Daycare Emergency Drills in Illinois: Fire and Tornado Rules

Updated November 2026.

Licensed day care centers in Illinois must hold fire drills every month and tornado drills twice a year, by season. Every room must have a posted floor plan showing fire exit routes and the safest places to go in a tornado, and centers must keep written emergency and disaster plans and records of every drill.

Here is what the rules require and what to ask on a tour.

What Illinois rules require

Under the Illinois licensing standards for day care centers (23 Ill. Adm. Code 2008.370 and 2008.70):

Fire drills are held once a month.
Tornado drills are held twice a year, seasonally.
A floor plan is posted in every room showing the primary and secondary fire exit routes and the building areas with the most structural stability in case of a tornado.
Records of the dates and times of fire and tornado drills are kept.
Emergency and disaster preparedness plans, including fire drills and evacuation plans, are part of the center's written policies.
A way to receive weather alerts and other emergency information is required.

Licensed day care homes have their own rules, including monthly fire and tornado drills.

What a drill looks like for young children

Teachers make drills calm and routine. Toddlers and preschoolers learn to stop, listen, line up and follow a teacher. In a fire drill, children leave the building by the posted route and gather at a safe spot outside. In a tornado drill, they move to the safest inside area, often an interior room or hallway away from windows, and crouch down. Teachers take attendance so every child is counted.

Babies and toddlers

Infants and young toddlers cannot walk out on their own. Ask the center how teachers move babies quickly during an evacuation and how they keep ratios when everyone is outside.

Other safety checks

Illinois rules also require centers to test for radon at least once every 3 years, using a licensed radon measurement professional. Centers built on or before January 1, 2000 also test their water for lead. See our guide to lead testing at daycare in Illinois.

How you will hear about an emergency

Ask how the center contacts families in an emergency, such as by text, app or phone, and where children would go if the building had to be closed. Keep your contact details and pickup list up to date. See our guide on who can pick up your child from daycare.

Questions to ask on a tour

How often do you practice fire and tornado drills?
Where is the outdoor meeting spot, and where would children go if they could not return inside?
How do you move infants during an evacuation?
How do teachers bring medicines, such as inhalers or epinephrine, during an emergency?
How will I be contacted, and how quickly?

Talking with your child about drills

Use simple words: "Sometimes we practice how to stay safe. We listen to our teacher and stay together." Read a picture book about firefighters, and practice your own home fire escape plan together. If loud alarms upset your child, tell the teacher so they can help.

Frequently asked questions

How often do Illinois daycares do fire drills?

Day care centers hold fire drills once a month.

How often are tornado drills held at daycare?

Centers hold tornado drills twice a year, seasonally. Day care homes practice monthly.

Can I see the emergency plan?

Ask the director. Floor plans with exit routes are posted in every room.

Will my child be scared by drills?

Some children are startled at first. Calm, regular practice usually helps them feel safe.

Safety at Children's Land

At Children's Land, a team member and cameras monitor the main entrance, and there are cameras in every room. All staff are CPR and First-Aid certified. Learn more about our security and our preschool program, find a location, or contact us.

Daycare Emergency Drills in Illinois: Fire and Tornado Rules