Public Health

The Health Department oversees programs related to animal welfare and wildlife management and control. Services include issuing annual pet licenses and capturing stray and lost animals. If your animal is missing, call 708.358.5486. Residents interested in adopting an animal should visit the Animal Care League website.

Learn more about animal licensing and wildlife control.

An Oak Park property owner can establish up to two honeybee colonies - or apiaries - as long as the following specific Village code requirements are met:

• Register with the Illinois Department of Agriculture
• Provide an on-site water source for the bees
• Keep records of hive maintenance
• Provide a flyaway barrier by surrounding the apiary with dense vegetation or a fence at least five feet high

Beekeepers also must apply for an annual permit, pay a $75 fee and have their properties inspected by the Department of Public Health before a permit will be issued.

A beekeeping permit will not be issued for an apiary within 150 feet of any address where a resident with an allergy to bee stings documented by a licensed physician has registered with the Village.

• Register an anaphylaxis to bee stings with the Health Department

Contact the Health Department for more information.

Vital records such as birth, death and marriage certificates are maintained in the county where the event occurred, generally in the office of the county clerk. The Cook County Clerk's Office serves as the official record keeper for births, deaths and marriages that occur in Chicago and suburban Cook County. For more information on how to obtain a copy of a record, visit www.cookcountyclerk.com.

Licensed child day care facility inspections in Oak Park are a collaborative effort between the Public Health Department and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The Public Health Department's Environmental Health Division inspects licensed day care centers annually for structure and safety and health and hygiene. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services inspects day care centers annually for staffing and program requirements. The Public Health Department also inspects for food safety and responds to complaints about these facilities. Call the Public Health Department at 708.358.5480 or email health@oak-park.us with questions.

Concerns or questions about any licensed day care center or day care home in the Village also can be directed to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services at 1.877.746.0829 or by email to dcfs.daycarelicensing@illinois.gov.

Long-term care and assisted living facilities are licensed and inspected by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Complaints about any long-term care or assisted-living facility may be directed to the Illinois Department of Public Health Nursing Home Hotline at 1.800.252.4343.

The Health Department follows up on reports of communicable disease, including reports of sexually transmitted diseases (STD). Public health nurses can provide information about STDs and where to find affordable, confidential treatment as well as resources for childhood, adult and travel vaccinations.

Nurses can also arrange educational programming for young people and individuals with special needs on disease prevention, including hand washing, bloodborne pathogen prevention and how to reduce the risk of becoming infected.

Call 708.358.5485 for more information.

Pregnant women and new mothers living in Oak Park with infants under age 1 who are on Medicaid or part of a low-income family, are eligible for the Family Case Management Program.

A Public Health Nurse makes home and office visits to assure that expectant families and newborns have the information, resources and support services they need.

Women who are newly pregnant can be enrolled in Medicaid in order to begin receiving prenatal care as soon as possible.

WIC nutrition services are also available through CEDA WIC, 6026 Roosevelt Road, Oak Park.

For more information, call 708.358.5483.

Preparing the community to respond to man-made and natural disasters is an important function of the Health Department. As a member of the Health Department staff, Oak Park's Emergency Preparedness Manager coordinates the many community resources that may be required to respond to an emergency.

Under the leadership of the Emergency Preparedness Manager, the Oak Park Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), a volunteer group of Oak Park residents, trains and drills regularly to respond to emergencies.

View more information on the Medical Reserve Corps and how Oak Park prepares and responds to emergencies.

Residents without access to healthcare can receive information and referral to affordable resources for medical and dental services for both adults and children.

For more information, call 708.358.5483.

All retail food, food service and temporary food establishments in Oak Park are inspected regularly to ensure compliance with Village code and state licensing requirements. The Johnson Lunchroom Awards are given annually to the restaurants and food service establishments that score the highest on the inspections.

Local public health staff also investigate complaints, reviews construction plans for new and remodeled food businesses and conduct food borne illness investigations.

For more information, call 708.358.5480.

• 2021 Food Safety Education Packet(PDF, 648KB)
• Key Changes to the Illinois Food Code(PDF, 2MB)

Health Department staff investigate conditions that could result in rat infestations. The Health Department also administers rat abatement activities, investigates citizen complaints and enforces environmental health codes related to rodent control.

For more information, call 708.358.5480.

Complete a Rodent Baiting Release Form(PDF, 67KB) and return to health@oak-park.us. Photographs are not necessary.

Explore tips to prevent rodent infestations.

The Oak Park Health Department offers a variety of services to residents who are homebound. If you or a relative are homebound, you may contact the Health Department to schedule an in-home COVID test, COVID vaccination or booster shot. Flu shots also are available. Call the Health Department at 708.358.5480 or email health@oak-park.us for more information on scheduling an in-home service.

The Village of Oak Park Department of Public Health and Police Department remind residents that safe storage is a simple action a gun owner can take to reduce access to guns among young people, keeping children and families in our community safe.

Learn more information on safe gun storage.