Chicago · Licensed center

Songbird Academy

Medium center, licensed for 57 children.

What the state has found

The state cited rules at all 7 of its licensing inspections since April 2019.

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

Licensing inspections

Sep 16, 20256 citations

General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1)
Diapering and Toileting Procedures
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(a)(5)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f)

2 more from this inspection

Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.

Oct 22, 20243 citations

General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(d)
Medications
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.360(b)(1)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)

Sep 22, 20232 citations

General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(d)
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)

Oct 20, 20226 citations

General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)
Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)

2 more from this inspection

Qualifications for Child Care Director
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(l)(2)
Grouping and Staffing
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.190(e)

Nov 24, 202011 citations

General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(d)
Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(4)

7 more from this inspection

Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(5)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(f)(3)
Equipment and Materials
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(5)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Special Requirements for Infants and Toddlers
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.210(b)
Equipment and Materials
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4)(k)

Aug 1, 201916 citations

Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(5)
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(1)
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(3)
Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110

12 more from this inspection

Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(6)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(4)
General Requirements for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5)
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(i)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
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)(5)
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(2)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, CCASEC4.
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.

Apr 8, 201910 citations

Background Checks for Personnel
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.110
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(2)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(3)
Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(4)

6 more from this inspection

Personnel Records
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(e)(5)
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(1)
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(2)
Organization and Administration
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(3)
Physical Plant/Indoor Space
89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e)
A citation the state’s report lists only by its code, FHSEC305.

Read every record and the state’s reports

State record — Illinois DCFS

Last visit: September 16, 2025
On file: 7 visits since April 2019 — all of them cited findings
Fixed?: The latest correction deadline was October 13, 2025. 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.

Sep 2025 Monitoring visit 6 findings

Monitoring visit · September 16, 2025

General Requirements for Personnel

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1) through (f) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(1) · 407.100(c)(5) · 407.100(f)

Background Checks for Personnel

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

Diapering and Toileting Procedures

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.340(a)(5) · 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 567103 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Oct 2024 Monitoring visit 3 findings

Monitoring visit · October 22, 2024

General Requirements for Personnel

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) through (d) · Violation corrected

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

Medications

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.360(b)(1) · Violation corrected

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 567103 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Sep 2023 Monitoring visit 2 findings

Monitoring visit · September 22, 2023

Organization and Administration

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

General Requirements for Personnel

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 567103 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Oct 2022 Monitoring visit 6 findings

Monitoring visit · October 20, 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)

General Requirements for Personnel

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(f) · 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(l)(2) · Violation corrected

Grouping and Staffing

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 567103 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Nov 2020 Monitoring visit 11 findings

Monitoring visit · November 24, 2020

Personnel Records

4 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(a)(4) · 407.120(e)(5)

General Requirements for Personnel

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.100(c)(5) through (d) · Violation corrected

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

Equipment and Materials

2 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4)(k) through (5) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.380(j)(4)(k) · 407.380(j)(5)

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(b) · 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 567103 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Aug 2019 Monitoring visit 16 findings

Monitoring visit · August 1, 2019

Personnel Records

8 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) through (e)(5) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.120(a)(1) · 407.120(a)(2) · 407.120(a)(3) · 407.120(a)(4) · 407.120(a)(5) · 407.120(a)(6) · 407.120(e)(4) · 407.120(e)(5)

Organization and Administration

4 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(1) through (i) · Violation corrected · Violation substantiated

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(1) · 407.70(e)(2) · 407.70(e)(3) · 407.70(i)

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

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, FHSEC305.

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

DCFS compliance lookup On that page, enter provider number 567103 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

Apr 2019 Monitoring visit 10 findings

Monitoring visit · April 8, 2019

Personnel Records

4 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)(4) · 407.120(e)(5)

Organization and Administration

3 citations · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(1) through (3) · Violation corrected

89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.70(e)(1) · 407.70(e)(2) · 407.70(e)(3)

Background Checks for Personnel

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

Physical Plant/Indoor Space

1 citation · 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.370(e) · 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 567103 in the Provider box and choose Search; the compliance report downloads from the button on the result row.

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

A day here

Hours: 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM, 5 days a week

Details

7739847583

Website: songbirdacademy.com
Address: 1243 W Belmont Ave
License: license issued (il)
Ownership: For-profit

Run Songbird 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.

State record

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

A day here

Hours — Checked August 2026 songbirdacademy.com/contact.html

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 "SONGBIRD ACADEMY" under Provider Name and 60657 under Zip, and press Search (DCFS provider 567103).
Website — Checked July 2026 songbirdacademy.com
Ownership — Checked October 2026 data.cityofchicago.org

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.