartfromthestart.net

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.