Childcare CPR & first aid requirements
First Aid & CPR Illinois
If you work in childcare in Illinois — whether at a daycare, preschool, home-based care, or camp — first aid and CPR certification is not optional. It's a licensing requirement, and for good reason: children are among the most vulnerable to choking, allergic reactions, and injuries. Being prepared to respond can mean everything.
What Illinois requires
Illinois Administrative Code Title 89, § 407.100(h), administered by the Department of Children and Family Services, requires at least one staff member on duty at all times to be currently certified in first aid, in age-specific CPR covering infants, children and adults, and in the Heimlich maneuver. This life-safety training must be in place before a staff member works unsupervised with children. The rule does not restrict online or blended delivery, so a course that combines online learning with an in-person skills check qualifies, and certification is kept current on the program's cycle.
Anaphylaxis and medication administration
Illinois Rule 407.360 allows both physician-ordered prescription medication, with parental releases, and over-the-counter medication with written parental permission, administered by a designated staff person and stored in locked cabinets children cannot reach; it does not separately name epinephrine or anaphylaxis. Because the rule is general, best practice matters: a child with a known severe allergy should have an epinephrine auto-injector on site and a written care plan so the designated caregiver can act at the first sign of a reaction.
How our courses meet these requirements
A recognized, standards-based certification — online theory paired with a hands-on skills check — meets Illinois’s requirement and keeps your team ready to act.
Don't wait for renewal day
When a child chokes or stops breathing, the seconds before help arrives belong to the caregiver already there, and confident, practiced hands change what happens next. Certification keeps that response ready, reassures the families who count on your program, and keeps your center meeting the Illinois requirement that trained staff be on duty at all times. A recognized course that blends online learning with an in-person skills evaluation satisfies the rule while fitting a caregiver's schedule.