Tinley Park, IL Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Regulated threshold
- 3+ unrelated children under age 6
- Also covers
- 3+ adults needing supervised care
- Cutoff time
- Care ending no later than 9:00 p.m.
- License fee
- Flat rate, set by § 110.25
- Max penalty
- $500 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
Any operation caring for three or more unrelated children under six, or three or more adults needing supervised care, for part or all of a day up to 9:00 p.m. counts as a day care center in Tinley Park and must be licensed. Village Code Chapter 114 makes running one without a license unlawful.
“DAY CARE CENTER.” Any institution or place in which are received: ... Three or more children, not of common parentage, apart from their parents or guardian, under the age of six years; ... It shall be unlawful for a person, firm, or corporation to operate a day care center within the village without first having obtained a license therefor.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-40: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance 2026-O-007, passed 2-17-2026, Resolution 2018-R-077, passed 10-2-18, and State legislation current through 2010 Pamphlet No. 7).
Full Breakdown
m. The definition explicitly reaches similar units operating under any other name whatsoever with or without a stated educational purpose, which pulls in preschools, learning centers, and adult day programs alongside traditional day cares. 02 then makes it unlawful for a person, firm, or corporation to operate a day care center in the village without first obtaining a license. 25 and specifies that the annual fee does not vary based on how many part-time or full-time children or adults are enrolled, so a small in-home operation pays the same license fee as a larger center.
The chapter does not itself set staffing ratios, square-footage, or fire-safety standards for the physical space; those requirements come from the state's separate day care licensing regime administered by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, layered on top of this local operating-license requirement.
Violations & Fines
Operating a day care center in Tinley Park without the § 114.02 license is punishable under § 110.99: a fine of up to $500 per offense or a jail term of up to six months, with each day of unlicensed operation treated as a separate offense. The village enforces the license requirement independent of any separate state licensing action against the same facility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a small home day care need a Tinley Park license?
What does the day care license cost in Tinley Park?
What happens if a day care operates without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tinley Park
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Childcare Center Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle childcare center rules.