Champaign County, IL Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning basis
- Neighborhood home occupation, § 7.1.1
- Children on site
- Up to 12 at one time
- Hours
- 6:30 a.m. arrival, out by 10:00 p.m.
- Employees
- One non-family, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- State license
- 225 ILCS 10/3(a), Dept. of Early Childhood
Summary
In unincorporated Champaign County a home day care runs as a neighborhood home occupation under Zoning Ordinance § 7.1.1: up to 12 children may be present, children may arrive as early as 6:30 a.m., and no one may remain past 10:00 p.m. The state license comes from 225 ILCS 10/3(a), which since July 1, 2026 is issued by the Department of Early Childhood for an early care and education home of more than 3 and up to 12 children.
7.1.1 NEIGHBORHOOD HOME OCCUPATIONS as defined in Section 3, are permitted as an ACCESSORY USE subject to the following standards: A. No more than one employee, in addition to family members, shall be present on the premises at any one time. No employees shall be present on the premises earlier than 8:00 a.m. or later than 6:00 p.m. ... E. No more than three patrons, clients, congregants, or similar persons may be present on the premises at one time except: 1. up to 12 children may be present in day care homes; ... F. No patrons, clients or other congregants shall be present on the premises earlier than 9:00 a.m. nor later than 10:00 p.m. except that day care recipients may be present as early as 6:30 a.m. ... [225 ILCS 10/3] (a) No person, group of persons, or corporation may operate or conduct any early care and education center, early care and education home, or group early care and education home, as defined in this Act, without a license or permit issued by the Department of Children and Family Services before July 1, 2026 or issued by the Department of Early Childhood on and after July 1, 2026 or without being approved by the Department of Early Childhood as meeting the standards established for such licensing, with the exception of early care and education settings described in subsections (d-5) and (d-10).
Full Breakdown
1 of the Champaign County Zoning Ordinance, as amended through December 18, 2025, which permits neighborhood home occupations as an accessory use in a dwelling subject to fixed standards. m. Subsection E caps patrons at three at a time but carves out day care homes, where up to 12 children may be present. , which is the only home occupation given an early start. 2 use table treats a Private Kindergarten or Day Care Facility as a separate special use in the districts where it is allowed, so an operation that outgrows the 12-child home occupation limit is reviewed as a facility rather than as an accessory use.
The state side changed on July 1, 2026. Public Act 104-480 rewrote the Child Care Act so that 225 ILCS 10/3(a) now bars anyone from operating an early care and education center, early care and education home, or group early care and education home without a license or permit, issued by the Department of Children and Family Services before July 1, 2026 and by the Department of Early Childhood on and after that date. 20 defines a group early care and education home at more than 3 and up to 16 children.
10. Section 3(d-5)(1) leaves in-home care of no more than 3 children under 12 outside licensing, or up to 6 if all come from one household. 1 allows as a home occupation.
Violations & Fines
A home day care that exceeds 12 children, keeps children before 6:30 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m., or has more than one non-family employee on site falls outside the § 7.1.1 accessory-use standards and is enforced by the Champaign County Department of Planning and Zoning as a zoning violation. Operating without the state license required by 225 ILCS 10/3(a) is a separate matter for the Department of Early Childhood, which took over licensing from the Department of Children and Family Services on July 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many children can a home day care have in unincorporated Champaign County?
What hours does the county allow?
Who issues the license now?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Champaign County
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