ExceleRate Illinois is the state's quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for child care. Licensed programs can climb from the Licensed level to the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Circles of Quality, each Circle signaling more verified quality above the state licensing minimum.
If you are comparing daycares in Illinois and keep seeing Bronze, Silver, or Gold Circle of Quality badges, this guide explains what ExceleRate Illinois actually measures, who runs it, how to look a program up, and how the rating connects to subsidy — so you can use it as one input, not the whole decision. The framework comes from ExceleRate Illinois, administered by the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA), with the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Child Care setting the broader QRIS structure states follow.
ExceleRate Illinois is the state's voluntary quality rating and improvement system, known as a QRIS. It is administered by the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA) on behalf of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), in partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education. Licensed programs can earn Bronze, Silver, or Gold Circle of Quality designations above the licensing minimum, per ExceleRate Illinois and the federal ACF Office of Child Care.
A QRIS does two jobs at once. It rates programs so families can compare them, and it improves programs by pairing each Circle with training, coaching, and resources. Illinois has been consolidating early childhood oversight into a new Illinois Department of Early Childhood, so confirm the current administering agency on the ExceleRate Illinois site, which keeps the live program information.
Each Circle of Quality adds requirements on top of the one before. Programs start at the Licensed level, then earn Bronze, Silver, and finally Gold — the only Circle verified by an independent on-site assessment. The table below shows what each Circle recognizes, drawn from the ExceleRate Illinois standards.
| Circle of Quality | What it recognizes |
|---|---|
| Licensed | A program in good standing meeting Illinois licensing health and safety requirements, as the entry point. |
| Bronze | Staff qualifications and a series of professional-development trainings that prepare a program for higher quality. |
| Silver | A rigorous program self-assessment and an active continuous-quality-improvement process. |
| Gold | Quality demonstrated across all standards, verified by an independent, on-site assessor. |
Exact requirements are set by ExceleRate Illinois; confirm the current standards on the ExceleRate Illinois site, because states revise QRIS rubrics periodically.
Search the program on ExceleRate Illinois or the Illinois Cares for Kids site to see its current Circle of Quality, then cross-check its license status with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Treat the rating as one verified data point alongside your own tour, because ratings can lag a program's real, day-to-day conditions by a year or more.
Honest tradeoff. A Circle of Quality is genuinely useful, but it is voluntary and imperfect. Some strong Illinois programs never pursue a rating, and a rating can be a year or more behind reality. Use it to narrow your list, never to replace a visit.
The rating does not set tuition, which each program decides on its own. But in Illinois, higher-rated providers can qualify for added support and, where offered, tiered reimbursement through the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), a structure the ACF Office of Child Care encourages under the Child Care and Development Fund. For national context, ChildCare Aware of America's 2024 Price of Child Care report put center-based care at roughly $8,000 to $24,000 per year depending on age and state.
For Illinois-specific figures, see our daycare cost guide and estimate your own with the cost calculator. If you may qualify for help paying, the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) through IDHS is the place to start.
ExceleRate Illinois is the state's voluntary quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for child care, administered by the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA) on behalf of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), in partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education. Licensed programs can earn Bronze, Silver, or Gold Circle of Quality designations, per ExceleRate Illinois and the federal ACF Office of Child Care.
No. ExceleRate Illinois participation is voluntary, so a daycare at the Licensed level without a Circle of Quality is not automatically low quality — it may simply have chosen not to pursue a rating. A license from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is the mandatory baseline; the Circle of Quality sits on top of it.
Search the program on ExceleRate Illinois or the Illinois Cares for Kids site to see its current Circle of Quality, then confirm the license status with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Ratings can lag real conditions, so pair the rating with your own tour.
Not directly through tuition, which each program sets. But higher-rated providers can qualify for added support and, where offered, tiered reimbursement through the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), per IDHS and the ACF Office of Child Care. Center care nationally runs roughly $8,000–$24,000 per year, per ChildCare Aware of America's 2024 Price of Child Care report.
For the full picture in your state, see the Illinois daycare guide, which covers licensing, subsidy, and pre-K. Our daycare quality and safety pillar explains accreditation, ratios, and what to look for on a tour.
Comparing how other states rate quality? Read our explainers on Colorado Shines, Florida's Gold Seal, and Georgia's Quality Rated.
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