Child Care: Licensed Family Child Care Homes

• Licensed family child care may care for up to eight children (including their own), or for up to 12 children with an assistant.
• License-exempt family child care, such as family, friend and neighbor, may care for three or fewer children (including their own) or children from one family. This care can be offered in the caregiver’s home or in the child’s home.

Source of definition: Illinois Department of Human Services

Latest data: FY2023 (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023)

Number of sites

The minimum known number of family child care homes licensed by DCFS in a geographic area, such as state or county.

Source of data: Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA)

Geographic region: These data are available by state, county, township, state House district, state Senate district, congressional district, ISBE region, IDHS region, municipality, unit and elementary school district, and Chicago Community Area.

• Data are not available by Chicago Community Area for 2011 and earlier.
• Data are not available by ZCTA for 2009 and earlier.
• Data are not available by school districts for 2008 and earlier.
• Data are not available by municipality for 2007 and earlier.

Notes:

• The number reported here is the “minimum known” because not all sites report to INCCRRA.
• Sites that are Head Start-only or Preschool for All-only are not included in these data.
• Homes that served no children were not counted in the number of sites.
• Homes that served “summer only” were not counted in the number of sites.

Total capacity across sessions 6 weeks - 1 year

This number is the minimum known capacity for each individual session serving children under age 2

Source of data: Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA)

Geographic region: These data are available by state, county, township, state House district, state Senate district, congressional district, ISBE region, IDHS region, municipality, unit and elementary school district, and Chicago Community Area.

• Data are not available by Chicago Community Area for 2011 and earlier.
• Data are not available by ZCTA for 2009 and earlier.
• Data are not available by school districts for 2008 and earlier.
• Data are not available by municipality for 2007 and earlier.

The number reported here is the “minimum known” because not all sites that report to INCCRRA report their capacity by age groups.

Note on full-day and half-day sessions: Child care centers report capacity by individual sessions. The individual sessions included in this count are (1) Day, (2) Session 1, and (3) Session 2. These correspond approximately to full-day and half-day.Sessions not included in this count are evening, overnight, and weekend.

The age groups included in this total capacity are (1) Infant, 6 weeks – 14 months and (2) Toddler, 15 weeks – 23 months. Licensed child care centers and family child care homes do not serve children younger than 6 weeks. Thus these data relate to children from 6 weeks through 23 months.

The sum of the capacities of the individual age ranges (6 wks – 1 yr; 2 yrs; 3-4 and 5-K) is NOT the same as the total licensed capacity for a family child care home. (It might coincidentally be the same in a few cases.) Differences result from the following conditions:

• Homes have separate capacities for individual age ranges. They may fill these capacities as they see fit, as long as the total does not exceed their total licensed capacity.
• Homes may serve children in full-day or half-day sessions. They may have a total licensed capacity of 20. In this case, they may serve 20 children in a full-day session or they may serve, for example, 20 2-year-old children in a morning session and 20 4-year-old children in an afternoon session. In this case, they will have two age range capacities of 20 (sum of 40) but a total licensed capacity of 20.
• Family child care homes do not necessarily report all of their sessions, and thus all of their age-range capacities, to INCCRRA.
• In its online database, IECAM reports only half-day and full-day sessions, which are typically used to determine daytime point-in-time capacity. Sessions that are not used for such determination (e.g., summer only, before-and-after-school care, weekend care) are not included in the data.

Total capacity is not the same as enrollment. The number of children enrolled may be more or less than the total capacity.

INCCRRA notes that because of data reporting processes, some sessions may not be included in the data. Therefore the total licensed capacity reported here may not be identical to the true total licensed capacity. INCCRRA collects these data for purposes of parental referral, rather than for the specific purposes of the design of IECAM.

Total licensed capacity across sessions 2 years

This number is the minimum known capacity for each individual session serving children 2 years of age.

Source of data: Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA)

Geographic region: These data are available by state, county, township, state House district, state Senate district, congressional district, ISBE region, IDHS region, municipality, unit and elementary school district, and Chicago Community Area.

• Data are not available by Chicago Community Area for 2011 and earlier.
• Data are not available by ZCTA for 2009 and earlier.
• Data are not available by school districts for 2008 and earlier.
• Data are not available by municipality for 2007 and earlier.

The number reported here is the “minimum known” because not all sites that report to INCCRRA report their capacity by age groups.

Note on full-day and half-day sessions: Child care centers report capacity by individual sessions. The individual sessions included in this count are (1) Day, (2) Session 1, and (3) Session 2. These correspond approximately to full-day and half-day. Sessions not included in this count are evening, overnight, and weekend. 

The age group included in this total capacity is Toddler, 24 – 35 months.

The sum of the capacities of the individual age ranges (6 wks – 1 yr; 2 yrs; 3-4 and 5-K) is NOT the same as the total licensed capacity for a family child care home. (It might coincidentally be the same in a few cases.) Differences result from the following conditions:

• Homes have separate capacities for individual age ranges. They may fill these capacities as they see fit, as long as the total does not exceed their total licensed capacity.
• Homes may serve children in full-day or half-day sessions. They may have a total licensed capacity of 20. In this case, they may serve 20 children in a full-day session or they may serve, for example, 20 2-year-old children in a morning session and 20 4-year-old children in an afternoon session. In this case, they will have two age range capacities of 20 (sum of 40) but a total licensed capacity of 20.
• Family child care homes do not necessarily report all of their sessions, and thus all of their age-range capacities, to INCCRRA.
• In its online database, IECAM reports only half-day and full-day sessions, which are are typically used to determine daytime point-in-time capacity. Sessions that are not used for such determination (e.g., summer only, before-and-after-school care, weekend care) are not included in the data.

Total capacity is not the same as enrollment. The number of children enrolled may be more or less than the total capacity.

INCCRRA notes that because of data reporting processes, some sessions may not be included in the data. Therefore the total licensed capacity reported here may not be identical to the true total licensed capacity. INCCRRA collects these data for purposes of parental referral, rather than for the specific purposes of the design of IECAM.

Total licensed capacity across sessions 3 and 4 years and 5-K

This number is the minimum known capacity for each individual session serving children 3 and 4 years of age (and 5 to K).

Source of data: Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA)

Geographic region: These data are available by state, county, township, state House district, state Senate district, congressional district, ISBE region, IDHS region, municipality, unit and elementary school district, and Chicago Community Area.

• Data are not available by Chicago Community Area for 2011 and earlier.
• Data are not available by ZCTA for 2009 and earlier.
• Data are not available by school districts for 2008 and earlier.
• Data are not available by municipality for 2007 and earlier.

The number reported here is the “minimum known” because not all sites that report to INCCRRA report their capacity by age groups.

Full-day and half-day sessions: Child care centers report capacity by individual sessions. The individual sessions included in this count are (1) Day, (2) Session 1, and (3) Session 2. These correspond approximately to full-day and half-day.Sessions not included in this count are evening, overnight, and weekend. 

The age groups included in this total capacity are (1) Preschool, 3 to 4 years (i.e., 36 months up to but not including 60 months); (2) Preschool, 5 years to K (i.e., 60 months up to but not including 72 months; may include some kindergartners).

Sessions that include school-age children are not included in IECAM.

The sum of the capacities of the individual age ranges (6 wks – 1 yr; 2 yrs; 3-4 and 5-K) is NOT the same as the total licensed capacity for a family child care home. (It might coincidentally be the same in a few cases.) Differences result from the following conditions:

• Homes have separate capacities for individual age ranges. They may fill these capacities as they see fit, as long as the total does not exceed their total licensed capacity.
• Homes may serve children in full-day or half-day sessions. They may have a total licensed capacity of 20. In this case, they may serve 20 children in a full-day session; or they may serve, e.g., 20 2-year-old children in a morning session and 20 4-year-old children in an afternoon session. In this case, they will have two age range capacities of 20 (sum of 40) but a total licensed capacity of 20.
• Family child care homes do not necessarily report all of their sessions, and thus all of their age-range capacities, to INCCRRA.
• In its online database, IECAM reports only half-day and full-day sessions, i.e., those sessions that are typically used to determine daytime point-in-time capacity. Sessions that are not used for such determination (e.g., summer only, before-and-after-school care, weekend care) are not included in the data.

Total capacity is not the same as enrollment. The number of children enrolled may be more or less than the total capacity.

INCCRRA notes that because of data reporting processes, some sessions may not be included in the data. Therefore, the total licensed capacity reported here may not be identical to the true total licensed capacity. INCCRRA collects these data for purposes of parental referral, rather than for the specific purposes of the design of IECAM.

Total licensed capacity

This number is the minimum known capacity of children that a family child care home is licensed to serve at any one time.

Source of data: Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA)

Geographic region: These data are available by state, county, township, state House district, state Senate district, congressional district, ISBE region, IDHS region, municipality, unit and elementary school district, and Chicago Community Area.

• Data are not available by Chicago Community Area for 2011 and earlier.
• Data are not available by ZCTA for 2009 and earlier.
• Data are not available by school districts for 2008 and earlier.
• Data are not available by municipality for 2007 and earlier.

The number reported here is the “minimum known” because not all sites that report to INCCRRA report their capacity by age groups.

The total licensed capacity for a family child care home is NOT the sum of the capacities of the individual age ranges (6 wks – 1 yr; 2 yrs; 3-4 and 5-K). (It might coincidentally be the same in a few cases.) Differences result from the following conditions:

• Homes have separate capacities for individual age ranges. They may fill these capacities as they see fit, as long as the total does not exceed their total licensed capacity.
• Homes may serve children in full-day or half-day sessions. They may have a total licensed capacity of 20. In this case, they may serve 20 children in a full-day session; or they may serve, e.g., 20 2-year-old children in a morning session and 20 4-year-old children in an afternoon session. In this case, they will have two age range capacities of 20 (sum of 40) but a total licensed capacity of 20.
• Family child care homes do not necessarily report all of their sessions, and thus all of their age-range capacities, to INCCRRA.
• In its online database, IECAM reports only half-day and full-day sessions, i.e., those sessions that are typically used to determine daytime point-in-time capacity. Sessions that are not used for such determination (e.g., summer only, before-and-after-school care, weekend care) are not included in the data.

Total capacity is not the same as enrollment. The number of children enrolled may be more or less than the total capacity.

INCCRRA notes that data for some sites are not included. Therefore, the total capacity reported here may not be identical to the true total capacity. INCCRRA collects these data for purposes of parental referral, rather than for the specific purposes of the design of IECAM.

For past years, there are some differences in the data definition/description, compared with the most recent year. These are indicated here.

Geographic region: Data by some regions are not available for earlier years.

• Data are not available by Chicago Community Area for 2011 and earlier.
• Data are not available by ZCTA for 2009 and earlier.
• Data are not available by school districts for 2008 and earlier.
• Data are not available by municipality for 2007 and earlier.