Illinois Daycare Inspection Checklist
By Jayesh Parayali, Founder, CareCam · 15+ years building daycare camera systems · checked against state sources 2026-10-19
What the Illinois Department of Early Childhood looks at when it inspects a licensed child care center, written as a walk-through you can do the day before. Day care centers must be monitored at least once a year by a Department of Early Childhood licensing representative. The department says these annual visits are unannounced.
Illinois at a glance
- Licensing agency
- Illinois Department of Early Childhood
- Inspections
- Day care centers must be monitored at least once a year by a Department of Early Childhood licensing representative. The department says these annual visits are unannounced. Source
- Ratio rule
- 23 Ill. Adm. Code 2008.190
- Public inspection reports
- State lookup
Ratios the inspector counts against
| Age group | Staff : children | Max group |
|---|---|---|
| Infants (6 weeks through 14 months) | 1:4 | 12 |
| Toddlers (15 through 23 months) | 1:5 | 15 |
| Two years (2 years) | 1:8 | 16 |
| Three years (3 years) | 1:10 | 20 |
| Four years (4 years) | 1:10 | 20 |
| Five years (preschool) (5 years, in a preschool group) | 1:20 | 20 |
| School-age (kindergartners present) (school-age group that includes kindergartners) | 1:20 | 30 |
Need the staffing number for the children in the building right now? Use the calculator on the Illinois daycare ratios page.
The walk-through
Illinois · Illinois Department of Early Childhood 0 of 48 checked
Posted where parents and the licensor can see them
The first thing a licensor does is look at the walls by the entrance. Everything here should be visible without asking.
Children's files
The licensor pulls a sample of files. One missing immunization record is the most common citation in most states.
Staff files
Every adult who counts toward the ratio needs a complete file. Volunteers and substitutes too.
Health and sanitation
Walk every room the way the licensor does: sinks, changing tables, kitchen, then the medicine cabinet.
Building, fire and outdoor safety
Most building citations are small and fixable in an hour. Check them the week before and the morning of.
Supervision, ratios and the daily routine
Ratios are checked at the moment the licensor walks into each room, which is why the arrival and the last hour matter most.
The question that follows a complaint
An inspection checks the room at one moment. A complaint asks what the room looked like at a different one. CareCam runs on the cameras a center already has, keeps the recording on your own recorder, and gives parents a live, video-only view of their own child's room during the hours you set, so most of those questions never get asked.
Illinois inspection FAQ
How often are daycare centers inspected in Illinois?
Where can I find a Illinois daycare's inspection reports?
What ratios does a Illinois inspector check?
Do I have to tell parents about cameras in Illinois?
See how CareCam fits your center
Run a Illinois center? See if your cameras can do double duty
Tell us your camera brand and we'll confirm whether the cameras you already have can give parents a secure, live, video-only view of their own child's room. We reply within one business day.