Harvard Head Start
Day Care Center · Licensed · Licensed since 1995
GoldiCheck · State record
7 safety violations (407110 +6 more) in the last 3 year(s) — corrected; 42 administrative violations in the last 3 year(s)
Category check
No serious safety issues right now; some safety areas have past or minor findings.
Safety
can be flagged seriousKey findings
Most recent or most severe violations based on your filters.
Background check NOT completed or documented for personnel (or probationary employee left unsupervised with children)
This citation applies when required background-check documentation is missing or incomplete for personnel, or when a probationary employee is documented unsupervised with children. DCFS classifies background-check compliance as a critical safety standard, which is why this category is treated as high-risk.
Children were NOT properly supervised
This citation is recorded when an inspector documents children without the level of adult supervision Illinois requires. Supervision rules exist because a lapse is the point at which a child can be harmed before staff can respond, which is why DCFS treats this category as high-risk.
Staff used PROHIBITED PHYSICAL DISCIPLINE on a child
Illinois prohibits physical punishment — hitting, slapping, shaking, or physical restraint used as discipline — in licensed daycares. This citation code is recorded when an inspector documents that prohibition being breached.
All violations
49 violations shown (26 outside lookback window)
Background checks(2)
Background check NOT completed or documented for personnel (or probationary employee left unsupervised with children)
This citation applies when required background-check documentation is missing or incomplete for personnel, or when a probationary employee is documented unsupervised with children. DCFS classifies background-check compliance as a critical safety standard, which is why this category is treated as high-risk.
Background check NOT completed or documented for personnel (or probationary employee left unsupervised with children)
This citation applies when required background-check documentation is missing or incomplete for personnel, or when a probationary employee is documented unsupervised with children. DCFS classifies background-check compliance as a critical safety standard, which is why this category is treated as high-risk.
Supervision(1)
Children were NOT properly supervised
This citation is recorded when an inspector documents children without the level of adult supervision Illinois requires. Supervision rules exist because a lapse is the point at which a child can be harmed before staff can respond, which is why DCFS treats this category as high-risk.
Discipline(2)
Staff used PROHIBITED PHYSICAL DISCIPLINE on a child
Illinois prohibits physical punishment — hitting, slapping, shaking, or physical restraint used as discipline — in licensed daycares. This citation code is recorded when an inspector documents that prohibition being breached.
DISCIPLINE — rules on treatment of children not followed
This citation family covers discipline violations. Severity depends on the sub-code — some cover prohibited physical punishment. Check the full citation code and the status shown with this finding.
Health & sanitation(9)
Child health record or immunization requirement not met
Child health record or immunization requirement not met
Child health record or immunization requirement not met
Child health record or immunization requirement not met
Child health record or immunization requirement not met
Child health record or immunization requirement not met
Infant placed in UNSAFE sleep position (back-to-sleep violation — SIDS risk)
Illinois requires infants be placed on their back to sleep, on a firm, flat surface with no loose bedding. This citation is recorded when an inspector documents an infant positioned face-down or on their side, a position associated with a significantly higher risk of SIDS.
Medication handling requirement not met
UNSAFE infant sleep position — SIDS risk (back-to-sleep required)
Illinois requires infants be placed on their back to sleep, on a firm, flat surface with no loose bedding. This citation is recorded when an inspector documents an infant positioned face-down or on their side, a position associated with a significantly higher risk of SIDS.
Building safety(8)
Indoor facility or space safety requirement not met
Indoor facility or space safety requirement not met
Equipment or toy safety requirement not met
Equipment or toy safety requirement not met
Outdoor playground safety requirement not met
Equipment or toy safety requirement not met
Transportation safety requirement not met
Indoor facility or space safety requirement not met
Staff-to-child ratios(2)
Required staff-to-child ratio was not maintained
Required staff-to-child ratio was not maintained
Staff training(9)
Staff qualification or training requirement not met
Required pre-service or early in-service training not completed (mandated reporter, life safety, emergency plan, communicable disease)
Pre-employment physical exam or TB screening missing
Biennial staff physical re-examination not completed
Staff qualification or training requirement not met
Child care director qualification requirement not met
Child care director qualification requirement not met
Biennial staff physical re-examination not completed
Staff qualification or training requirement not met
Paperwork / records(12)
Enrollment or discharge procedure not followed
Enrollment or discharge procedure not followed
Enrollment or discharge procedure not followed
Enrollment or discharge procedure not followed
Daily arrival or departure procedure not followed
Daily arrival or departure procedure not followed
Daily arrival or departure procedure not followed
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Enrollment or discharge procedure not followed
Daily arrival or departure procedure not followed
Operations(4)
License provision not met
Staffing structure requirement not met (director oversight or on-site presence)
Staffing structure requirement not met (director oversight or on-site presence)
Staffing structure requirement not met (director oversight or on-site presence)
How we rate this daycareIllinois DCFS records›
DCFS doesn't grade violations, so we classify each citation by the rule it cites: rules tied to immediate child safety (supervision, background checks, discipline, and the higher-risk building and health rules) are red; administrative rules (ratios, training, paperwork) are yellow. Classification is per citation, so two findings in the same category can differ.
🔴 Serious concerns — any of:
- A child-safety (red) violation is still unresolved — past its correction deadline, or cited again as a repeat
- DCFS issued a Protective Plan — a formal finding of an active risk to a child
- 2 or more violations are past their correction deadline
🟡 Watch carefully — any of:
- A child-safety (red) violation was corrected or is being corrected
- 3 or more administrative (yellow) violations
- 1 violation is past its correction deadline
- An active corrective plan — DCFS formally required a fix
🟢 Clean
Actively licensed, with no violations (or only minor, corrected ones) in your lookback window.
Data sourced from Illinois DCFS (DCFS Sunshine). Last updated: Aug 7, 2026. GoldiCheck is not affiliated with DCFS. Always verify with the DCFS Sunshine record (search Provider #055626).