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Infant care

Infant Daycare in Illinois

Most Illinois daycares that take infants accept babies from 6 weeks or younger, by the ages on their state record. Full-time infant care at a center costs a median of $234 a week in the middle Illinois county (2022).

daycares that take infants listed
7,433
towns
743
towns have their own infant daycare page
373
of all Illinois daycares
88%

Map of Illinois: each dot is a town with daycares that take infants, sized by how many are listed

Infant care
What puts a daycare on this listThe state record lists infants among the ages it serves, or it says it offers infant care.A daycare without this tag may still take infants; ask.

Infant care

Infant care in Illinois: ages and costs

the most common youngest age on the state record in Illinois
From 6 weeks
Of the 7,349 daycares here whose state record gives a starting age, 7,337 take babies from 6 weeks or younger and 2,633 from birth.
Infant care at a center, per week, in the middle Illinois county (2022)
$234
The median of 58 county medians, from $131 in the lowest county to $374 in the highest.
Infant tuition posted on daycare websites in Illinois, per week (2026)
$340
The median of 47 daycares that post a full-time rate; half post between $312 and $440. Posted rates run above the 2022 survey: they are newer, and mostly from centers.
of infant programs' websites say they provide meals
34%
Of the 1,157 websites we read for daycares that take infants in Illinois, 34% say meals are provided, 15% mention a parent app with photos or daily notes, and 3.5% mention cameras parents can watch. A website that does not say so may still offer it; ask.
Staff-to-child ratios for babies in IllinoisDaycare cost in Illinois, by age and county

County prices: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022 (median full-time weekly price). Posted rates: tuition that daycares publish on their own websites, 2026, full-time rates only, one rate per daycare.

Illinois

Largest towns for infant daycare in Illinois

Chicago2,071 take infantsWaukegan192 take infantsRockford176 take infantsChampaign123 take infantsSpringfield118 take infantsAurora80 take infantsBelleville70 take infantsCicero69 take infantsQuincy68 take infantsBolingbrook65 take infantsZion65 take infantsCalumet City62 take infants

Programs

Programs in Illinois

Counts come from the state record and what each daycare says it offers. A daycare without a tag may still offer the program; ask.

ProgramListed
All daycares8,493
Take infants7,433
Child care centers2,842
Accept subsidy188
In-home daycares5,651
Christian & church daycares203
Montessori schools182
Preschools & pre-K8,381
Early morning daycare1,142
Part-time daycare356
Drop-in daycare35
After-school care8,304
Bilingual daycare108
Head Start390

The Illinois state record

Illinois Department of Early Childhood licenses daycares in Illinois.

License list
The state's public list of licensed child care
Ages served
The ages on each license
Inspections
On the state's own site; each listing links to it
Search the Illinois state records

Before you enroll

Choosing infant care in Illinois

  1. 1

    Ask about the waitlist

    Infant spots fill first. Ask how long the waitlist is and whether you can join it before your baby is born.

  2. 2

    How many babies each caregiver has

    Ask how many infants one caregiver looks after, and whether the same caregiver is there each day.

  3. 3

    Safe sleep

    Ask where and how babies nap. Where the state publishes inspections, every visit with a sleep rule cited is on the listing's state record.

  4. 4

    Feeding and the daily log

    Ask how bottles and breast milk are handled, and how you will hear about feeds, naps and diapers each day.

Illinois

Cost, inspections and ratios in Illinois

Daycare cost in IllinoisWeekly prices by age and countyStaff-to-child ratios in IllinoisHow many children each adult may care forDaycare tour checklistQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 743 Illinois towns with infant daycare, A to Z

A39 towns
B48 towns
C76 towns
D33 towns
E30 towns
F26 towns
G41 towns
H35 towns
I6 towns
J6 towns
K8 towns
L37 towns
M73 towns
N25 towns
O24 towns
P41 towns
Q1 town
R39 towns
S65 towns
T19 towns
U4 towns
V11 towns
W54 towns
Y1 town
Z1 town

Nearby

Nearby states

Wisconsin3,572 take infantsIndiana1,952 take infantsMissouri1,708 take infantsKentucky1,085 take infantsIowa168 take infants

Questions

Questions about infant daycare in Illinois

How many daycares that take infants are in Illinois?

7,433 daycares that take infants are listed in 743 Illinois towns. A daycare without this tag may still take infants; ask.

Which Illinois town has the most daycares that take infants?

Chicago, with 2,071 listed. Next are Waukegan (192) and Rockford (176).

How much does infant daycare cost in Illinois?

In the middle Illinois county, full-time infant care at a center cost $234 a week in 2022 (U.S. Department of Labor). Daycares that post their rates online in Illinois charge a median of $340 a week for an infant in 2026 (47 daycares). Each town page shows its own county.

How young a baby do daycares in Illinois take?

Most often from 6 weeks: of the 7,349 daycares in Illinois whose state record gives a starting age, 7,337 take babies from 6 weeks or younger and 7,347 from 3 months or younger. A daycare's own minimum can be older than its license allows, so ask.

Is there newborn daycare in Illinois?

Yes. 2,633 daycares in Illinois list ages starting at birth or age 0 on the state record. Ask each one the youngest age it takes now and whether it has an infant opening.

Who licenses daycares in Illinois?

Illinois Department of Early Childhood licenses daycares in Illinois. It publishes inspections on its own site; use the state search linked on this page.