• Illinois has many laws and regulations regarding child care homes and child care centers.child playing image by Christopher Hall from Fotolia.com
  
  The current laws for the licensing and operation of child daycare centers in the state of Illinois are issued by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). This organization sets licensing standards, provides educational resources, and offers reference tools for daycare centers.
  
  

Licenses

• A child care license is required for any childcare provider that is caring for more than three unrelated children. In order to get a license, many requirements must be met. The provider must be 18 years of age or older, enjoy children, have CPR, First Aid, and Heimlich Maneuver certification, and complete a background check by the DCFS. The facility must also meet requirements having to do with space and equipment. There is not a fee associated with obtaining a child care license. Day care facility licenses go through a renewal process every three years. At the time of renewal, the center goes through a thorough reevaluation.
  
  

Daycare Home Requirements

• Daycare centers that are operated from residential homes must meet a number of requirements in accordance with the Child Care Act of 1969. Some of these requirements include having a first aid kit, working phone number, outlet covers, inaccessible storage areas, fire extinguishers, outdoor play spaces and safe furniture. Each employee of the day care center also has to meet certain standards.
  
  

Ratios

• A single daycare provider that does not have an assistant may only care for eight children at any given time. Three different combinations of ages are acceptable: all eight children are of school age; five are under 5 years of age and three under 2 years of age; or six under 5 years of age and two under 30 months of age. When a child care provider is accompanied by an assistant 18 years or older, they may care for eight children under the age of 5 and four children that are school-aged and may require care only before and after school. Large day care centers will be evaluated during licensing and the number of children they are allowed to care for will be posted on their license.
  
  

Food

• If food is administered to children that was not provided by their parents, it must be managed by a day care employee who has certification in food service sanitation. If the center distributes prepackaged prepared snacks, this certification is not required.