Child Care Connection & Referral Service
Parent Services
Types of Child Care
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is the agency responsible for licensing Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes.
Licensing Regulations: A license means that the provider has met the State of Illinois' minimum standards for care.
Child Care Centers
Child care centers provide full or part-time child care in a group setting with planned activities. Most often licensed by the state, they must meet minimal health, safety and staffing requirements.
Children are grouped together by age, with activities planned especially for that age level. Each classroom has materials and activities which support a planned curriculum.
There is usually a range of experience and education among the staff. All staff who have contact with the children are subject to a background check for criminal activity. Centers provide substitutes during staff absences or vacations.
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Family Child Care Homes
Family child care is provided for children in the home of the caregiver. Usually, family child care providers are parents themselves. In Illinois, family child care providers who care for more than three children, including their own, are required to be licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
Family child care offers a blending of ages. Each child has the opportunity to relate to a few other children of different ages- some younger and some older.
A family child care provider may often times be in your neighborhood and may be able to make flexible arrangements. A few providers are available to care for children whose parents work at night or on weekends when centers are not usually open.
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Preschools
Preschools (or nursery schools) offer group programs for primarily 3 to 5 year old children for a part of the day on specified days of the week. Most follow the school calendar and do not operate during school holidays, vacations, snow days or summer months.
Preschools can be licensed by DCFS under the same regulations as day care centers.
Preschool for All
Preschool for All is a high quality Early Childhood education program for children 3 and 4 years old.
Preschool for All programs operate on a school calendar, the same as your local school district. Classes are 2.5 hours long, 5 days a week. Programs may be located in schools, child care centers, community organizations private preschools, faith-based organizations, community colleges and other settings. Preschool for All programs are funded by the Illinois State Board of Education to provide a half day preschool program at no cost to parents.
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Head Start
The Head Start program (for children ages 3-5) and Early Head Start program (for pregnant women, infants, and toddlers) promote school readiness for children in low-income families by providing comprehensive educational, health, nutritional, and social services. Parents play a large role in the programs, both as primary educators of their children and as participants in administering the programs locally. Both programs provide pre-literacy and literacy experiences in a multi-cultural environment. Parents are also provided social services, including assistance with childcare.
School Age Programs
School Age programs offer child care before and after school, and for holidays, snow days, and summer vacation. The families can include child care centers, elementary schools, community centers, family child care homes, parks and playgrounds.
License Exempt Family Child Care
Family homes in which care is provided for more than three children, including the caregiver's own children, related and unrelated children under age 12, must be licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
If the family child care provider cares for 3 or fewer children (including their own) under age 12, or the children from one family, the provider is not required to be licensed. A license exempt family child care provider must be registered with Child Care Connection in order to be referred by the organization.
License-exempt Center
Several types of child care centers do not require a license. These include, but are not limited to, programs:
- Serving children 3 years and older and operated by public or private elementary or secondary schools, institutions of higher education, or other accredited schools registered with the state Board of Education
- Conducted on federal government premises
- Caring for no individual child more than 10 hours in a seven-day week and operated by a church or social service agency
- Offering short-term, special activities and operated by civic, charitable and governmental organizations
- Providing temporary care for children whose parents are on the premises
For more information about License Exempt Care or any other type of care, please contact the Child Care Connection Referral Office.