Provider  Licensing Information

At IDEC we know that what is most important to parents and families is the peace of mind that your children are safe when outside of your own care. Accordingly the single most important role for IDEC is to ensure that child care settings are physically safe and of quality that promotes positive learning environments for Illinois' children.

All child care programs licensed by the state of Illinois’ Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) are required to meet quality, health and safety standards set by both federal and state regulations. IDEC child care licensing representatives not only monitor and evaluate providers adherence to regulations but also provide feedback and support for improvement.

Key licensing requirements for child care programs in the state of Illinois include:

• Child to staff ratios (varies by age and setting type)

• Criminal background checks on staff

• Training and education requirements for staff

• Proper space for the age and number of children in care

• Safe, healthy environments for children and families

• Appropriate and respectful staff interactions with children 

IDEC representatives make annual unannounced visits to all licensed child care programs to ensure they maintain those standards, as required by law. IDEC offers a search tool to check the results of child care program monitoring.

For more information about the licensing standards and the monitoring process, visit the Illinois Sunshine Website. 

• An Overview of the Licensing Process & Requirements

• The Monitoring Process for Licensed Child Care Facilities

Illinois law requires background checks as well as checks against other mandated registries for individuals living or working in a licensed child care facility with access to children in care. 

For the purpose of understanding background check requirements and registry checks, below if a list of early childhood facility type and the background check requirement for that provider type:

Background checks process includes reviewing criminal history records from the Illinois State Police and the FBI and Out of State checks in addition to:

• Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System (CANTS)

• Sex Offender Registry (SOR)

This full background check process applies to the settings below.

• Child care center, fully licensed. 

• Child care home, fully licensed (most common).

• Child care home, license exempt non-relative care

The Illinois School Code requires background checks including criminal history from the ISP and FBI as well as the sex offender registry and the statewide Murder and Violent Offender Against Youth Database, but not CANTS. This applies to: 

• Public Elementary and Unit School district preschool 
• Private Schools preschool programs recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)

Private Elementary schools that are not recognized by ISBE are not regulated by the state. These schools may offer preschool programs. However, these programs are not subject to the above-listed background checks

No background check is required for a child care home that is license exempt because children are cared for by a relative.

Certain convictions automatically disqualify a person from working in an early care and education facility:

• Anyone identified as a sex offender or declared a dangerous person under the Sexually Dangerous Persons Act [725 ILCS 205] by the Illinois State Police

• Anyone convicted of committing or attempting to commit certain offenses including homicide, kidnapping, sex offenses, bodily harm, and any related offenses in the state of Illinois

• Anyone convicted of committing or attempting to commit those offenses in another state

For more information on background checks click below. 

The state of Illinois has assigned different group size and child to staff ratios for the different types of early care and education facilities. In addition, different age groups in centers have different ratios. These size and ratio standards ensure that children in care get the individual attention necessary to remain safe and healthy. The chart below outlines the group size and ratio requirements for each type of licensed care facility.

Age Range to Ratio

• 6 weeks - 15 months = 4:1
• 15 months - 2 years = 5:1
• 2-3 years = 8:1
• 3-4 years = 10:1
• 5 years and up = 20:1

License-exempt Family Child Care

• Up to 3 children, or a single family

Licensed Family Child Care

• Up to 8 children for one provider, or up to 12 children with an assistant

Licensed Group Home

• 12 or more children with the help of full-time qualified assistant

This type of care is not regulated by IDEC licensing standards.

Contact your local CCR&R for more information about group sizes and staff ratios.

The Illinois Department of Early Childhood maintains a website where families can check whether a child care provider is licensed. This site includes the status of the program’s license, when that license expires, and the monitoring reports. It can be a useful site as you make the critical choice about which early care and education program is right for your family.

License-exempt non-relative child care providers and license-exempt child care centers that receive payment through the IDEC’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) receive an annual on-site monitoring visit. Starting August 1, 2026, License-Exempt reports will be available on the Illinois Cares of Kids website. 

Two groups of license-exempt providers don’t receive onsite monitoring: Relatives caring for a child and license-exempt providers who do not receive CCAP funding. Families considering license-exempt child care should speak with other families who may have used that provider in the past or ask the child care provider for a list of references and former clients you can contact.

IDEC has a responsibility per federal regulations to maintain and make available for the public information related to violations and serious incidents such as serious injury, death, and child abuse and neglect. These websites help IDEC and providers stay accountable to the public for services provided to children in their earliest years when they are the most reliant on adults for safety and protection.

IDEC keeps a public report of the number of incidents in licensed facilities on the Sunshine website, and IDHS formerly kept a public record of the number of incidents in license exempt facilities involving serious injury, death, and reports of child abuse or neglect in the past year prior to July 1, 2026. This site covered the entire state of Illinois and does not indicate the individual child care programs involved.

IDEC will be creating a report for any incidents that occur after July 1, 2026.