Waukegan, IL Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Waukegan's Child Day Care Home Ordinance, City Code §§ 14-1121 through 14-1129, defines a child day care home as 'a residence in a residential zoning district in which care is provided for more than three but not more than eight children for no more than 18 hours in a day,' counting the caregiver's own children and any other children under 12 living in the home (§ 14-1122). Anyone running one must hold a current license from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) under the Illinois Child Care Act of 1969 and a separate business license from the city (§ 14-1123).

00 and must include a copy of the state DCFS license (§ 14-1125). Before the city issues the license, it mails notice to every property owner within 250 feet of the home, giving them 15 days to file a written objection; a timely objection triggers an administrative hearing before the development review board, where the complainant must show the home would violate an ordinance, create a nuisance, or substantially change the neighborhood's character (§ 14-1126). Renters need notarized landlord or HOA permission on file before applying.

10, a day care home is a use permitted by right in every residential and lakefront zoning district, but it must remain the operator's primary residence, and the eight-child cap includes the caregiver's own kids. Licenses renew every January on proof of a valid DCFS license and a compliance inspection (§ 14-1127).