Opening a licensed child care home in Alaska: state rules and the Anchorage exception

State office or Anchorage: who licenses your home

Alaska licenses child care under its centralized licensing statute, AS 47.32, and the child care rules in 7 AAC 57. The statute also requires the Department of Health to hand child care licensing to any municipality that adopts its own licensing ordinance. The department must do so within 90 days of the municipality’s written request.⁠⁴ One municipality has done this: Anchorage. A delegated municipality licenses, inspects and enforces within its borders. It may also adopt additional requirements that meet or exceed the state’s.⁠⁴

In practice:

• Inside the Municipality of Anchorage, you apply to the Anchorage Health Department’s Child Care Licensing program. Its phone is (907) 343-4758 and its email is [email protected].⁠⁷ Your home is regulated by Anchorage Municipal Code 16.55, which adopts 7 AAC 10, 7 AAC 57, AS 47.05 and AS 47.32 with local changes.⁠⁶
• Everywhere else in Alaska, you apply to the State of Alaska Child Care Program Office (CCPO). Its phone is (907) 269-4500 and its email is [email protected].⁠⁷

Both offices take applications through the Alaska Child Care Information System (AKCCIS). Anchorage stopped accepting paper applications for a provisional license on May 5, 2025.⁠⁵⁠⁷

When home child care needs a license

Under 7 AAC 57.010, you need a license (or an exemption) if you regularly care for five or more children who are not your relatives.⁠¹ The rule’s exemption list in 7 AAC 57.015 then sets out who can operate without a license:⁠¹

• Four or fewer unrelated children. “Regularly provides care” means a child is enrolled for regular care, full-time or part-time. Part-time children count.
• All the children are your relatives. Under 7 AAC 57.990, relatives are related by marriage, blood or court decree. That includes grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, great-aunts and great-uncles, stepparents, stepsiblings and step-grandparents.
• Care in the child’s own home, by a relative or anyone else.
• Care while each child’s parent is on the premises.
• Homes certified by the Department of Defense or Coast Guard, or approved by the federal Office of Child Care and a tribal lead agency under the Child Care and Development Fund rules.

The exemption for four or fewer has real limits. The Department of Health says those providers are not monitored by the State and cannot take part in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), so parents pay the full cost.⁠⁵ You can still apply for a license with four or fewer children. 7 AAC 57.020 bars voluntary licenses only for certain other exempt categories, and this one is not among them.⁠¹

The licensed day runs from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Care between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. needs a separately approved nighttime care specialization.⁠¹

Child care home or child care group home

Alaska has two home-based license types. 7 AAC 57.990 defines them as facilities “usually in an occupied residence”:⁠¹

A few counting rules matter in practice:⁠¹

• Your own children under 13 count toward the eight.
• A child 13 or older in care counts as a school-age child for ratio purposes.
• “Nonambulatory” means a child who cannot get out of the building without another person’s help.
• A group home may drop to one caregiver on any day it has eight or fewer children within the home limits above. It may also do so when the children are all school-age, or number 10 or fewer with none under 30 months and no more than two nonambulatory. In either of those cases the sole caregiver must be the administrator or the administrator’s designee, with one year of licensed home child care (or the equivalent) or the center-level credentials.
• At night, a home or group home with the nighttime specialization may care for no more than five children, counting the caregiver’s own children under 18.

A caregiver must be 18 or older to count toward these ratios in a home. The exception that lets 16- and 17-year-olds count applies only to centers.⁠¹

Group homes are licensed by the State only.⁠⁵ Anchorage’s code deletes the group-home category and applies center standards instead.⁠⁸ In Anchorage, then, going past eight children means meeting center rules; see the Alaska child care center guide.

Who can be the administrator

Every licensed home has a designated administrator, who may also be the only caregiver. Under 7 AAC 57.300, the administrator must:⁠¹

• be at least 21 years old;
• understand child development, be able to care for children, and have the skills to work with families, department staff and community agencies;
• have the skills to handle finances and to plan and evaluate programs; and
• give the department four references, at least three of them unrelated to the administrator.

A group-home administrator must also have management and supervisory skills. The college-credit, CDA or SEED level 7 credential rule in 7 AAC 57.300(d) applies to center administrators, not homes.⁠¹

If the department finds the administrator unqualified, the license is subject to denial or revocation unless a qualified administrator is named within 30 days.⁠¹

Anchorage used to require home administrators to live in the licensed home (AMC 16.55.100). It repealed that rule effective June 24, 2026.⁠⁶

Background checks reach your household

Alaska’s background check rules apply to everyone 16 or older who is associated with a provider. That includes the administrator, operator, employees and unsupervised volunteers.⁠³ The application itself must list the name, age and driver’s license number of every member of your household.⁠¹ 7 AAC 57.310 bars anyone from working or residing on the premises who:⁠¹

• has a barrier crime or condition, or has been denied a variance or had one revoked;
• has a health, behavioral health or domestic violence problem that poses a significant risk to children; or
• was the subject of a final adverse licensing action.

For people 16 or older, the department may also review child protection and child care licensing records.⁠¹

Each request includes a set of fingerprints, the Department of Public Safety fees under 13 AAC 68.900, and an additional $40 application fee (as published on 2026-10-12). A fingerprint-based check is generally valid for five years.⁠³ Each person needs a valid check before starting work. The only exception is a provisional valid check granted by the department.⁠¹

Once licensed, you must notify the department within 24 hours if an administrator, employee, volunteer or household member is charged with or convicted of a listed offense. The same deadline applies if any of them is found to have abused or neglected a child.⁠⁴

Making the house meet 7 AAC 10 and the fire code

Most of the physical standards for a home come from Alaska’s shared environmental health and safety rules (7 AAC 10.1000-10.1095), not from 7 AAC 57. The home must meet the life-safety standards of 13 AAC 50 and 13 AAC 55. It must also have any state or municipal building code approval that applies, including before a modification that requires one.⁠² Before licensing, the department may inspect your exits, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, combustible waste storage and any portable heaters.⁠²

If you are licensed for five or fewer children, 7 AAC 10.1010(l) spells out the escape and detection standards:⁠²

• two means of emergency escape remote from each other, at least one an exterior door;
• a direct exit to the outside from any basement children use;
• a smoke detector in each bedroom and on each level; and
• a charged 2A:10BC dry chemical extinguisher on each level.

Homes licensed for more children follow the 13 AAC 50 and 55 standards above.

Requirements that apply to every licensed home:⁠²

• Carbon monoxide. A working detector in or within three feet of each sleeping area if you heat or cook with oil, wood, natural gas or propane.
• Evacuation. A written disaster preparedness and evacuation plan that empties the home, including children with limited mobility, within 150 seconds. Drills every month, each recorded with the time taken and a critique.
• Firearms. Allowed in a home, but unloaded and locked out of sight and reach, with ammunition stored separately. Parents must be told that firearms are present.
• Smoking. Not allowed while children are in care. Smoking materials must be out of reach, the home must not smell of smoke, and any vehicle used for children must be smoke-free.
• Child safety. Safety gates on stairs when infants or toddlers are in care, outlet covers within reach of children under five, and a hand sink at or next to the diaper changing area.
• Water and wastewater. Potable water from a system that meets 18 AAC 80, and wastewater disposal that meets 18 AAC 72.

The state rule sets no square-footage figure for a child care home, only that indoor and outdoor space meet children’s needs. The 35 square feet indoors and 75 square feet outdoors per child apply to group homes and centers.⁠¹ Anchorage is stricter: AMC 16.55.260 requires Anchorage child care homes to meet that same 35/75 standard.⁠⁸

Training before and after you open

• Orientation and pre-service training. If a program is offered within 60 miles by road of your home, you must complete it before licensure. If you have not, the department suspends processing your application.⁠¹ The sources I checked on 2026-10-12 give no hour count or schedule for the State’s pre-service orientation. The Child Care Program Office does publish a list of approved health and safety orientation trainings (revised 11/2023), with courses from several named providers, and says each required topic must be completed through one of them.⁠¹² Ask the Child Care Program Office which course or session it will accept for your first application and how many hours it requires.

• Health and safety topics. Orientation must cover a department-approved list, including:⁠¹

  • infectious disease and immunizations;
  • safe sleep and SIDS prevention;
  • medication administration;
  • food allergies;
  • shaken baby syndrome and child maltreatment;
  • emergency preparedness;
  • hazardous materials;
  • pediatric first aid and CPR; and
  • recognizing and reporting child abuse.

  Employees must finish it within three months of hire.

• Pediatric first aid and CPR. Every caregiver needs a valid certification. If no course is offered locally, a caregiver may train by distance learning and then pass the first certification course offered within 60 miles by road.⁠¹

• Annual training. Each administrator and caregiver needs 24 clock hours a year, at least one hour on a health and safety topic. A part-time caregiver working 15 hours a week or less needs 12 hours. Up to six hours of pre-service training count toward the first year.⁠¹

Anchorage used to require that 75 percent of a home’s annual training be attended in person. It repealed that rule effective June 24, 2026, so the state rule now governs.⁠⁶

Building the application file

You apply in the name of the individual or legal entity responsible for the home. Under 7 AAC 57.030(c), the application includes:⁠¹

1. Identifying information

   Details for you, your household members, any owners or managers, the property owner and the administrator.

2. References

   The four administrator references.

3. Qualifications

   Evidence that the administrator has the experience, training or education the job needs.

4. Background check releases

   Signed releases for everyone who needs a check.

5. Your planned operation

   The ages and number of children, and your days and hours.

6. Inspection reports

   Each fire safety inspection report that a state or municipal authority requires. Add the reports required under the Alaska Food Code, solid waste, wastewater and drinking water rules, with any variances.

7. Licenses

   A state business license under AS 43.70, plus any other state or municipal permit needed to operate.

8. Plan of operation

   Your policies, rules, schedules and forms, which must also be compiled into a policies and procedures manual.⁠¹

9. Staffing plan

   Who works when, their qualifications and duties, and the supervision schedule for the children.

10. Training evidence

    Proof of the required orientation and training.

11. Declaration

    A signed declaration that the file is true, accurate and complete.

In Anchorage, the department asks the fire, food service, building, land use and environmental health agencies to inspect your home. Those agencies certify compliance before the license issues.⁠⁸

From application to a two-year license

The order of events is set in 7 AAC 57.025 and AS 47.32.050:

1. Completeness review

   The department tells you of any missing items within 10 days of receiving the application.⁠¹

2. Pre-service inspection

   The department inspects the home for health and safety within 90 days of receiving a complete application.⁠¹

3. Provisional license

   This is your first license. It lasts no more than one year, and the department may extend it once for up to another year.⁠⁴

4. Conversion inspection

   In the last 90 days of the provisional term, the department inspects again and, if you comply, issues a biennial license.⁠¹⁠⁴

Each license states the number and age range of children you may have. It must be posted conspicuously in the home, and it cannot be transferred without the department’s approval.⁠¹⁠⁴ When you get a new license, give parents a summary of the rules that apply and the department’s phone number for concerns.⁠¹

Fees

As published on 2026-10-12, 7 AAC 57 sets no license or renewal fee for a child care home. AS 47.32 requires only “any fee established by regulation.”⁠¹⁠⁴ The fixed cost the rules do set is the background check: $40 per person plus the Department of Public Safety fingerprint fees.⁠³

Anchorage repealed its application, biennial renewal and license-change fees through Assembly Ordinance 2025-070, effective July 15, 2025.⁠⁹⁠⁶

Inspections, notices and renewal

• Inspections. Each year there is an annual compliance inspection between 60 days before and 60 days after your license anniversary. There is also an unannounced health and safety inspection every year, plus complaint investigations.⁠¹
• Address change. Give written notice of a mailing address change at least 14 days ahead.⁠⁴
• Abuse allegations. Report any allegation of abuse, neglect or misappropriation within 24 hours. A written investigation report is due within five days.⁠⁴
• Closing. Give 20 days’ notice before giving up the license.⁠⁴
• Renewal. File for renewal at least 90 days before the biennial license expires. If the department cannot finish its review in time, the license is automatically extended for up to six months.⁠⁴ Renewal requires a home in good repair that complies with the fire code and the background check rules. You must be in full compliance, or in substantial compliance with an approved plan of correction.⁠¹

Violating a licensing rule that affects children’s health and safety, intentionally or with criminal negligence, is a class B misdemeanor.⁠⁴

What is different in Anchorage

Anchorage adopts the state rules and changes them in places. As of 2026-10-12:⁠⁸⁠⁶⁠⁹

• No group-home category. Above eight children, center standards apply.
• Space. Child care homes must meet the 35/75 square-foot space standard.
• Insurance. Since July 2025, Anchorage no longer requires liability insurance. Instead, you must tell parents in writing at admission whether you carry insurance and how much, and give them a copy of the policy on request.
• Fees and first-year capacity. Licensing fees and the old six-child cap for a home’s first 12 months were repealed in July 2025. Anchorage ratios now match 7 AAC 57.505.
• Exemption. Anchorage exempts instructional programs (sports, art, music and similar) where each child attends no more than six hours a week and no more than three hours in any 24 hours.
• Inspection reports. These are public on the AKCCIS map at akccis.com/client/map.

Getting paid through CCAP and the Child Care Grant

Licensing alone does not let you serve families who use state child care assistance. You must also enroll as a CCAP provider. For licensed providers, the Department of Health’s page says this is a paper application filed with your local Child Care Assistance office.⁠⁵

Once you are licensed by the State or Anchorage and enrolled in CCAP, you can apply for the monthly Child Care Grant using form CC30. The grant may pay for:⁠⁵

• staff wages and benefits;
• substitutes;
• health and safety items;
• supplies; and
• training.

Recent and pending changes

• 2024 state rule package. The Department of Health proposed a package based on the Governor’s Task Force on Child Care, in a notice dated May 14, 2024.⁠¹⁰ Its items now appear in the published 7 AAC 57 text:⁠¹
  • the tribal-approval exemption;
  • the administrator designee; and
  • added administrator credential routes, such as SEED level 7.
• Anchorage, July 15, 2025. AO 2025-070 repealed the city’s fees, its insurance mandate and the first-year six-child cap, and aligned its ratios with the state’s.⁠⁹⁠⁶
• Anchorage, June 24, 2026. The city repealed several rules, which the state rules now replace:⁠⁶
  • the requirement that home administrators live in the home;
  • its local training rules;
  • children’s physicals for centers; and
  • its local nutrition rules.
• Pending as of 2026-10-12. On July 30, 2026, the Department of Health proposed changes to the CCAP rules (7 AAC 41). They cover provider rates, the age-group definitions behind rate categories, and family contributions. Written comments closed September 14, 2026.⁠¹¹ Check the final rate schedule before you budget around subsidy income.

If you later outgrow the home, Alaska’s child care center license covers 13 or more children. The assisted living home and home health agency guides cover Alaska’s adult care licenses, which a different Department of Health division handles.

Sources

1. 1
   Alaska Legislature, Alaska Administrative Code, 7 AAC 57, Child Care Facilities Licensing Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
2. 2
   Alaska Legislature, Alaska Administrative Code, 7 AAC 10.1000-10.1095, Environmental Health and Safety Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
3. 3
   Alaska Legislature, Alaska Administrative Code, 7 AAC 10.900-10.990, Barrier Crimes and Conditions; Background Checks Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
4. 4
   Alaska Legislature, Alaska Statutes, AS 47.32, Centralized Licensing and Related Administrative Procedures Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
5. 5
   Alaska Department of Health, Become a Child Care Provider Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
6. 6
   Municipality of Anchorage, Anchorage Health Department, Child Care Licensing Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
7. 7
   Municipality of Anchorage, Anchorage Health Department, Getting Started With Child Care Licensure Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
8. 8
   Municipality of Anchorage, Anchorage Health Department, AMC 16.55, Code Changes in 2025 and 2026 Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
9. 9
   Municipality of Anchorage, Assembly Ordinance No. 2025-070, As Amended Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
10. 10
    Alaska Department of Health, Alaska Online Public Notices, Notice of Proposed Changes on Child Care Facilities Licensing (May 14, 2024) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
11. 11
    Alaska Department of Health, Alaska Online Public Notices, Notice of Proposed Changes on Child Care Assistance Program (July 30, 2026) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
12. 12
    Alaska Department of Health, Child Care Program Office, CCPO Approved Health and Safety Orientation Training, by Training Requirement Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑

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