WOOD RIVER, Ill. — The Wood River Police Department is working to make sure registered sex offenders are not living near in-home day cares.
The department posted a message on its Facebook page, asking the community to help identify in-home day cares.
Under Illinois law, “sex offenders cannot live within 500 feet of people who watch kids," the Facebook post said. "That means it does not have to be a licensed daycare. We just want to know who is watching kids, so we do not allow sex offenders to move into that area."
The department asked for the community to send messages on social media or call 618-251-3113 to help them find the day cares.
In Illinois, in-home day care operators need to be licensed if the number of unrelated children they are watching is more than three, including their own children under the age of 12, according to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
