To get a home daycare license in Illinois, you apply to the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) once you plan to care for more than three children (counting your own kids under age 12). The process involves qualifying as a provider, preparing your home to meet safety standards, submitting Form CFS 597 with background checks and health clearances for everyone in your household, passing an on-site inspection, and then operating under a two-month probationary permit before DCFS issues a full three-year license.1Illinois General Assembly. 225 ILCS 10 – Child Care Act of 1969
When You Actually Need a License
The three-child threshold is the bright line. Care for three or fewer children, including your own under age 12, and no state license is required. Take on a fourth, and you need DCFS authorization.1Illinois General Assembly. 225 ILCS 10 – Child Care Act of 1969 One narrow exception: care provided to children from a single household isn’t a regulated facility regardless of the number.
Illinois recognizes two home-based license types, and picking the right one shapes your qualifications and paperwork:
- A day care home is licensed to receive more than 3 and up to 12 children for less than 24 hours per day. All children under 12 in the household count toward the total, including your own.1Illinois General Assembly. 225 ILCS 10 – Child Care Act of 1969
- A group day care home is licensed for more than 3 and up to 16 children under the same counting rules, with tighter staffing and provider requirements.1Illinois General Assembly. 225 ILCS 10 – Child Care Act of 1969
Once more than eight children are present in a day care home, the administrative code requires a qualified assistant and at least 35 square feet of floor space per child.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Administrative Code Title 89, Section 406.8 Below eight children, there’s no per-child square footage minimum, though the home still has to provide adequate space.
Provider Qualifications
Day care home providers must be at least 18. Group day care home providers must be at least 21. Both need a high school diploma or GED.3CCR&R of Midwestern IL. Types of Child Care Group day care operators also need six hours of college coursework in early childhood development or a related field, submitted with the initial application. Experience alone doesn’t substitute.
Before your application will be considered complete, you need current CPR and First Aid certification covering pediatric emergencies, plus proof of mandated reporter training. Line these up first; DCFS won’t move an incomplete file forward.
Background Checks and Health Clearances
Every household member age 13 or older must complete the Authorization for Background Check form (CFS 718-B-DC), which lets DCFS pull criminal history through the Illinois State Police and FBI.4Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Authorization for Background Check for Day Care DCFS also checks its Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System (CANTS). A disqualifying finding on any household member can block the entire application, so vet the whole household before you file.
Health clearances are required for the provider and every household member to confirm no communicable diseases are present, and the provider submits results from a physical exam. If you serve children under six in a building constructed before January 1, 2000, you also need lead-in-water testing by an IEPA-certified laboratory. Results at or above 2.01 parts per billion trigger a mandatory mitigation plan.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Administrative Code Title 89, Section 406.8
Preparing Your Home for Inspection
A DCFS licensing representative will inspect your home against a detailed checklist before any permit is issued. Fix these before submitting the application, because failed inspections delay your opening.
Indoor Standards
Walls and surfaces must be free of lead paint and chipped or peeling paint.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Administrative Code Title 89, Section 406.8 If you plan to renovate a home built before 1978 for child care use, the federal EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting rule requires a lead-safe certified contractor.5US EPA. Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Functioning smoke detectors and fire extinguishers must be installed on every level used for care.
Basement care space needs two exits. At least one must be a door leading directly outside without passing through another level. The second can be a window, but it must open from inside without tools and provide a clear opening of at least 20 inches wide, 24 inches high, and 5.7 square feet in total area. If the bottom of that window sits more than 24 inches above the floor, install a permanently mounted ramp or stairs beneath it for emergency access.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Administrative Code Title 89, Section 406.8
Outdoor Play Areas
Provide safe outdoor space for active play, whether your yard, a nearby park, or a playground. The administrative code requires physical barriers (fences, tree lines, ropes, or similar measures) separating children from water hazards like pools or ponds regardless of depth. Heavy traffic and construction hazards must also be physically blocked, not just supervised around. Trampolines are prohibited. In-ground swimming pools accessible to children must be enclosed by a fence at least five feet high with a locked gate.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Administrative Code Title 89, Section 406.8
The Application Packet
The main form is CFS 597, “Application for Child Care Facility License.” One form covers day care homes, group day care homes, and other facility types; you check the box for the license type you’re seeking. It asks for your home’s layout, intended hours of operation, and detailed information on every household resident including Social Security numbers and dates of birth.6Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Application for Child Care Facility License
Submit CFS 597 with:
- A CFS 718-B-DC background check authorization for every household member 13 and older4Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Authorization for Background Check for Day Care
- Health clearance documentation for the provider and everyone in the household
- Proof of current CPR and First Aid certification
- Proof of mandated reporter training
- Three personal references from non-relatives
- For group day care applicants, documentation of the six college hours in early childhood or child development
Send the completed packet to the DCFS Regional Licensing Office that covers your area. Forms are available through the DCFS website or at regional offices. Missing documents are the most common reason applications stall. DCFS won’t assign a licensing representative until they consider your file complete.
Inspection, Permit, and Full License
Once your application is accepted, a licensing representative schedules an on-site inspection. They check for safety hazards, examine play areas, review your emergency plan, confirm that smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are in place, and verify that the physical layout matches your application.
If everything passes, DCFS issues a permit valid for two months. This one-time probationary period confirms you can maintain compliance while actually operating. After the permit period, DCFS converts your status to a full license lasting three years, assuming no violations have surfaced.7Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Rules 406, Licensing Standards for Day Care Homes
Staying Licensed
Caregivers in a day care home must complete 15 hours of in-service training each year, covering child development, health, safety, and nutrition.8Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Summary of Licensing Standards for Day Care Homes DCFS tracks compliance, and falling behind on hours can jeopardize your license at renewal.
DCFS also conducts unannounced visits throughout the license period. Before your three-year term expires, you’ll need to renew, which means demonstrating you’ve kept up with training, maintained background check clearances, and continued meeting all safety standards.
What Operating Without a License Costs
Running an unlicensed day care home when you’re required to have one is a Class A misdemeanor in Illinois, carrying up to 364 days in jail. For associations or corporations, officers who knowingly participated in the violation face the same criminal exposure.1Illinois General Assembly. 225 ILCS 10 – Child Care Act of 1969
Continuing to operate after your license has been revoked or after DCFS refuses to renew it escalates to a business offense with fines between $500 and $10,000, with each day of continued operation counting as a separate offense.1Illinois General Assembly. 225 ILCS 10 – Child Care Act of 1969 DCFS investigates complaints about unlicensed care, and a violation can permanently disqualify you from future licensing.
Beyond the DCFS License
A state license doesn’t answer every question about opening a home daycare. A DCFS license doesn’t override your local zoning code, and many Illinois municipalities require a home occupation permit or zoning certificate before you can operate a business from a residential property. Fee structures vary, and some towns require a public hearing. Check with your city or village planning department before investing in the DCFS application, because a zoning denial stops you cold regardless of your state license status.
Once you cross eight children or open a group day care home, you’ll need at least one qualified assistant. That assistant is your employee for federal purposes, which triggers Form I-9 verification within three business days of their start date, payroll tax withholding, quarterly returns, and workers’ compensation coverage under Illinois law.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification Assistants must pass the same DCFS background check as household members. Budget time to set up payroll before you actually need the help.
Income from a home daycare is self-employment income, and the IRS provides special home-office rules for daycare providers in Publication 587 that let you claim space used for both business and personal purposes.10Internal Revenue Service. About Publication 587, Business Use of Your Home (Including Use by Daycare Providers) Talk to a tax preparer familiar with home-based care before your first year ends.