Daycare in Illinois
What daycare costs in each Illinois county, how to get help paying, and how to check a license.
Short answer
Help paying in Illinois
Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), run by Illinois Department of Early Childhood
$59,964a year or less for a family of three to start (225% of the federal poverty level), as of July 2025. You also need to work, study or train.
Sources: Illinois Department of Early Childhood; National Women's Law Center
What does daycare cost in each Illinois county?
Weekly full-time prices in 2022. Center infant care runs from $131 in Hamilton County to $374 in DuPage County. Prices aren't adjusted for inflation, so today's rates are likely higher.
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | Infant, home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | $214 | $152 | $152 | $132 |
| Bond County | $191 | $198 | $205 | – |
| Boone County | $288 | $222 | $182 | $186 |
| Brown County | – | – | – | $125 |
| Bureau County | $207 | $182 | $120 | $145 |
| Calhoun County | – | – | $115 | – |
| Carroll County | – | – | – | $158 |
| Cass County | – | – | – | $192 |
| Champaign County | $309 | $275 | $239 | $148 |
| Christian County | $155 | $158 | $142 | $176 |
| Clark County | – | – | – | $125 |
| Clay County | – | – | – | $105 |
| Clinton County | $184 | $170 | $162 | $158 |
| Coles County | $173 | $158 | $148 | $158 |
| Cook County | $278 | $220 | $189 | $208 |
| Crawford County | – | – | – | $180 |
| Cumberland County | – | – | – | $125 |
| DeKalb County | $293 | $240 | $236 | $193 |
| De Witt County | – | – | – | $138 |
| Douglas County | – | – | – | $140 |
| DuPage County | $374 | $280 | $316 | $235 |
| Edgar County | – | – | – | $158 |
| Effingham County | $151 | $141 | $125 | $132 |
| Fayette County | $154 | $149 | $125 | $156 |
| Ford County | – | – | – | $158 |
| Franklin County | $191 | $165 | $138 | $192 |
| Fulton County | $184 | $173 | $166 | $158 |
| Greene County | – | – | – | – |
| Grundy County | $264 | $205 | $189 | – |
| Hamilton County | $131 | $105 | $112 | – |
| Hancock County | – | – | $92 | $92 |
| Henderson County | – | – | – | $132 |
| Henry County | $227 | $205 | $182 | $158 |
| Iroquois County | – | – | – | $132 |
| Jackson County | $264 | $218 | $185 | $188 |
| Jasper County | – | – | – | $92 |
| Jefferson County | $244 | $205 | $178 | $180 |
| Jo Daviess County | – | – | – | $125 |
| Johnson County | – | – | – | – |
| Kane County | $328 | $253 | $277 | $235 |
| Kankakee County | $202 | $199 | $133 | $147 |
| Kendall County | $286 | $235 | $228 | $208 |
| Knox County | $311 | $252 | $258 | $158 |
| Lake County | $305 | $247 | $236 | $208 |
| LaSalle County | $264 | $185 | $172 | $192 |
| Lawrence County | – | – | – | – |
| Lee County | $244 | $252 | $158 | $158 |
| Livingston County | $177 | – | $152 | $158 |
| Logan County | – | – | – | $158 |
| McDonough County | $163 | $181 | $158 | $92 |
| McHenry County | $316 | $256 | $281 | $208 |
| McLean County | $314 | $282 | $279 | $181 |
| Macon County | $231 | $205 | $192 | $147 |
| Macoupin County | $197 | $177 | $189 | $132 |
| Madison County | $288 | $235 | $208 | $181 |
| Marion County | $165 | $152 | $132 | $125 |
| Mason County | – | – | $212 | $192 |
| Menard County | $190 | $170 | $162 | $158 |
| Mercer County | $184 | – | $172 | $158 |
| Monroe County | $201 | $188 | $168 | – |
| Montgomery County | $191 | $185 | $158 | $158 |
| Morgan County | $226 | $172 | $158 | $182 |
| Moultrie County | $191 | $162 | $141 | $185 |
| Ogle County | $255 | $202 | $175 | $171 |
| Peoria County | $279 | $215 | $194 | $187 |
| Perry County | $177 | $205 | $172 | $188 |
| Piatt County | – | – | – | $158 |
| Pike County | – | – | – | $105 |
| Pulaski County | – | – | – | – |
| Randolph County | $231 | $232 | $205 | $125 |
| Richland County | – | – | – | $180 |
| Rock Island County | $282 | $215 | $175 | $186 |
| St. Clair County | $238 | $195 | $162 | $186 |
| Saline County | $224 | $192 | $158 | $196 |
| Sangamon County | $196 | $188 | $175 | $181 |
| Schuyler County | – | – | – | $92 |
| Scott County | – | – | – | – |
| Shelby County | – | – | – | – |
| Stephenson County | – | – | $106 | $180 |
| Tazewell County | $280 | $215 | $182 | $181 |
| Vermilion County | $177 | $152 | $125 | $180 |
| Warren County | – | – | $204 | $132 |
| Wayne County | $264 | $205 | $172 | $125 |
| White County | $264 | $205 | $172 | – |
| Whiteside County | $236 | $210 | $175 | $161 |
| Will County | $304 | $282 | $255 | $187 |
| Williamson County | $264 | $205 | $172 | $185 |
| Winnebago County | $282 | $215 | $185 | $161 |
| Woodford County | $267 | $228 | $220 | $147 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices. Data as of 2022 prices.
Look up your county to see a year's cost for each age, or read how much childcare costs for nannies and other options.
Help paying for daycare in Illinois
Three ways to bring the bill down. You can use more than one.
1. Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
The state's child care subsidy, run by Illinois Department of Early Childhood. A family of three qualifies at up to $59,964 a year to start. You pay a copay and the state pays the rest to the provider you pick. In Illinois, a provider whose price is above the state's payment can charge you the difference, so ask first.
2. Head Start and Early Head Start
Free for families at or below the poverty line, or on TANF or SSI. 459 centers in Illinois; 282 take babies and toddlers.
3. Tax breaks
For 2026, a dependent care FSA through your employer can shelter up to $7,500 of child care costs from tax, and the Child and Dependent Care Credit pays up to 50% of up to $3,000 in expenses for one child or $6,000 for two or more. The same dollars can't count for both.
How to check a daycare's license in Illinois
Every licensed program has a state record with its license, the ages and number of children it's licensed for, and its inspection history. Look a program up before you tour it, and again before you sign.
- Find and check child care in Illinois on Childcare.gov, with links to the state's search, licensing rules and inspection reports.
Daycare in Illinois: common questions
How much does daycare cost in Illinois?
Full-time infant care at a Illinois child care center has a median price of $278 a week, about $14,473 a year; at a family child care home it's $208 a week. These are 2022 prices from the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices, not adjusted for inflation, so expect to pay more today. Prices for toddlers and preschoolers are lower, and they vary by county.
How do I get help paying for daycare in Illinois?
Apply to Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), run by Illinois Department of Early Childhood. A family of three can earn up to $59,964 a year to start (as of July 2025). Parents generally need to be working, in school or in job training. You pay a copay based on income, and the state pays the rest to the provider you choose.
Is there free daycare in Illinois?
Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify. The Office of Head Start lists 459 centers in Illinois; 282 serve babies and toddlers (Early Head Start) and 368 offer preschool for ages 3 to 5. You qualify with income at or below the federal poverty line, or at any income if you get TANF or SSI, your child is in foster care, or your family is homeless.
How do I check that a daycare is licensed in Illinois?
Look the program up in Illinois's child care search before you visit. Childcare.gov's Illinois page links to the state's search, its licensing rules and its inspection reports.
What's the difference between a daycare center and a family child care home?
A center runs in a commercial or school building with several classrooms and staff. A family child care home is licensed care in the provider's own home, usually for a smaller group of mixed ages, and in Illinois it costs a median $208 a week for an infant against $278 at a center. Both are licensed and inspected by the state.
Are there tax breaks for daycare?
For 2026, a dependent care FSA through your employer can shelter up to $7,500 of child care costs from tax, and the Child and Dependent Care Credit pays up to 50% of up to $3,000 in expenses for one child or $6,000 for two or more. The same dollars can't count for both.
Daycare in nearby states
Other benefits in Illinois
Having a baby in Illinois Benefits, each with its source, checked October 2026 Pregnancy Medicaid Up to 213% FPL WIC Yes Paid family leave No Medicaid pays for a doula Yes See IllinoisGear for daycare days
Sources
- 1.National Database of Childcare Prices: 2008-2022 (Data File) U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 2.National Database of Childcare Prices Technical Report (September 2024) U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 3.National Database of Childcare Prices: State-Level Estimates and Affordability Rankings 2022 U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 4.National Database of Childcare Prices U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 5.Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Illinois Department of Early Childhood. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 6.Illinois: Financial Assistance Resources for Families (last reviewed 2026-09-30) Childcare.gov (Administration for Children and Families). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 7.Warning Signs: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2025 National Women's Law Center. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 8.CCDF Family Co-Payments by State (January 2025) Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 9.42 U.S. Code 9858n, Definitions (Child Care and Development Block Grant Act) Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (U.S. Code). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 10.Understanding and finding child care in Illinois Childcare.gov (Administration for Children and Families). Accessed October 16, 2026.