Home Daycare Permit Requirements in Chicago, IL

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as a corporation or multi-member LLC (single-member LLCs without employees can generally use the owner's SSN). Also needed as a taxpayer ID for accepting Child Care Development Fund (CCDF)/CCAP subsidy payments. Free to obtain from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Illinois Department of Early Childhood - Licensed Family Child Care Home

   A license is required to operate a family child care home in Illinois. Since July 1, 2026 child care licensing has been administered by the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC), which took over the function from DCFS. A licensed family child care home may care for up to 8 children with one provider, or up to 12 with a qualified assistant; a home caring for up to 3 children, or the children of a single family, is license exempt. Requirements include criminal background checks through the Illinois State Police and FBI plus CANTS and Sex Offender Registry checks for everyone living or working in the home, staff training and education requirements, adequate space for the number and ages of children, health exams, and a fire safety inspection. IDEC makes annual unannounced monitoring visits.

   Official government source

   Free (no IDEC application or license fee); you may still pay out of pocket for fingerprint-based background checks, required physical exams, and any safety upgrades·IDEC does not publish a fixed processing time. The process includes orientation, the application, background checks for the provider and household members, health examinations, a fire safety inspection, and an on-site licensing visit before the license issues; the license is then renewed and monitored annually.

   Free (no IDEC application or license fee); you may still pay out of pocket for fingerprint-based background checks, required physical exams, and any safety upgrades

   IDEC does not publish a fixed processing time. The process includes orientation, the application, background checks for the provider and household members, health examinations, a fire safety inspection, and an on-site licensing visit before the license issues; the license is then renewed and monitored annually.

2. Illinois IDEC — Family Day Care Home Registration

   Illinois child care licensing moved from DCFS to the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) on July 1, 2026. IDEC's licensure page describes licensed family child care homes (up to 8 children with one provider, or up to 12 with an assistant) and license-exempt family child care limited to 3 children or a single family; it does not describe a voluntary registration program for license-exempt homes. If you care for a small number of children and want to accept Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) payments, confirm directly with IDEC what registration or approval, if any, currently applies.

   Official government source

   not published by IDEC for any voluntary registration program -- confirm with IDEC·not published by IDEC for any voluntary registration program -- confirm with IDEC

   not published by IDEC for any voluntary registration program -- confirm with IDEC

   not published by IDEC for any voluntary registration program -- confirm with IDEC

3. Background Check (Illinois State Police + FBI) — via Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC)

   As of July 1, 2026, child care licensing (including background check administration) is managed by the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC), not DCFS. All required individuals (staff and household members with access to children) must complete a background check covering Illinois State Police and FBI criminal history, the Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System (CANTS), and the Sex Offender Registry. Confirm current per-person fees and the specific household-member age threshold directly with IDEC.

   Official government source

   fees vary; confirm with IDEC·2–6 weeks

   fees vary; confirm with IDEC

   2–6 weeks

4. Health Examination

   The provider and all required household members must complete a health examination form signed by a licensed physician, verifying no communicable diseases and general health suitability for caring for children. The completed form is submitted with the child care licensing application. Since July 1, 2026 child care licensing is administered by the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) rather than DCFS, so submit the form to IDEC.

   Official government source

   No state fee for the form. The physical examination itself is billed by your physician or clinic and is often covered by health insurance; cost varies by provider.·Schedule the examination with your physician before you apply; the signed form must be in hand when the licensing application is submitted and is reviewed as part of the licensing study.

   No state fee for the form. The physical examination itself is billed by your physician or clinic and is often covered by health insurance; cost varies by provider.

   Schedule the examination with your physician before you apply; the signed form must be in hand when the licensing application is submitted and is reviewed as part of the licensing study.

5. CPR and First Aid Training

   Current infant/child CPR and first aid certification from an approved provider is required and must be maintained throughout the license period, but child care licensing (and its specific requirements) is now administered by the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC), not DCFS, as of July 1, 2026. Confirm current requirements with IDEC.

   Official government source

   $50–$100·Same day

   $50–$100

   Same day

1. Chicago Children Services (Day Care) License -- not a Home Occupation License

   Chicago requires a BACP Children Services license for any day care, defined as any place where three or more children age six or younger who are not siblings are cared for during the day apart from their parent or guardian. This applies to home-based day cares too: BACP's Home Based Business (Home Occupation) license explicitly excludes anything requiring a Children's Services Facility license, so the $1,000 home occupation pathway is not available for a day care. The city license also requires state licensure, which since July 1, 2026 is issued by the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) rather than DCFS, plus zoning approval and a parking determination letter, fingerprint-based background checks for all controlling persons and site managers, a certificate of insurance with limits of at least $300,000, and inspections by the Departments of Buildings, Fire, and Public Health.

   Official government source

   $165 license fee, plus a $40 processing fee for each controlling person and manager required to be fingerprinted·Chicago publishes no processing time; zoning approval, fingerprinting, a City debt check and three separate agency inspections typically take several weeks to months

   $165 license fee, plus a $40 processing fee for each controlling person and manager required to be fingerprinted

   Chicago publishes no processing time; zoning approval, fingerprinting, a City debt check and three separate agency inspections typically take several weeks to months

Official Sources

• Illinois DCFS — Family Day Care
• Chicago BACP — Business Licensing
• Illinois DCFS — Background Checks

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