The CFS 508-1 form is the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services document titled “Information on Person Employed in a Child Care Facility.” Licensed facilities complete one for every newly hired employee and for any existing employee who moves into a different position, then attach it to the monthly CFS 508 report and send the packet to their assigned DCFS licensing representative. It captures identity, work history, references, education, and health clearance in a single standardized snapshot that DCFS uses to confirm the person meets minimum qualifications for their role.
When You Need to File One
A CFS 508-1 is required for every person listed on the companion CFS 508 cover sheet. That means one form per new hire in Section A, and one form per employee who changed positions within the facility in Section B. A cook who becomes an early childhood assistant needs a fresh 508-1 on the next monthly report, not just a note on the cover sheet.
The facility’s executive director or other authorized official signs the form. The signature is a certification: the employer is confirming the person is employed in the position shown and, to the best of the employer’s knowledge, is qualified for that role under DCFS minimum standards. Any licensed day care center, group day care home, child care institution, or child welfare agency with staff subject to DCFS oversight uses this form.
What the Form Asks For
The 508-1 is divided into eight sections. Gathering the information before you open the PDF keeps the process to a single sitting.
- Employing Facility. Facility name, DCFS Provider ID number, and street address.
- Person Employed. Employee’s date of birth, Social Security number, phone number, and home address.
- Employment. Date of hire and position. The form provides a checklist covering Executive/Superintendent/Director, Child Care Supervisor, Child Care Worker, Early Childhood Teacher, Early Childhood Assistant, School-age Worker, School-age Assistant, Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse (day care centers only), Substitute, Cook, Housekeeping, Clerical, and Other.
- Previous Employment. Work history for the last ten years, with dates, employer names and addresses, and job titles.
- Unpaid Experience With Children. Volunteer work with children, such as scouting or Sunday School teaching.
- References. At least three character or business references who are not related to the employee, with each one’s name, address, relationship to the employee, and whether a reference report is on file.
- Educational Background. Highest grade completed, GED status, college degrees, name of the last school attended, special training or professional licenses, license numbers, and whether evidence of educational achievement is on file.
- Physical Examination. Date of the last exam, examining physician’s name and address, and whether the health clearance report is on file at the facility.
What Has to Be in the Personnel File Before You Check “Yes”
Several fields ask whether a document is “on file.” Those boxes should only be checked when the records are physically in the employee’s personnel file at the facility. Licensing representatives compare the form against the file during visits, and a mismatch can produce a compliance finding.
Health Clearance
A new employee’s physical examination must be dated no more than six months before their start date. The exam must show the person is free of communicable disease, including active tuberculosis tested by the Mantoux method, and has no physical or mental conditions that would affect their ability to care for children. Staff are re-examined every two years after the initial exam.
For employees working in a facility that serves children age six and under, the medical report (filed on the separate CFS 602) must also document one dose of Tdap and two doses of MMR, or proof of immunity. Employees who will drive children need a separate driver medical report completed no more than 60 days before they begin driving.
References
Keep written reference reports from the three non-relative references in the employee’s file. Without the written reports in hand, the “on file” box in the References section should not be checked.
Education Verification
Transcripts, diplomas, or professional license documentation supporting the Educational Background section need to be in the file before that box is checked yes.
Where to Download the CFS 508-1
The form is a fillable PDF on the DCFS website. The most direct source is the “Commonly Used Provider Forms” page on the DCFS Sunshine site, which collects licensing-related forms in one place. The PDF is also hosted at dcfs.illinois.gov within the CFS-500 series forms directory. Your DCFS licensing representative can send a copy if you can’t locate it online.
How and When to Submit It
Attach the completed 508-1 to your monthly CFS 508 report and send the packet to your assigned DCFS licensing representative. The form carries this instruction on its face: “Attach this form to the CFS 508 and submit it to your DCFS licensing representative.”
Staff changes are reported on a monthly cycle, with one exception. If a director or school-age director changes, the facility must notify DCFS immediately rather than wait for the next monthly report. Every other new hire or position change rides the regular monthly submission.
If you don’t know who your licensing representative is, call the DCFS licensing office nearest your facility. A full list of regional offices with phone numbers is on the DCFS “Become Licensed” page at sunshine.dcfs.illinois.gov.
Mistakes That Cause Problems at Licensing Visits
Three errors show up most often. The first is submitting the form before the supporting documents are actually in the file, which turns the “on file” checkboxes into inaccurate certifications. Collect the health clearance, reference letters, and education verification first, then fill out the form.
The second is forgetting that position changes trigger a new 508-1. The instructions require an attached form for every employee in Section B of the CFS 508, not just the new hires in Section A.
The third is checking the wrong position box. DCFS applies different qualification standards to directors, early childhood teachers, assistants, and school-age workers. If the box checked on the form does not match the duties the employee actually performs, the paperwork can suggest the facility is staffed by someone who does not meet the minimum qualifications for their real role.
One boundary worth noting: the 508-1 does not substitute for the comprehensive criminal background investigation every employee and volunteer must authorize as a condition of employment. The form documents that certain compliance steps are complete; the background-check process runs on its own track.