In-Home Daycare vs Daycare Center: Pros and Cons

An in-home daycare (also called family child care) is run in a provider's home, usually with a small mixed-age group. A daycare center is a dedicated building with separate rooms for each age, several teachers and a director. Home daycare usually costs less and feels like a family. A center usually offers more backup coverage, more structure and more resources.

Neither is better for every child. Here is how they compare on the things that matter most, with Illinois numbers where they exist.

Cost

Home daycare is usually cheaper. In north and northwest suburban Cook County, licensed homes averaged about $304 a week for an infant in June 2025, compared with about $437 a week in a licensed center, according to Illinois Action for Children. The gap narrows for older children: about $288 versus $334 a week for three and four-year-olds.

Centers cost more because they pay several teachers, a director, rent on a commercial building and often meals and extra programs. See our Illinois daycare cost guide for more.

Group size and age mix

Illinois licensed homes can care for up to 8 children with one provider, or up to 12 with an assistant, with limits on how many can be babies. Children of different ages play together, often including the provider's own children.

Centers group children by age. A toddler room follows its own ratio of one adult to five toddlers, and the room is set up for that age. Children move up to the next room as they grow.

What this means for your child: mixed ages can feel like siblings, and older children often help younger ones. Same-age rooms make it easier to plan activities for exactly where your child is developmentally.

Reliability and backup care

This is often the deciding factor for working parents. When a home provider is sick, has a family emergency or takes vacation, the daycare usually closes. You need backup care for those days.

Centers have multiple teachers and floaters, so they rarely close except for holidays and emergencies. If a teacher is out, someone else covers.

Hours

Home providers set their own hours, which can be shorter or more flexible. Some are willing to bend for an early start or a late pickup. Centers usually have fixed hours, often around 10 to 11 hours a day, with clear late pickup rules.

Learning and activities

Quality varies in both settings. A thoughtful home provider can offer rich play, books, outdoor time and plenty of one-on-one attention. Centers often have a written curriculum, dedicated spaces for art, gym or music, and specialist teachers for some activities.

Ask any provider to walk you through a typical day and show you what children worked on this week.

Licensing and oversight

In Illinois, both licensed homes and centers are now overseen by the Illinois Department of Early Childhood, which visits licensed programs every year. Some small home providers can legally operate without a license if they care for only a few children. License-exempt care has fewer requirements and less oversight. See licensed vs license-exempt child care.

You can look up licensed homes and centers, along with their inspection reports, on the state's Sunshine website. Our guide on how to check a daycare license shows you how.

Side-by-side summary

In-home daycare may be a better fit if:

• Your budget is tight
• You want a small, home-like group
• You like the idea of siblings or mixed ages together
• You have reliable backup care for closures
• You need flexible or unusual hours

A daycare center may be a better fit if:

• You need care every workday without surprise closures
• You want age-specific rooms and a set curriculum
• You value multiple adults on site, a director and cameras or monitors
• You want meals, music, art or gym included
• You plan to stay through preschool or kindergarten in one place

Questions to ask either type of provider

• Are you licensed? Can I see your latest inspection report?
• How many children do you care for, and how old are they?
• Who cares for the children if you or a teacher are sick?
• What does a typical day look like?
• How do you handle naps, meals and discipline?
• What training do you and your staff have? CPR and first aid?
• How will you share updates about my child's day?
• What is your sick policy and your holiday schedule?

Frequently asked questions

Is in-home daycare cheaper than a center?

Usually. In suburban Cook County, licensed homes average about $100 to $130 a week less than centers for babies and toddlers.

Are home daycares safe?

Many are excellent. Choose a licensed provider, read inspection reports and ask about backup plans, training and group size.

Do children learn more at a daycare center?

Not automatically. The quality of the teacher and the daily routine matters more than the type of setting.

Can I switch from home daycare to a center later?

Yes, and many families do, often when a child turns 2 or 3 or needs a preschool program. See switching daycares.

Center-based care at Children's Land

Children's Land centers have separate classrooms by age, starting with infants and toddlers, and are open 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with hot breakfast and lunch, specialist-led fine arts classes, cameras in every room and staff who are CPR and first aid certified. Find a location near you and see the difference in person.

Related reading: Daycare Tour Questions to Ask: A Parent Checklist.