Connecticut child care center license: OEC rules, staffing and steps

Center or group child care home: which license you need

Connecticut sorts out-of-home child care by headcount and building. A child care center offers supplementary care to more than 12 related or unrelated children outside their own homes on a regular basis. A group child care home cares for 7 to 12 children, or is a program sized like a family child care home that operates somewhere other than a private family home.⁠¹ OEC licenses both through the same Division of Licensing, with the same application packet and the same regulations, RCSA 19a-79-1a to 19a-79-13.⁠⁵⁠²

If you plan to care for up to six children (nine with an approved assistant) in your own residence, that is a family child care home, a separate and much cheaper license. See the Connecticut family child care home guide.⁠¹ Note that moving that same small program into a storefront or church hall turns it into a group child care home.⁠¹

A few rules shape your choice early:

• OEC will not issue a second child care license at the same facility, so you cannot stack a family child care home and a group home in the same space.⁠¹
• One center license can cover two or more buildings, but only if the same licensee runs care in each building and the buildings are joined by a contiguous playground that is part of the licensed space.⁠¹
• A group child care home located in a residence gets an inspection for evident lead sources, with lab analysis of any paint chips found.⁠¹ If such a home meets the codes for single and multifamily dwellings, a town may not add conditions of its own.⁠¹ Since October 1, 2023, zoning regulations may not require a special permit or special exception for a group child care home in a residence in a residential zone (CGS 8-2(d)(1)(A)).⁠⁴

Child care licensing moved from the Department of Public Health to OEC on July 1, 2014. A 2007 amendment ended temporary licenses and set the four-year term.⁠¹ Older documents that mention DPH day care licensing are describing the pre-2014 system.

Programs that do not need an OEC license

CGS 19a-77(b) exempts, among others: programs run by a public school system or a municipal agency; informal arrangements among neighbors; programs run by a private school approved or accredited under state rules, for the ages that approval covers; classes in music, dance, drama or art, or single-skill classes, of two hours or less; sports-only programs, tutoring, scouting, and programs only for children 13 and older; religious education run by a religious institution only for children of its members; drop-in care in a store where the parent stays in the store, with no fee charged; and care by grandparents, great-grandparents, siblings, aunts or uncles.⁠¹ An exempt program must tell parents in writing that it is not licensed by OEC.⁠¹

Municipal programs are not entirely outside the system. Statute directs OEC to offer an expedited review for applications filed by a municipal agency.⁠¹

Fees, term and renewal

The same amounts apply at renewal.⁠¹⁠³ Pay by check or money order to “Treasurer State of Connecticut.” OEC does not refund the fee.⁠³

The license is nontransferable. It names the operator, location, licensed capacity, program name, expiration date and the services (endorsements) you may offer, and it must be posted where the public can see it.⁠¹⁠² A change of operator, ownership or location requires a new initial application. Statute lets you ask OEC to waive that, and OEC may grant or deny the request.⁠¹⁠²

OEC mails a letter when renewal is due, and renewal is done online.⁠³ If you file a complete renewal on time and OEC has not acted, your license stays valid until OEC decides. If it lapses, OEC may still renew it within 30 days of expiration.⁠²⁠¹

Endorsements: decide which ages you will serve

The base license does not let you serve every age. RCSA 19a-79-3a(k) sets four licensure categories: six weeks to three years, preschool (three to five), school age, and night care. You may not provide any service that needs an endorsement until OEC grants it.⁠²

• Under three (infant/toddler) endorsement. Covers children from six weeks to 36 months. It brings tighter ratios, physical barriers between groups, weekly health consultant visits for children up to 24 months, and fenced outdoor space. Space licensed on or after January 1, 2025 needs a fence at least four feet high.⁠² The application packet asks for a separate infant/toddler floor plan showing how groups of 8 infants or 10 two-year-olds will be divided.⁠⁴
• Preschool. With a preschool endorsement you may enroll a child aged 32 to 36 months as a three-year-old, if the parent and director authorize it in writing and you keep it on file.⁠²
• School age. A separate endorsement for children who are at least five by September 1 and under 13. The endorsement sets a ratio of one staff member per 15 children and a group size of no more than 30.⁠²
• Night care. Required if you provide care for one or more hours between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.⁠²⁠¹

Space, playground and toilets

For a facility first licensed after January 1, 1986, you need at least 35 square feet of usable indoor program space per child, measured room by room from interior wall to interior wall.⁠² OEC deducts bathrooms, hallways, kitchens and food service areas, refrigerators, heating and cooling units, staff desks and storage, and any room used only for one purpose such as napping or eating. Facilities first licensed before 1986 work to 30 square feet.⁠² The capacity you list on the application should come from this calculation, room by room.

Outdoors, children must have access to at least 75 square feet per child for the number using the space at one time. Connecticut lets that space be a park, school yard, parking area, or an elevated or rooftop play area, as long as it is fenced or otherwise protected.⁠² Outdoor play equipment needs a shock-absorbing surface kept at least eight inches deep, except where a child sits or stands at ground level. Mulch, sand and wood chips are named as acceptable, and thinner synthetic mats or tiles may pass if you keep the manufacturer’s documentation on site. Concrete, asphalt, grass and dirt do not count.⁠² On request, you must show documentation from a certified playground safety inspector that newly built playgrounds and permanently installed equipment meet CPSC and ASTM standards.⁠²

Toilets and sinks: programs serving children under five need one toilet and one sink with hot and cold running water per 16 children. School-age-only programs need one per 25.⁠² Centers built or renovated after January 1, 1994 need mechanical ventilation in every toilet room.⁠²

OEC must inspect and approve all indoor and outdoor space before you use it. If you are building or renovating, send OEC the plans and a written narrative of the intended use before construction starts. OEC reviews them against the Public Health Code.⁠²

Environmental checks: lead, radon, water and the SAFER screening

Connecticut front-loads environmental testing more than most states. The initial packet asks for each of the following:⁠⁴⁠²

• Property History Questionnaire. OEC refers it to the Department of Public Health’s Child Day Care SAFER (Screening Assessment for Environmental Risk) Program. SAFER looks for past agricultural, manufacturing or industrial use that could have left chemicals behind. The packet warns that this review is required, may lead to further action, and may delay approval.⁠⁴
• Lead in drinking water. New facilities submit lead results from every sink used for drinking, beverages or food preparation with the initial application. After that you retest at least one source (two if you have more than one) every two years.⁠²⁠⁴
• Wells. Water not from a DPH-regulated public system must be tested every two years for bacterial and chemical quality.⁠² If a well will serve 25 or more people for over 60 days a year, it must meet the Public Health Code rules for non-community public water systems.⁠⁴
• Lead paint in pre-1978 buildings. Before use, all space must have a comprehensive lead inspection by a DPH-licensed lead consultant. The packet wants one done within the last 12 months, covering painted surfaces, dust wipes and bare soil in play areas.⁠²⁠⁴ Defective lead surfaces are remediated by an EPA-certified RRP firm, intact lead surfaces go on a lead management plan approved by the local director of health, and you need a letter from the local health director confirming clearance.⁠²
• Radon. If you use the basement or first floor, test at least once with a device listed by a national radon proficiency program. The packet requires a test from the last 12 months, done between November and April. At 4.0 pCi/L or higher, a qualified mitigation provider must bring it down.⁠²⁠⁴
• Carbon monoxide. If the building burns combustible fuel, you need a UL-listed CO detector on each occupied level.⁠²

Local approvals before you file

The application must include a current fire marshal certificate of approval, plus written verification of compliance with state and local building codes, local zoning and local health ordinances.⁠² In the packet these are a fire marshal inspection certificate, a building approval, a zoning approval and a local health environmental inspection report.⁠⁴ The fire marshal inspects under CGS chapter 541 and classifies the occupancy under the Connecticut Fire Safety Code.⁠⁴

Send a full copy of your application to the local health department for the town where the program will be. The application asks for the date you sent it.⁠⁴ The local health director is part of your ongoing oversight too: statute requires a local health inspection at least every two years after licensure.⁠¹⁠²

School-age programs in an approved public or private school building follow the school’s building and zoning rules and do not need separate building and zoning verification. They still need the fire marshal certificate and local health approval.⁠²⁠⁴

Who you must hire before opening

Connecticut’s staffing rules center on named roles, each with its own qualifications.⁠²

Head teacher routes. In a center, an applicant needs either (a) a high school diploma or equivalency, 1,080 hours of supervised experience in a licensed center serving children under six, and a center-based CDA or 12 credits in early childhood education or child development, or (b) a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or child development, 360 hours of supervised experience and a semester of student teaching with children under six.⁠² In a group child care home, a high school diploma plus 1,080 hours of experience with children under 13 in a licensed home, center or group home is enough.⁠² Head teacher approval is applied for online through OEC’s Early Childhood Professional Registry, and the packet asks for head teacher verification.⁠⁴

If your head teacher leaves, you have five business days to notify OEC with an interim coverage plan. You must have a qualified replacement, or an OEC-approved plan, within 30 days.⁠²

Director credits. OEC’s guidance lists Connecticut colleges offering the required administration course. It says directors can apply for an OEC scholarship through their Registry account, and that licensing specialists offer free technical-assistance visits to newly designated directors.⁠⁶

CPR and first aid. Whenever you are open, at least one staff member present must hold current hands-on CPR certification appropriate for the ages served, and at least one must hold first aid certification from the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, National Safety Council or Health and Safety Institute.⁠² Certificates go in with the application.⁠⁴

Training. Program staff hired after April 1, 2025 must finish OEC’s designated health and safety training under 45 CFR 98.44(b)(1) within three months of hire.⁠² Every program staff member also needs ongoing training equal to at least 1% of annual hours worked, covering the federal CCDF topics.⁠² OEC’s memo describes this as a one-time online orientation in the Registry with two options: a partial-topics course if the person already holds OEC-approved first aid, CPR and medication administration certificates, or an all-topics course if not. The sources do not state a number of hours, so ask OEC or check the course in your Registry account for its length.⁠²⁠⁹

Medication. Except for nonprescription topicals such as diaper ointment, staff who give medication must first be trained by a pharmacist, physician, physician assistant, APRN or RN and hold the trainer’s written approval. A trained person must be present whenever a child with medication orders attends.⁠²

Staff health. Each program staff file needs a medical statement from a physician, APRN or PA, completed within 12 months before hire and renewed every 36 months.⁠²

Ratios and group sizes

In a mixed-age group, the ratio and group size for the youngest child apply.⁠² Separately, at least two program staff aged 18 or older must be on the premises whenever even one child is present, so a center can never be staffed by one adult.⁠² During nap time, overall ratios still apply on the premises.⁠²

Swimming and wading need much tighter ratios: one staff member in physical contact with each infant 12 months and younger, 1:2 for children under three, 1:4 for preschoolers and 1:6 for school-age children. You also need a lifeguard, and a supervising staff member aged 20 or older with CPR.⁠²

The four consultants Connecticut requires

Connecticut requires a written consultation plan, signed each year by each consultant.⁠² Line these people up before you apply, because the packet asks for a consultant data sheet and a signed agreement for each one.⁠⁴

• Education consultant. Must be OEC-approved. Qualifications are a degree in early childhood education, child development or human development plus at least one year running a licensed center, or a four-year related degree with 12 early childhood credits plus two years.⁠²⁠⁷ School-age-only programs may use a consultant with an elementary or after-school background.⁠⁷ The consultant visits at least once a year and reviews plans and curriculum. Your own staff cannot serve as your education consultant, and neither can staff at another program with the same owner.⁠²⁠⁷ OEC-approved consultants can be found through the OEC Registry.⁠⁷
• Health consultant. A physician, physician assistant, APRN or RN licensed in Connecticut.⁠² Visits are at least quarterly for programs serving children three and older. They drop to semi-annual for group child care homes, programs open three hours a day or less, and school-age-only programs. With the under-three endorsement, visits are weekly for children up to 24 months, weekly for two-year-olds attending five hours or more a day, and monthly otherwise.⁠²
• Social service consultant. A bachelor’s in social work with one year of supervised social work experience, or a related bachelor’s with two years.⁠²
• Registered dietitian. A certified dietitian-nutritionist. Needed only if you prepare or plan meals.⁠²

Consultants keep a consultation log, which stays on file at the facility for two years.⁠²

Policies OEC expects in writing

The operator must adopt, carry out and review each year written policies covering:⁠²

• daily arrival and departure times for children and staff, kept for one year
• discipline, including a ban on corporal or humiliating punishment and on restraint except for safety, plus mandated reporting to DCF
• late pickup, with two staff aged 18 or older staying on site
• medical emergencies, including a designated physician or hospital emergency service
• a multi-hazard plan written in contact with your town’s emergency management director, with a shelter, lockdown and evacuation drill at least once a year
• supervision, admission and parent agreements, and who is in charge when the director is out (posted)
• personnel policies

You also need a written organizational chart and written duties for every job class, orientation for new staff and annual policy training.⁠² Programs serving children younger than school age need a written daily or weekly plan that is developmentally appropriate.⁠² Post the license, OEC’s complaint procedure, menus, no-smoking signs and OEC’s developmental milestones document. Make the latest inspection report available to parents on request.⁠²

Background checks and the 2026 reporting duty

Comprehensive background checks are part of licensure for you and your staff. After OEC reviews your application, it emails a link and instructions to start the process.⁠³ Under 45 CFR 98.43, a check covers five years of state criminal, abuse-and-neglect and sex offender registry searches in every state of residence, an FBI fingerprint check, and the National Crime Information Center sex offender registry.⁠² Statute bars a prospective employee from starting work until the federal requirements in 45 CFR 98.43(d)(4) are met.⁠¹

You must also collect from each prospective employee aged 18 or older a listing of US child-care employment for the past five years. Contact the prior employers to confirm job title, duties and dates, and to ask whether they would rehire the person.⁠²

Public Act 26-105 changed two things on July 1, 2026. It lists by category who needs a fingerprint-supported check. And it requires a center or group home licensee to notify OEC of any criminal conviction or DCF Abuse and Neglect Registry placement involving the licensee or any employee who cares for children. Failing to report can lead to suspension, revocation and a civil penalty.⁠⁸

Applying, step by step

1. Study the rules

   OEC points applicants to its videos on opening a center and to the regulations that took effect October 16, 2024, which it also covers in a video presentation.⁠³⁠⁹

2. Form the business

   The operator must be a business entity registered with the Connecticut Secretary of the State and current on filings, or a sole proprietor. Names must match state records or your tax information. An individual operator must be at least 20.⁠⁴⁠²

3. Secure and test the site

   Get fire, building, zoning and local health approvals. Run water lead tests, radon (November to April), and a lead inspection if the building predates 1978. Complete the property history form.⁠⁴

4. Hire and contract

   Designate a director and an approved head teacher. Collect CPR and first aid certificates. Sign the education, health, social service and (if needed) dietitian agreements.⁠⁴

5. Submit the packet at least 60 days before opening

   Mail it with the fee to OEC Division of Licensing, 450 Columbus Blvd., Suite 302, Hartford, CT 06103.⁠³ Include the original notarized affidavit, the fee form with workers’ compensation insurance details if you have employees, floor plans and the outdoor sketch drawn to dimensions in feet, staff schedules and closure dates.⁠⁴ Send a copy to the local health department.⁠⁴ OEC notes that filing 60 days ahead does not guarantee approval in that time.⁠⁴

6. Complete background checks

   Use the link OEC emails after its review.⁠³

7. Pass the licensing inspection

   Once your background checks are in and the application is complete, a licensing specialist calls to schedule an inspection.⁠³ OEC issues the license only after finding that the applicant, facility and program comply with the regulations and local health codes.⁠¹⁠²

8. Open

   You may start providing care as soon as you are licensed.⁠³

OEC’s Licensing Division can be reached at 860-500-4450 or 800-282-6063.⁠³ The application carries a notice that false statements are a Class A misdemeanor under CGS 53a-157b.⁠⁴

After you open: inspections, changes and penalties

OEC makes at least one unannounced visit a year, and the local health director inspects at least every two years.⁠¹⁠³ Refusing OEC immediate access to the facility, staff or records is grounds for suspension, revocation or denial of renewal.⁠²

Changes have fixed notice periods:⁠²

• personnel changes: within five business days
• changes to capacity, services, or a voluntary closing: at least 30 days ahead, in writing to OEC, staff and parents
• fee changes: 30 days’ notice to parents

After closing, send OEC the license and written notice within 10 days.⁠² After a contested hearing, OEC may revoke, suspend, impose probation or levy a civil penalty of up to $100 per day of violation.⁠² When judging an applicant, OEC can count the compliance history of other programs its owners or officers were involved in.⁠²

Getting paid: Care 4 Kids and Early Start CT

Care 4 Kids is Connecticut’s CCDF-funded subsidy for low- to moderate-income families. Licensed centers and group homes can be providers if they meet its basic requirements. The Care 4 Kids site posts a program integrity training video for center-based programs.⁠¹⁰⁠¹¹ OEC’s pages do not list the enrollment requirements for center-based providers in text. They point to a program integrity training video and to the health and safety training rule, so ask Care 4 Kids what a newly licensed center must complete before it can accept subsidy payments.⁠¹¹ Early Start CT, launched July 1, 2025, is OEC’s state-funded program that pays eligible early care and education programs toward the cost of care for eligible families. It works through regional Local Governance Partners.⁠¹² OEC’s Early Start CT page does not publish eligibility criteria for newly licensed centers, so ask your Local Governance Partner whether a new program can join.⁠¹²

What changed recently

• October 16, 2024. OEC’s amended center and group home regulations took effect, including the April 1, 2025 health and safety training deadline and the four-foot infant/toddler fence for space licensed from January 1, 2025.⁠⁹⁠²
• April 27, 2026. Public Act 26-3 states that Connecticut’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act does not apply to immunization requirements for child care centers and group homes.⁠⁸
• July 1, 2026. Public Act 26-105 added the conviction and registry reporting duty and defined who needs fingerprint checks.⁠⁸
• October 1, 2026. Public Act 26-14 bars officers from taking a person into custody for a civil offense at a child care center without a judicial warrant.⁠⁸

For the other care licenses in this state, see the Connecticut overview.

Sources

1. 1
   Connecticut General Assembly, Connecticut General Statutes chapter 368a, sections 19a-77 to 19a-87a Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
2. 2
   Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Division of Licensing, Statutes and Regulations, Child Care Centers and Group Child Care Homes (RCSA 19a-79-1a to 19a-79-13, amended October 16, 2024) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
3. 3
   Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Apply for a License: Child Care Centers and Group Child Care Homes Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
4. 4
   Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Division of Licensing, Initial License Application Packet for Group Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers (checklist revised 07/31/2025) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
5. 5
   Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Licensing for Child Care Centers and Group Child Care Homes Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
6. 6
   Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Guidance for New Designated Directors Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
7. 7
   Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Education Consultant Information Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
8. 8
   Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Licensing Division, Public Acts Recently Enacted (2026) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
9. 9
   Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Statutes and Regulations for Child Care Centers and Group Child Care Homes Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
10. 10
    Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Care 4 Kids Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
11. 11
    Care 4 Kids (Connecticut Office of Early Childhood), Center Based Programs Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
12. 12
    Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Early Start CT Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑

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