Kendall County, IL Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning definition
- supervises more than 3 unrelated children, § 36-2
- Permit needed
- special use permit in RPD-1, § 36-365(b)(3)
- Minimum lot area
- 45,000 gross square feet
- Parking requirement
- 0.33 spaces per student plus 1 per employee, § 36-1015
- State cross-reference
- Illinois Childcare Act of 1969, 225 ILCS 10
- Penalty
- up to $500 per week, § 36-3
Summary
Kendall County's zoning code defines a day care facility as one supervising more than three unrelated children for less than 24 hours a day, cross-referencing the Illinois Childcare Act. In the RPD-1 planned development district, a child day care facility needs a special use permit, a minimum 45,000-square-foot lot, and appropriate outdoor play areas under Section 36-365.
Day care facility means facilities that provide supervision and care of more than three (3) children unrelated to the operator of the facility for less than twenty-four (24) hours per day. The term "day care facility" includes day care centers and day care homes as defined and regulated under the Illinois Childcare Act (of 1969) (225 ILCS 10). ... (3)Child day care facilities, subject to the following:a.Minimum lot area of forty-five thousand (45,000) gross square feet.b.Provision of appropriate outdoor play areas.c.Other standards as appropriate for the particular location and use, such as screening, buffering, and fencing or other provisions to promote the health, safety, and welfare of County residents.
Full Breakdown
Kendall County's zoning definitions section, Section 36-2, defines 'day care facility' as any facility providing supervision and care of more than three children unrelated to the operator for less than 24 hours a day, and folds in day care centers and day care homes as those terms are defined and regulated under the Illinois Childcare Act of 1969 (225 ILCS 10), meaning the County's zoning definition sits on top of, rather than replaces, the State's licensing scheme. Where a child day care facility can locate depends on the zoning district.
In the County's RPD-1 residential planned development district, Section 36-365(b)(3) allows child day care facilities only by special use permit, subject to a minimum lot area of 45,000 gross square feet, provision of appropriate outdoor play areas, and any other standards found appropriate for the location, such as screening, buffering, or fencing to protect the health, safety, and welfare of County residents. Separately, Section 36-364 allows child day care services as an accessory use to a place of worship or a school in an RPD-1 development, subject to all applicable regulations, including parking.
33 parking spaces per student capacity, as determined by the local Fire Protection District, plus one parking space per employee, and requires the site to provide adequate drop-off and pick-up locations.
Violations & Fines
Operating a child day care facility in the RPD-1 district without the required special use permit, or without meeting the lot-area, outdoor play area, and parking conditions attached to that permit, is a zoning violation. Chapter 36's general penalty at Section 36-3 makes any violation of the zoning chapter a petty offense punishable by a fine of up to $500, with each week the violation continues a separate offense, plus the County's costs of abatement and prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kendall County require a special permit to open a home day care?
How much parking does a childcare center need under Kendall County zoning?
Does Kendall County or the State license day care centers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kendall County
Compare Kendall County to another location·View the Illinois building safety overview
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