Arlington Heights, IL Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

The Village defines a Day Care Home at Section 14-801 as a family home that receives more than three and up to a maximum of 12 children for less than 24 hours a day, counting the operator's own children and any other person under 12 living there; homes that care only for children of a single household are excluded. Section 14-802 requires the operator to hold both a valid State of Illinois license under the Child Care Act of 1969 and a separate Village license before opening.

The application goes to the Director of Building and must certify that the applicant will maintain Illinois Child Care Act standards, allow Village inspection at any reasonable time, and install smoke detectors at every location the Arlington Heights Fire Department designates (Section 14-803). Before a license issues, Section 14-804 requires the applicant to notify every owner of a contiguous property, front, side, and rear, plus the neighbor directly across the street, either by certified mail or by a signed personal-visit form. A license issues 15 days after notice if no written objection arrives; if a neighbor objects, the Village Manager holds an administrative hearing (10 to 30 days after the objection) where the objector must show the home would violate an ordinance or state statute, create a nuisance, or substantially change the neighborhood's character.

Any party may appeal the Village Manager's decision to the Board of Trustees within 30 days, and that decision is final. Section 14-805 conditions issuance on the Fire Department verifying the required smoke detectors and fire-code compliance and on payment of the license fee. Licenses renew annually every January under Section 14-806, subject to the same state-license verification and fire inspection.