Connecticut family child care home license: capacity, application and inspection

Which Connecticut license fits a home daycare

Connecticut has one regulator for every child care license type: the Office of Early Childhood (OEC), not a county or a health department. Within OEC’s system, a home program falls into one of three slots, and the dividing lines are set by statute ⁠¹:

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

The family child care home definition has three parts. The program must be in a private family home; it cares for the children for at least 3 and no more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period on a regularly recurring basis; and it stays within the capacity limits below ⁠¹. Care can run past 12 hours only intermittently, for extended or short-term overnight care, and never beyond 72 consecutive hours ⁠¹⁠³.

The application packet adds a practical point: the home must be a residence occupied by you, or approved for occupancy as a home. If nobody lives at the address, OEC asks you to attach a valid certificate of occupancy from your local building authority ⁠⁵. Only one license is issued per residence, and you can apply only in your own name and only for that address ⁠².

Who is exempt

Statute exempts informal arrangements among neighbors and arrangements among relatives, but only grandparents, great-grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles ⁠¹. The regulations put the same rule from the provider’s side: you need a license to care for children who are not your grandchildren, great-grandchildren, foster children, nieces, nephews, siblings, sons or daughters ⁠². If you care for a friend’s children for pay alongside your grandchildren, you need the license. Operating a family child care home without one carries a civil penalty of up to $100 for each day ⁠¹.

How capacity is counted

Connecticut counts in two buckets, a “regular capacity” and a “school age capacity,” and the license itself states your capacity ⁠².

• Regular capacity: 6 maximum. It includes your own children who are not in school full time. School-age children who are not yours also go into this bucket if they are with you for 3 or more hours before school or 3 or more hours after school ⁠².
• School age capacity: 3 more. During the school year you may add up to 3 children who attend school full time, your own included. If you have more than 3 school-age children of your own, all of them are allowed ⁠¹⁠².
• Summer. The extra school-age slots do not apply during summer vacation unless the children are all your own or an approved assistant or substitute is present and assisting ⁠¹⁠².
• Kindergarten. Full-day kindergartners count as school-age; half-day kindergartners count as preschoolers in the regular capacity until they finish kindergarten ⁠².
• Staff children. Children of your assistant or substitute who are present count like any other child ⁠².
• Infants. You may care for no more than 2 children under 18 months at one time, including your own. With an assistant present and assisting, the limit rises to 6 under 18 months ⁠².
• With approved staff. The statute allows up to 9 children, including your own, when an OEC-approved assistant or substitute is present and assisting ⁠¹. The infant exception in the regulation names only an assistant, so ask OEC whether a substitute alone also qualifies ⁠².

If you plan to care for children for 1 or more hours between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., that is night care. You then need a separate bed or crib for each child (a cot does not count as a bed), and any child under 3 must sleep on the same floor as you ⁠¹⁠².

Who can be the provider

You must be at least 20 years old; the regulations define both “applicant” and “provider” as a person 20 or older ⁠². Beyond age, OEC decides whether you are a “suitable person” by reviewing your application, references, medical, criminal and child protective records, and any prior compliance history with child care licensing ⁠².

Before OEC approves your license you need:

• A medical statement signed within the past 12 months by a physician, physician assistant or APRN, stating whether you have any condition that would put children at risk or interfere with care. After licensure you keep one on file signed within the past 36 months ⁠².
• First aid and CPR certification, both based on a hands-on demonstration. First aid must come from the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, National Safety Council, American Safety and Health Institute or Medic First Aid International (or an OEC-approved course from before March 17, 2018), and CPR must cover the ages of the children you will serve ⁠²⁠⁵.
• Three references from people who have known you for at least three years, with no more than one relative ⁠²⁠⁵.
• A signed attestation that you have read and understood sections 19a-87b-1 to 19a-87b-18, and a copy of those regulations kept in the home ⁠²⁠⁵.

Connecticut’s licensing rules do not set a pre-service training hour count for the provider beyond first aid and CPR ⁠². Medication is separate: before you give any medication other than nonprescription topical products, a pharmacist, physician, PA, APRN or RN must train you. Approval for oral, topical and inhalant medication lasts three years, and competency on auto-injectors such as epinephrine pens must be revalidated every year ⁠². If you plan to take Care 4 Kids subsidy, further training applies (see the subsidy section below).

Your household is part of the license

Everyone who lives in the home is screened, not just you. “Household member” means anyone other than the licensee who resides in the home, including your spouse, children, tenants and any other occupant ⁠¹. The application asks you to list people living anywhere in the home, including an in-law apartment that is not zoned as a separate dwelling ⁠⁵.

• Background checks. You, any assistant or substitute, and every household member 18 or older must complete a comprehensive background check: state and national criminal history record checks plus the state child abuse and neglect registry ⁠¹⁠². Public Act 26-105, effective July 1, 2026, confirms the 18-or-older definition and lists who needs a fingerprint-supported check ⁠¹⁴.
• Health. Each adult household member needs a medical statement from within the past year. Each household child under 18 needs a CT Early Childhood Health Assessment Record (birth to 5) or Health Assessment Record (school age) with up-to-date immunizations ⁠⁵.
• Foster care history. If anyone in the application has ever applied for or held a foster care or adoption license, in Connecticut or elsewhere, the foster care agency completes a verification form ⁠⁵.

OEC is paying background check processing fees for applications submitted through December 31, 2026 (as published on 2026-10-12); that does not cover fingerprinting fees charged at local police stations ⁠⁸.

Preparing the house for inspection

The regulations in section 19a-87b-9 are specific. The items OEC tells applicants to have ready, and the rule text behind them, include ⁠²⁠⁶:

• Two ways out of every child care room. Each room used for child care, and every room children use for sleeping, living or dining, needs two means of escape; at least one must be a door or stairway to ground level. A window can be the second exit only if it opens without tools, has at least 5.7 square feet of clear opening, is at least 20 inches wide and 24 inches high, and has a sill no more than 44 inches above the floor ⁠².
• Basements. If you use space below ground level, you must stay with the children there at all times ⁠².
• Detectors and extinguisher. A smoke detector on every level, protecting sleeping areas, play areas and the basement; a carbon monoxide detector on every occupied level if the home burns any fuel; and a 5-pound ABC extinguisher mounted no higher than 5 feet ⁠²⁠⁶.
• Wood, pellet stoves and gas inserts. An auxiliary heater added after construction needs proof of inspection by a licensed professional and, where applicable, the local building official. You submit this report with the application ⁠²⁠⁵.
• Stairs. Sturdy handrails and gates at stairways children can reach ⁠².
• Water. A pool or any body of water children could reach needs a fence at least 4 feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates. Children in care may never use a hot tub, spa or sauna ⁠².
• Weapons. Guns stored unloaded and locked, with ammunition locked in a separate place ⁠².
• Temperatures. Rooms at least 65°F measured 3 feet from the floor; tap water between 60°F and 120°F ⁠².
• Pets. A current rabies certificate on file for each dog and cat over 14 weeks old ⁠².
• Outdoor space. If you have no outdoor play space, you need a written plan for safely taking children to an alternate site ⁠².
• Emergency plan. A written plan covering evacuation, shelter in place, lockdown and reunification, with an evacuation drill at least every quarter and a log kept for one year ⁠².

Lead and well water

Lead is checked twice. With the application you submit a lead test from a sink used for drinking and food preparation, taken after the water has stood in the pipes for at least 6 hours, analyzed by a state-certified laboratory and dated no more than 12 months before you apply ⁠⁵. At the inspection, state law requires OEC to look for evident sources of lead poisoning and to have any paint chips found chemically analyzed ⁠¹. If your home was built before 1978, expect peeling paint to be sampled ⁠⁵. A home on a private well must also submit a test for bacteria, physical parameters and sanitary chemicals from within the past year ⁠⁵.

Applying, step by step

OEC’s family child care application is a paper packet mailed to Hartford ⁠⁴. The order matters, because each step waits on the one before.

1. Read the rules and watch OEC’s videos

   OEC points applicants to two videos, “How to Become a Licensed Family Child Care Provider” and “Maintaining Compliance: Family Child Care Homes” ⁠⁴⁠⁵.

2. Assemble the packet

   It contains the coordinating checklist, fee form, application, foster care verification form, adult medical statements, children’s health records, references and the lead water test ⁠⁵. Add first aid and CPR certificates, any well water test and any heater inspection report ⁠⁵. The application also asks for your customary business hours and an emergency back-up caregiver: someone 20 or older who can reach your home within 15 minutes ⁠⁵⁠².

3. Mail it with the fee

   Send a $40 check or money order payable to “Treasurer State of Connecticut” to the Office of Early Childhood, Division of Licensing, 450 Columbus Blvd., Suite 302, Hartford, CT 06103. The fee is non-refundable ⁠⁴.

4. Start background checks when OEC emails you

   OEC sends the link only after it has reviewed and accepted your application. The process uses the online Background Check Information System, followed by in-person fingerprinting ⁠⁴⁠⁸.

5. Interview and inspection

   Once background checks are in and the file is complete, a licensing specialist calls to schedule the inspection; OEC will not schedule it before then ⁠⁴⁠⁵. You are interviewed and the specialist inspects the entire facility ⁠².

6. Open

   You may start caring for children as soon as you are licensed ⁠⁴. Display the license where parents can see it, and use your license number in any advertising ⁠².

OEC does not publish a processing time for initial applications.

Zoning and local rules

The application asks whether the property is in a residential zone and notes that a special zoning permit or exception may be needed elsewhere ⁠⁵. In a residential area, state law protects you twice. CGS 8-3j bars any zoning regulation from treating a licensed family child care home in a residence differently from single or multifamily dwellings ⁠¹³. CGS 19a-87b adds that a licensed home that meets the codes for single and multifamily dwellings cannot be subject to any operating conditions from local officials beyond those OEC imposes ⁠¹. Public Act 26-137, effective October 1, 2026, ended the requirement that towns file an annual sworn statement confirming their zoning complies ⁠¹⁴. The ban on different treatment itself was not reported as changed.

Assistants, substitutes and backup care

No one may work as an assistant or substitute in your home without OEC’s written approval ⁠¹.

• Assistant: 18 or older, helps only while you or a substitute is present. Assistants meet your qualifications except the first aid and CPR training requirement ⁠²⁠⁷.
• Substitute: 20 or older, meets every provider qualification, and may run the program while you are away. Substitutes must hold first aid and CPR before applying ⁠²⁠⁷.
• Fee and term: $15 per application, approval valid two years, renewal $15 ⁠¹⁠⁷. Staff apply and pay through eLicense, or by mail ⁠⁷.
• One-hour rule. You may not use a substitute for more than one hour a day on a regular basis, because that would transfer the business to them ⁠². State law does let a substitute cover longer while you attend a medical appointment or treatment or complete education or training, as long as you tell parents the dates and times in advance and keep control of daily operations ⁠¹.
• Emergency caregiver. You must name at least one person, 20 or older, who can arrive within 15 minutes for unforeseen emergencies only and who notifies the parents ⁠².

After licensure: inspections, changes and renewal

State law requires at least one unannounced OEC visit to every licensed home each year ⁠¹. You must give OEC immediate access during your customary business hours; refusing access is automatic grounds to start suspension or revocation ⁠². If your home has cameras, state law directs that recordings be kept at least 30 days and handed to OEC on request ⁠¹.

Report changes to OEC in writing within five working days. These include a new address, renovation or expansion, a new swimming pool, changed business hours, new household members, criminal convictions or DCF investigations, and health changes that affect care ⁠². Since July 1, 2026, you must report immediately any conviction or DCF Abuse and Neglect Registry placement of yourself, approved staff or a household member 18 or older; failure can bring suspension, revocation and a civil penalty ⁠¹⁴. A license is tied to the address: moving means a new application and a passed inspection at the new home before you operate there ⁠².

Renewal comes every four years at $40. OEC mails a letter with online renewal instructions ⁠⁴. If you file a complete renewal application by the expiration date, the license stays valid until OEC decides ⁠². With the renewal you certify that enrolled children have age-appropriate immunizations ⁠¹. If a license lapses, OEC may still renew it within 30 days of expiration ⁠¹.

The large family child care endorsement is not a starting option

Public Act 25-82, section 7, effective July 1, 2025, lets OEC endorse a family child care home for up to 12 children, including the licensee’s own ⁠⁹⁠¹⁰. The limits are tight:

• Only licensees whose license was issued before June 30, 2025 are eligible ⁠⁹.
• No more than 30 endorsements a year, for fiscal years 2026 through 2029; every endorsement expires June 30, 2029 ⁠⁹.
• Above 9 children, an additional approved assistant or substitute must be present ⁠⁹.
• The home needs at least 35 square feet of usable indoor space per child and 75 square feet of outdoor space per child. The application must include a fire marshal certificate of compliance with the Fire Safety Code and written verification of local zoning, building and health compliance ⁠⁹.
• The fiscal 2027 application window ran from July 15, 2026, 8 a.m., to July 31, 2026, 4 p.m. OEC reviews applications in the order received and may limit endorsements by town or area ⁠¹¹.

If you are opening now, plan for 6 to 9 children. For 7 to 12 children in a new program, the route is a group child care home license ⁠¹.

Incubators: a family child care license outside your home

Since 2021, OEC may license a family child care home in non-residential space provided by a partner organization, such as a community nonprofit. This is the incubator program from Public Act 21-171, amended by Public Act 24-78 ⁠¹²⁠¹. No more than 20 such facilities may be approved statewide ⁠¹. The license application must include a fire marshal certificate of compliance, plus written verification of State Building Code, local zoning and building, and local health compliance ⁠¹. OEC uses a separate incubator application and applies some child care center safety rules to these sites. You must first find a sponsor organization to host you ⁠¹².

Care 4 Kids subsidy

Care 4 Kids is OEC’s child care subsidy program for families ⁠¹⁵. Ask the program for current family income limits and child ages, which this guide does not cover. A licensed family child care provider new to the program becomes eligible for payment the day after completing ⁠¹⁵:

• the Provider Orientation Program (POP) pre-service training
• the federal online health and safety orientation
• first aid, CPR and medication administration training

After that, 10 hours of professional development are required each year. Teacher assistants and substitutes in licensed family homes must complete the program’s Health and Safety Orientation and other training; the program publishes their requirements on a separate page ⁠¹⁵. The rates page lists weekly payment rates effective January 1, 2026 ⁠¹⁶. Licensed family child care homes accredited by the National Association for Family Child Care get a 12.5% incentive (raised from 7% on July 1, 2023), and an associate’s degree in early childhood education earns 3% ⁠¹⁶.

Recent changes to know

• July 1, 2025: large family child care endorsement pilot begins under PA 25-82 ⁠⁹⁠¹⁰.
• April 27, 2026: PA 26-3 states that Connecticut’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act does not apply to child care immunization requirements, including in family child care homes ⁠¹⁴.
• July 1, 2026: PA 26-105 confirms that household members are those 18 and older, requires immediate reporting of convictions and registry placements, removes the separate disqualifying-crimes language for family homes so it matches centers, and lists who needs fingerprint-supported checks ⁠¹⁴.
• October 1, 2026: PA 26-137 ends towns’ annual sworn zoning-compliance statement ⁠¹⁴.

The statute pages on the General Assembly site, checked October 12, 2026, did not yet show the 2025 and 2026 amendments. The OEC regulations compilation is dated October 23, 2024 ⁠¹⁠². Check the public act text where the two differ.

Sources

1. 1
   Connecticut General Assembly, Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 368a (secs. 19a-77, 19a-87b, 19a-87c) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
2. 2
   Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Statutes and Regulations for Family Child Care Homes (R.C.S.A. secs. 19a-87b-1 to 19a-87b-18, revised 2024-10-23) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
3. 3
   Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Licensing for Family Child Care Homes Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
4. 4
   Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Apply for a License: Family Child Care Homes Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
5. 5
   Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Family Child Care Home Initial Application for Licensure (checklist revised 7/22/2025) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
6. 6
   Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, How to Become a Licensed Family Child Care Provider (brochure) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
7. 7
   Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Get OEC Approval for Staff Substitutes and Assistants Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
8. 8
   Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Background Checks Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
9. 9
   Connecticut General Assembly, Public Act 25-82, An Act Concerning Early Childhood Care and Education (sec. 7) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
10. 10
    Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Learn About Large Family Child Care Homes Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
11. 11
    Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Large Family Child Care Endorsement Application Opens July 15, 2026 (memo of July 2, 2026) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
12. 12
    Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Learn About Family Child Care Home Incubators Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
13. 13
    Connecticut General Assembly, Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 124 (sec. 8-3j, regulation of family child care homes) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
14. 14
    Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Public Acts Recently Enacted 2026 Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
15. 15
    Care 4 Kids (Connecticut Office of Early Childhood program), Care 4 Kids provider requirements for licensed family child care Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
16. 16
    Care 4 Kids (Connecticut Office of Early Childhood program), Care 4 Kids Payment Rates Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑

Was this information accurate? Report an errorPrint or save as PDF