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Vernon Hills amends zoning for home daycares, adds $100 special-use fee
Summary
The Vernon Hills board approved two ordinances to require special-use review for home daycares seeking seven or more children and to establish a $100 application fee, with a six-month window exempting existing operators; staff said the change aligns local rules with DCFS counting of children.
The Vernon Hills Village Board on Feb. 4 approved two ordinances changing how home daycare operations are regulated and charged. Director Jennings told trustees the zoning amendment requires a special-use review for any home daycare that seeks to care for seven or more children, and the companion ordinance establishes a $100 application fee with a six‑month window during which existing operators would not be charged.
Jennings said the change arose after operators learned during DCFS license renewals that the village’s zoning code did not allow the county-level adjustments they had made. The ordinances add a special‑use pathway so operators can request approval to match their DCFS license, and require group‑license documentation and a public hearing where operators must show they would not cause negative impacts.
Under the adopted language, local code will now count the operator’s own children as DCFS does, a minor but important correction Jennings said planning staff made after the Planning and Zoning Commission review. Trustees asked clarifying questions about caps and how staff would evaluate requests; Jennings said the commission opted not to set an absolute cap and recommended case‑by‑case determinations based on demonstrated operations and hours.
The board also approved Ordinance 2025‑013 to add a $100 fee for a home‑daycare special‑use application. Jennings said the fee mirrors a residential zoning‑variation charge and that staff included a six‑month waiver for currently operating home daycares to come forward and apply without paying.
Both ordinances were approved by roll call vote without recorded opposition. The measures now amend Appendix C of the Vernon Hills Code of Ordinances and take effect according to standard local ordinance procedures.
