Georgia Family Child Care Learning Home license: credentials, KOALA filing and the six-child cap

Where the license starts and stops: counting to six

Georgia’s rule defines a Family Child Care Learning Home as a private residence where someone cares for pay, for less than 24 hours a day, for “at least three but not more than six Children under 13 years of age” who are not related to the provider.⁠¹ Anyone caring for three to six such children must apply to DECAL for the license, and anyone caring for more than six children for pay “related or unrelated” must apply for a Child Care Learning Center license.⁠¹ DECAL’s applicant guide states the lower line plainly: you may legally care for two children for pay until a license is issued.⁠³

Three counting rules decide which side of those lines you are on:

• Paid and unpaid children both count. The total number of unrelated children in the home, “for pay and not for pay,” may not exceed six at one time.⁠¹ If you watch a neighbor’s child for free, that child takes one of the six places. You must keep a notarized statement from that child’s parent confirming the non-pay status.⁠¹
• “Related” goes out to first cousins. Related children are those within the third degree of blood or marriage, which the rule spells out as sons, daughters, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and first cousins, plus children in your legal guardianship, custody or state-regulated foster care.⁠¹ They do not count toward the six. For related children other than your own, keep a notarized statement from their parent attesting to the relationship.⁠¹
• A second cap of 12 applies when your own or related children are home. When related children or children who live in the home are present, the total number of children under 13 may not exceed twelve, and you still need 35 square feet per child present.⁠¹

The rule also lets a provider take two extra children aged three or older for two designated one-hour periods a day, with DECAL approval.⁠¹ Check your zoning letter before counting on it. DECAL’s FAQ says that if the zoning letter allows up to six children, “You cannot exceed a total of six (6) children at any given time.”⁠⁴

Rule .22 exempts from DECAL licensure a family child care home regulated by a branch of the U.S. military, if it serves only military families, on or off base, and does not take CAPS subsidy. These homes complete an online self-assessment instead.⁠¹⁠¹⁰ Every other home that meets the definition needs the license. The guide for the larger license is at Georgia Child Care Learning Center license.

The credential gate: age 21 and an early childhood credential

The provider must be at least 21 years old.⁠¹ Anyone who applied on or after July 1, 2009 must also hold one of these credentials:⁠¹

• Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, kept current
• Technical Certificate of Credit (TCC) in Early Childhood Education
• Technical College Diploma (TCD) in Early Childhood Education
• Associate degree in Early Childhood Education (AA, AAS or AAT)
• Paraprofessional Certificate from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, kept current
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Early Childhood Education

DECAL’s applicant page lists only the first three.⁠² The rule text, last amended effective September 22, 2026, and the May 2025 applicant guide both list all seven.⁠¹⁠³⁠¹¹ If your credential is one of the last four, confirm with Applicant Services that it will be accepted before you file.

Without a credential you can ask for a variance when you apply. If DECAL approves it, you must enroll in an approved credential program within six months of licensure and finish within two years.⁠² DECAL’s variance form sets out three options: six months to enroll and 24 months to finish; 18 months to finish a program you are already enrolled in; or proof of a comparable credential.⁠⁶ The form’s standard justification says the provider will take part in Quality Rated while working on the credential.⁠⁶

Three trainings before you can file

The rule requires the person who will run the home day to day to finish pre-service training before submitting the application.⁠¹ DECAL lists three parts:⁠²⁠³

1. FCCLH Licensing Orientation

   You register through the Georgia Professional Development System (GaPDS): create an account, choose Training, then OLLI Trainings, and search for Family Child Care Learning Home Orientation.⁠² The certificate does not expire, but DECAL recommends retaking the class if you have not applied within two years.⁠⁴

2. Ten hours of pre-service training

   You need at least two hours in each of five areas: early learning standards, communication, professional and leadership development, business management, and advocacy for the parents, children and staff in the home.⁠³ Courses must be DECAL-approved.⁠²

3. Infant and child CPR and first aid, in person

   ⁠² The rule requires pediatric CPR every two years and pediatric first aid every three years, and the provider must finish both before initial licensure.⁠¹

The application cannot be submitted until all three are done.⁠²

Local approvals the application needs

Most of the paperwork comes from your city or county, and DECAL has the applicant collect it before filing. From DECAL’s checklist and applicant guide:⁠²⁠³

• Zoning approval from the local agency, or a letter stating no zoning approval is required, dated within the last 12 months.⁠²⁠³ The licensed home must be in a residential zone, not a commercial building.⁠³
• Proof you can use the home. Owners upload a deed, mortgage statement or tax bill. Renters upload a lease that allows child care in the residence, and a landlord authorization letter where applicable. If you have a homeowners association, you also need an HOA letter approving the business.⁠²⁠³⁠⁴
• A business license, or a letter saying none is required or that one will be issued once DECAL licenses you.⁠³ DECAL’s FAQ says a letter like this from the business license office is enough when the city or county will not act first.⁠⁴
• Fire safety documentation if your jurisdiction requires it. DECAL tells applicants to ask the county fire marshal’s office, because “All counties differ in what they require.”⁠⁴ Where an inspection or certificate of occupancy applies, upload it.⁠²
• Water and sewer. Upload a current water bill at the home’s address. A septic system needs an inspection dated within 12 months, and a well needs a county environmental health report within 12 months confirming the water is safe to drink.⁠²

An apartment can qualify. The leasing office must approve the business in writing, and you need an enclosed outdoor play area used only by your program. DECAL says a complex playground typically will not do.⁠⁴ The child care space itself can be your ordinary living area, as long as it has age-appropriate toys and equipment and hazards are out of reach.⁠⁴

Background checks for everyone 17 and older in the house

No license is issued until DECAL has a satisfactory Comprehensive Records Check Determination on file for the provider and every potential employee. That includes every person 17 or older who lives in the home.⁠¹ DECAL’s FAQ names spouses, adult children, relatives and friends, and adds that a spouse who travels for work still needs a check.⁠⁴ The provider’s clearance date can be no older than 12 months before the license date.⁠¹ All checks must be complete and visible in KOALA before the Initial Licensing Study.⁠³

The comprehensive check combines an FBI fingerprint check, sex offender registry searches and criminal and child abuse registry searches in every state where the person lived during the previous five years.⁠¹ You submit records check applications through DECAL KOALA. DECAL has paid the fingerprinting cost since October 1, 2018 and says it will continue “for the foreseeable future unless funding becomes no longer available.”⁠⁷ A new comprehensive check is required every five years, or after a lapse of six months or more in child care employment.⁠⁷

Filing in DECAL KOALA and the 45-day minimum

Applications go only through DECAL KOALA, and DECAL does not accept email or fax submissions.⁠² Every document must be uploaded before the application can be submitted. Beyond the training certificates, credential and local approvals above, the upload list includes:⁠²⁠³

1. A Criminal Record Check Acknowledgement Form

   , which states that no one living or working at the home has a disqualifying conviction.⁠²⁠³

2. A floor plan

   of every room on each floor, with the child care space labeled “Child Care Area,” signed and dated by you.⁠³

3. A notarized Affidavit for Lawful Presence

   , with front and back copies of a secure and verifiable document such as a U.S. passport, U.S. military ID or U.S. driver’s license.⁠²⁠³

4. Current CPR and first aid certification

   ⁠²

DECAL quotes a minimum of 45 days to process a family home application. The clock starts only after the application has been received, reviewed for completeness and assigned to an Applicant Services Unit consultant.⁠² Applications are reviewed in the order received, and incomplete ones “may be returned, closed, or denied.”⁠² For general licensing questions, DECAL says to call 404-657-5562 and ask for the Consultant of the Day.⁠²

The licensing visit and what the house must show

Once the application is approved, the consultant reviews the Licensing Prep Checklist with you and schedules an on-site inspection.⁠³ DECAL can deny the application if the visit finds conditions that pose health or safety risks to children.⁠¹ If the home passes, DECAL grants a final license at the visit and you may begin caring for three to six children.⁠³ Filing the application also gives DECAL consent to enter whenever children are in care, for scheduled or unscheduled visits.⁠¹

The physical requirements in Chapter 290-2-3 that inspectors check include:⁠¹

• Space: at least 35 square feet of usable floor space per child. Basement areas more than 25 linear feet from a window cannot be used for children.
• Outdoors: a play area protected by a fence or barrier at least four feet high, with non-portable climbing and swinging equipment anchored and set over a resilient surface. A fence must also keep children out of any swimming pool. DECAL’s FAQ says the outdoor area is required.⁠⁴
• Fire: at least one UL-approved smoke detector on each floor, and a 2-A:10-B:C fire extinguisher in the child care area no more than 30 feet from the kitchen, out of children’s reach. No gasoline or kerosene stored inside.
• Hazards: outlets covered, no multiple plugs or extension cords, screens or barriers on stoves and heaters in use, firearms stored out of children’s reach, and heavy furniture and TVs secured against tipping.
• Animals: pets vaccinated under county health board rules and kept out of child care areas when unconfined. Farm animals may not be kept within 500 feet of the home on property you control.

The applicant guide includes the forms to post or keep on file for inspection, among them emergency numbers, a fire drill log, medication authorizations and a no-liability-insurance notice.⁠³

Running the home after licensure

Several operating rules come up early for new providers:

• When you need a helper. An assistant at least 16 years old must be present whenever more than three children under 12 months, more than six under age 3, or more than eight under age 5 are in the home. The higher counts are possible because related and resident children can bring the total to 12.⁠¹
• Training for you and staff. Anyone with direct care duties completes health and safety orientation within 90 days.⁠¹ After the first year, each person needs 10 clock hours of training every calendar year. At least two hours must be in language and literacy practices and at least two in child development or health and safety, and no more than two may be business topics.⁠¹
• Drills. Fire drills every month and tornado or other emergency drills every six months, with records kept for two years.⁠¹
• Liability insurance. Georgia does not require it, but if you lack coverage sufficient to protect your clients, you must tell each parent in writing and keep their signed acknowledgment in the child’s file.⁠¹ You must also post a notice in letters at least half an inch high, or face a possible $1,000 civil fine.⁠¹
• Food and screens. Meals and snacks must meet USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program guidelines, and entertainment media should be limited to two hours a day.⁠¹
• Written policies. Your parent policies must cover fees and absences, expulsion and suspension, firearms in the home, pets, and changes in who lives in or regularly visits the home.⁠¹
• Reports to DECAL. Within 24 hours or the next work day, report any death, any injury needing medical attention beyond first aid, a missing child, a fire, or a change in operating status.⁠¹

DECAL may make any visit unannounced, including routine monitoring and complaint investigations.⁠³ Fines can reach $500 per day for each violation, up to $25,000 in total.⁠¹

Fees and the December renewal cycle

The rule sets the license fee at $50 a year.⁠¹ For a new home, DECAL accepts the non-refundable $50 only after the final license is granted at the licensing visit. You then have 30 days to pay in KOALA, and DECAL emails the license certificate, which you must print and post, once payment clears.⁠³

After that, renewal follows the calendar. On the schedule published for 2027 licenses, as of 2026-10-12:⁠⁵

Before paying, family providers must complete the Disclosure Statement in KOALA and meet the lawful presence verification requirement.⁠⁵ If you pay by credit card, DECAL emails the new certificate once payment is processed; if you pay by electronic check, it arrives after 21 days.⁠⁵ The rule permits a late fee of up to $250, and DECAL must revoke the license if the fee and any late fee remain unpaid 30 days after the due date.⁠¹

Getting paid through CAPS requires Quality Rated

Georgia’s child care subsidy program is Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS), also run by DECAL. DECAL’s FAQ says you may apply to take part once you are licensed.⁠⁴ Quality Rated, Georgia’s 1-to-3-star rating system, is voluntary for licensing purposes and open to family child care homes.⁠⁸ It becomes necessary if you want subsidy: “As of December 31, 2021, all child care providers must be Quality Rated (or in the Provisional or Probationary Status) to receive CAPS funding.”⁠⁸

DECAL’s CAPS enrollment sheet sets out the order for a newly licensed program:⁠⁹

1. Get your license

   from Child Care Services.

2. Apply to Quality Rated

   at qualityrated.decal.ga.gov without selecting a cohort. DECAL warns that choosing one delays QR and CAPS enrollment.

3. Contact CAPS Provider Relations

   at 1-833-442-2277 or [email protected].

4. Finish enrollment in GACAPS

   , including the New Provider Orientation.

Providers new to CAPS without a star rating may be placed in CAPS/QR Provisional Status until they earn one.⁠⁹ A military-regulated home that uses the September 2026 exemption gives up CAPS participation as one of its conditions.⁠¹

What changed in September 2026

DECAL’s proposal, published in July 2026 as “Proposed Rule Changes – October 1, 2026,” covered amendments to the family home rules at 290-2-3-.03, .07, .08 and .12, plus a new Rule 290-2-3-.22.⁠¹² The Secretary of State’s rule pages show .03, .07, .08 and .12 each amended with an effective date of September 22, 2026.⁠¹¹ Two changes matter to a new applicant:

• Rule .22 (Exemptions) creates the military-regulated home exemption described above.⁠¹⁠¹⁰ The Secretary of State’s page shows it adopted effective September 22, 2026, with a note that an incorrect version was filed on September 2 and the full rule was replaced on the website on September 11, keeping the original dates.⁠¹⁰
• Rule .07 (Staffing and Supervision) was amended effective September 22, 2026.⁠¹¹ DECAL’s proposal described the change as removing Social Security numbers from personnel files and clarifying the requirements for water exactly two feet deep. It described the changes to .03 and .08/.12 as simplifying language and removing duplicative requirements, and said none of them impose new costs or staffing requirements.⁠¹²

The proposed .07 text kept the age-21 rule and the credential list unchanged.⁠¹² The 10-hour pre-service figure comes from DECAL’s application guidance, not from the rule text, which lists the required topics without an hour count.⁠¹⁠³

Moving or growing past six

The license belongs to one provider at one address. A change of residence, address or provider requires a new license.⁠¹ DECAL’s FAQ adds that if you move, you must cut back to two children until you are licensed at the new address.⁠⁴ DECAL also denies applicants who had a license denied or revoked within the past year.⁠¹

Growing beyond six children for pay means changing license types, not expanding this one. A Child Care Learning Center license has its own rules and a minimum 60-day processing time.⁠² See the Georgia Child Care Learning Center license guide, the Georgia state overview and the family child care license comparison.

Sources

1. 1
   Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia, Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 290-2-3, Rules and Regulations for Family Child Care Learning Homes Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
2. 2
   Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, Family Child Care Learning Home (Applicant Services Information) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
3. 3
   Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, Applicant's Guide to Licensing for Family Child Care Learning Homes (revised May 2025) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
4. 4
   Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, Frequently Asked Questions: Family Child Care Learning Home (FCCLH) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
5. 5
   Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, License Fee Information Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
6. 6
   Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, Application for Variance or Waiver, Rule 290-2-3-.07(2) educational credentials Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
7. 7
   Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, Criminal Records Check Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
8. 8
   Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, Quality Rated Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
9. 9
   Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, What is the process for becoming a CAPS Provider? Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
10. 10
    Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia, Rule 290-2-3-.22, Exemptions Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
11. 11
    Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia, Rule 290-2-3-.07, Staffing and Supervision Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
12. 12
    Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, 2026 Proposed CCS FCCLH Rule Changes Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑

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