Oregon certified child care center: how DELC certifies a center

Which Oregon certificate fits your program

Oregon’s Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD), part of the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC), issues four kinds of child care license: Registered Family, Certified Family, Certified Center, and, since July 1, 2025, Outdoor Nature-Based Programs.⁠⁵ A “Child Care Center” is “a child care facility that is certified to provide care and education of children, generally in a commercial or nonresidential setting, that is not a certified family child care home.” Nobody may run one without a valid CCLD certificate unless an exemption applies.⁠¹

Centers come in two kinds, each with its own rule book:⁠⁵

• Certified Center (CC). Serves any children from six weeks through age 12, under OAR 414-305-0000 to 414-305-1620. This guide covers this type.
• Certified School-age Center (SC). Serves only children eligible for kindergarten or above in the next school year, with no night care, in a nonresidential setting. It operates under OAR 414-310.⁠⁵⁠¹

If you plan to care for children in your own home, the home-based tiers apply instead (registered up to 10 children, certified up to 16). See the Oregon family child care home guide.

OAR 414-305-0120 lists the programs that need no certificate. The ones founders most often rely on:⁠¹

• care for three or fewer children, or children from only one family, not counting the provider’s own;
• care provided for fewer than 70 days in a calendar year, such as during summer or holiday breaks;
• a preschool that is primarily educational for 4 hours or less a day, where no preschool-age child stays more than 4 hours;
• a single enrichment activity for school-age children (lessons, tutoring, sports practice) where no child attends more than 8 hours a week;
• programs run by a school district, charter school, political subdivision or government agency;
• a parent cooperative running no more than 4 hours a day, with parents rotating as caregivers under a board;
• care while the parent stays on the premises in a non-work, non-school activity, provided the center tells parents it is not state-licensed.

Running an uncertified program that needs a certificate carries a civil penalty of up to $1,500 per day of operation.⁠¹

What changed: the 2024 rewrite and the September 2026 amendments

The current OAR 414-305 was adopted effective January 1, 2024, and DELC made minor corrections throughout April and May 2024.⁠¹ A further amendment, DELC 9-2026 (filed June 29, 2026 and effective September 1, 2026), revised the definitions, required policies, notifications and several health rules. It also adopted a new rule, OAR 414-305-0750, on suspension and expulsion prevention.⁠¹

Under that rule, every center must write and follow a policy aimed at keeping young children (six weeks until kindergarten-eligible) in care. If a young child faces possible expulsion, you must document the behaviors and the supports you tried, request services from Every Child Belongs (ECB), Oregon’s early childhood suspension and expulsion prevention program, and contact the family at the same time. You may temporarily remove a child only when their behavior is a “serious safety threat” that your guidance strategies have not resolved. If you do, notify the family and ECB immediately, and notify CCLD of the removal and its expected length by 5:00 pm the next business day.⁠¹ CCLD will look for this policy among your written materials (see the policies section below).

Zoning and building approvals come before CCLD visits

DELC’s guide puts zoning first: confirm with the city or county that governs land use that the building is zoned for child care, because “you will be asked to provide documentation to CCLD that the building is zoned for child care before we can move forward with a pre-certification visit.”⁠⁶ Building codes for child care depend on the age groups you will serve, so check with the local building department whether the space works for infants and toddlers or will need a permit and renovation.⁠⁶

Before any construction, remodel or move, OAR 414-305-0130(8) requires you to send a floor plan to four offices: CCLD, the environmental health specialist, the fire code official and the local building department. You pay any fire safety and sanitation inspection fees.⁠¹ For CCLD, the plan must show the length and width of every room used for care, the kitchen and bathrooms, and every toilet, handwashing sink and kitchen fixture, with a description of each room’s use.⁠⁶ If the center shares a building with other uses, the plan must also show that space and how it is used.⁠¹

With the initial application you must provide:⁠¹

• evidence that the center meets all applicable building codes and zoning requirements;
• approval from an environmental health specialist registered under ORS chapter 700, or an authorized Oregon Health Authority representative;
• approval from a state or local fire code official before the initial certification date (a center in a public school may use the school’s fire inspection if it is less than 2 years old);
• the floor plan;
• lead test results for each source of drinking water.

DELC says fire and sanitation inspections “may take an agency several weeks” to schedule, so request them early.⁠⁶

How space, toilets and the playground set your capacity

Licensed capacity is calculated from indoor space, outdoor space, and the number of toilets and sinks. The lowest of these sets the limit, and the count includes children both at the center and away from it.⁠¹ At the pre-certification visit, the licensing specialist measures each room and the outdoor area and gives you an estimated capacity. The final number is set at the initial inspection.⁠⁶

Kitchens, hallways, restrooms, storage, offices, break rooms and adult furniture do not count as activity space. Child-accessible shelving does, and so does crib space if children can reach the area underneath.⁠¹ Potty chairs are prohibited. Urinals can replace up to half the required toilets, except in buildings constructed as child care centers after July 15, 2001. Toilets and sinks must be on the same floor as the care.⁠¹ “Drop-in care” means care on an irregular basis for no more than 25 hours per week per child.⁠¹

Building, water and outdoor rules the inspectors check

Fire and egress. The occupant load, exits, exit distances, doors and exit lighting must meet the Oregon Structural Specialty Code. You may use rooms above or below the ground floor only if that code allows it and the fire code official approves. The fire official decides how many fire extinguishers and smoke detectors you need, and a carbon monoxide alarm is required.⁠¹

Building systems. Indoor temperature must stay between 68°F and 85°F while children are present. Unvented gas or oil heaters, generators and portable fuel-burning heaters are banned during care. Unused outlets within reach of preschoolers and younger children must be tamper-resistant or covered. Windows above the ground floor that those children can reach must lock so they open no more than 4 inches.⁠¹ Handwashing water may not exceed 120°F.⁠¹ Private septic systems must meet Department of Environmental Quality requirements and be inspected by a septic maintenance provider.⁠¹

Lead in water. You must test every faucet used for drinking or food preparation, including formula, and retest at least once every 6 years. The limit is 15 parts per billion, and a faucet that fails cannot be used until it passes a retest under a mitigation plan.⁠¹⁠⁶ Tests must come from an ORELAP-accredited laboratory. If you use no on-site faucets for drinking or food, file form CEN-0016, Alternative Water Declaration.⁠⁶

Outdoor play area. For children not yet in kindergarten, the play area must be enclosed by a fence or wall at least 4 feet high, starting at ground level, with openings no larger than 3½ inches. Equipment needs use zones with 6 feet of clearance.⁠¹ If you plan to use a park or school playground you do not control, you need a written plan approved by CCLD covering distance, route, hazards, supervision, restrooms and parent notice.⁠¹

The director: age, qualifications and hours on site

Every center must employ a director who is at least 21, meets the initial and annual training requirements, and qualifies under one route in Table 1:⁠¹⁠³

A director missing one half of route C can work under a CCLD-approved plan to complete it.⁠¹ The director must also show Oregon Registry Online (ORO) at least 10 hours of Program Management training, or complete those hours within the first year.⁠¹

Required time on site depends on licensed capacity:⁠¹

• Under 100 children: at least one-third of weekly operating hours or 40 hours a week, whichever is less. One director may oversee more than one center.
• Over 100 children: at least half of weekly hours or 40 hours a week, whichever is less, and the director may oversee only that center.

A qualified director may also teach when 40 or fewer children are on site. The director or a substitute director must be on the premises during all hours of operation. The substitute must meet teacher qualifications and be able to correct deficiencies.⁠¹ Multi-site programs must also employ a multi-site coordinator and have a written plan for how the director’s duties are met at each site.⁠¹

Teachers, aides and ratios

Each group of children needs at least one teacher-qualified caregiver.⁠¹ Teachers must be at least 18 and qualify under one option in Table 2, which differs by infant/toddler and preschool age groups:⁠¹⁠⁴

• A: at least 750 hours of qualifying teaching experience in a certified center or comparable group program, at that age level;
• B: one year or 1,500 hours of qualifying teaching experience in registered or certified family child care;
• C: Step 6 in the Oregon Registry, or 9 quarter credits in two core knowledge categories (3 in Human Growth and Development or Understanding and Guiding Behavior);
• D: an associate degree or higher in early childhood education, child development, special education, human development, child and family studies or, for preschool, elementary education;
• E: a state or nationally recognized credential such as the Child Development Associate (CDA).

School-age-only classrooms use a separate Table 3. Its options include 240 hours of school-age experience in the past 5 years, or 60 classroom hours plus 20 specified training hours.⁠⁴

Aide I staff may be as young as 14. An aide I under 18 must stay within sight and sound of a teacher or aide II and may never be alone with children.⁠¹ Aide II staff must be at least 18 and have 240 documented hours as an aide, with at least 80 of them at the current center, or 240 hours with infants for infant rooms.⁠¹ At the director’s discretion, an aide II can act as a teacher while enrolled in a CCLD-approved teacher training plan. The plan requires training hours, feedback sessions twice a month for four months, and another teacher- or director-qualified person on site.⁠¹

A new center uses Table 3A. Centers certified on or before July 15, 2001 may use Table 3B, which runs 1:4 (8) from 6 weeks to 30 months, 1:10 (20) from 30 months to school-age, and 1:15 (30) for school-age.⁠¹⁠² A mixed group follows the ratio for its youngest child.⁠¹ A center with 16 or fewer children on site, or a licensed capacity of 16 or fewer, may use the separate Mixed-Age Ratio Table, provided at least one teacher-qualified staff member is present for a represented age group.⁠¹ OAR 414-305-0400 publishes the Mixed-Age Ratio Table’s ratios and group sizes only as an image attachment, so this guide does not reproduce them. Ask your CCLD licensing specialist for the current figures before you plan staffing for a small mixed-age group.

During rest time, one enrolled staff member may supervise a resting group with no infants, if enough staff can be summoned. You must return to full ratio when two or more children are awake and active.⁠¹ Night care (9:00 pm to 5:00 am, or any child sleeping more than 3 hours) requires at least two awake staff at all times and two fire-approved exits from every sleeping room.⁠¹

Training deadlines for every new hire

OAR 414-305-0370 sets a schedule that starts on each employee’s hire date:⁠¹

• Within 10 days, before unsupervised access: orientation on the rules, emergency plan, infection control, hazards, safe sleep and abusive head trauma, medication and center policies. DELC publishes an orientation checklist (form PR-0202).⁠¹⁠⁶
• Within 30 days, before unsupervised access: CCLD’s Introduction to Child Care Health and Safety, at least 2 hours of CCLD-approved training on recognizing and reporting child abuse under Oregon law, and Safe Sleep for Oregon Infants for anyone working where infants are cared for. Kitchen staff, staff who serve food from a communal source, and infant-room staff who prepare bottles need an Oregon food handler card.
• Within 90 days: first aid and pediatric CPR, with hands-on practice if taken online (cooks are exempt), and the CCLD-approved Child Development Training.

At least one person with current first aid and pediatric CPR must be present at all times, including during transport and on field trips.⁠¹ Each year, the director, multi-site coordinator, teachers and aide IIs need 15 clock hours of ORO-approved training, including 8 hours in child development and 1 hour in health, safety and nutrition. Staff employed less than a year complete 1.25 hours per month worked.⁠¹ Every staff member must have an active ORO account.⁠¹

Central Background Registry enrollment

The operator, all staff, and anyone 18 or older who may have unsupervised access to children must be enrolled in CCLD’s Central Background Registry (CBR) before an initial or renewal certificate is issued.⁠¹ An owner, or a principal of an owning entity, must also be enrolled to be on the premises during care hours.⁠¹ Staff who are only conditionally enrolled can work but cannot have unsupervised access to children. Visitors must sign in and out with a named staff escort.⁠¹ DELC states that CCLD covers the cost of fingerprinting for child care staff.⁠⁵ A center can be denied or revoked if its operator or staff are not enrolled or have suspended enrollment.⁠¹

Written policies CCLD reviews before you open

OAR 414-305-0200 lists 21 items you must put in writing and give to staff at hire and to parents at enrollment.⁠¹ They include your capacity, ages, hours, closures and ratios; arrival and pick-up procedures; health policies, including infant feeding, medication and illness exclusion; safe sleep; a plan keeping visitors not enrolled in the CBR away from children; an emergency preparedness plan; your philosophy on how children learn; daily schedules with rest, physical activity and screen time; food service; transportation and field trips; behavior and guidance; abuse reporting; evening and night care if offered; how parents can see inspection reports and contact CCLD; a statement about the child care safety portal; and the suspension and expulsion prevention policy.⁠¹ You also need personnel policies with position descriptions and training requirements, and volunteer policies if you use volunteers.⁠¹ At the initial inspection, the licensing specialist reviews these written materials and staff qualifications.⁠⁶

Applying, in the order CCLD works

1. Confirm zoning and building suitability

   Get written zoning approval for child care from your city or county before committing to the space.⁠⁶

2. Send floor plans

   Submit them to CCLD, environmental health, the fire code official and the building department before construction or remodeling.⁠¹

3. Request the pre-certification visit

   Once zoning, occupancy and building codes are documented, contact CCLD. The licensing specialist measures the space, estimates capacity, and covers staff qualifications, ratios and CBR rules. You usually receive the application packet here, including the CC Health and Safety Review Checklist (CCLD-0090).⁠⁶

4. Book fire and sanitation inspections

   Corrections from these inspections must be finished before an annual certificate is issued.⁠⁶

5. Test for lead

   Test each drinking and food faucet through an ORELAP lab, and mark the tested faucets on your floor plan.⁠⁶

6. File the application at least 45 days before opening

   Include the fee, floor plan, lead results and the code, zoning, fire and sanitation approvals, plus CBR applications for yourself and your staff. A corporation’s application is signed by the CEO or a designee, a partnership’s by every partner. If you are not the owner, you must name the owner.⁠¹⁠⁶ Any unpaid civil penalties must be paid, or on an approved payment plan, before CCLD processes the application.⁠¹

7. Initial inspection

   After fire and sanitation approval, the specialist checks the requirements that do not depend on children being present. If you meet most of them, with no hazards to children, CCLD issues a temporary certificate and you may begin care.⁠¹⁠⁶

8. Program review and annual certificate

   Within 180 days, a specialist returns to check records, curriculum and the groups of children. Once you comply fully, CCLD issues the annual certificate, valid for one year from the temporary certificate’s effective date.⁠⁶ You cannot operate on temporary certificates for more than 180 days in any 12-month period.⁠¹

CCLD may close an application that has not been approved or denied within 12 months, and you can reapply at any time.⁠¹ A certificate cannot be transferred to a new location or owner. Each of those changes needs a new application, and changes to capacity, ages, room use or hours need written approval in advance.⁠¹

Fees, as published

As published on 2026-10-12 in OAR 414-305-0130 and on DELC’s center page, CCLD’s filing fees are non-refundable:⁠¹⁠⁵

The rule gives the example of a 30-child center paying $160, and DELC’s example is a 60-child center paying $220.⁠¹⁠⁵ Fees for fire safety and sanitation inspections are paid to those agencies, not to CCLD.⁠¹

Renewal, monitoring and enforcement

Certificates are renewed every year. DELC mails the renewal packet four months before expiration, and the application and fee are due at least 30 days before expiration.⁠⁶⁠¹ A timely renewal keeps the current certificate in force until CCLD acts on it. If you miss the deadline, the certificate expires and you must stop operating unless the renewal is completed first.⁠¹ Renewal requires written environmental health approval, fire approval dated within the last 2 years, and a passed CCLD health and safety inspection.⁠¹

CCLD may make unannounced monitoring visits at least once a year. Specialists check capacity, supervision, ratios, group sizes, staff qualifications and training, CBR enrollment, attendance records and hazards.⁠¹⁠⁶ Complaint findings are rated valid, unable to substantiate, or invalid, and certification records, including complaint findings, are public.⁠¹ Letters with serious valid findings must be posted in the center for 12 calendar months.⁠⁶

As published on 2026-10-12, civil penalties are up to $2,500 per serious violation and $800 per non-serious violation, and CCLD can charge each day of violation separately.⁠¹ A center denied or revoked for cause cannot reapply for 5 years.⁠¹ A center may ask for an exception to a rule if it can meet the rule’s intent another way, but not for requirements set by statute or federal law.⁠¹

Subsidy and meal programs

DELC’s guide sends new providers to their local Child Care Resource and Referral agency (1-800-342-6712) for help with the Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) listing process.⁠⁶ It also points centers to the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program, run through the Oregon Department of Education, which reimburses centers for part of the cost of the meals they serve.⁠⁶ CCLD may report a denial, suspension or revocation to the Department of Human Services, the USDA child care food programs and the resource and referral system.⁠¹

Sources

1. 1
   Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Administrative Rules, OAR chapter 414, division 305, Certified Child Care Centers Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
2. 2
   Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Administrative Rules, Certified Child Care Center Ratio Tables, OAR 414-305-0400 (rule attachment) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
3. 3
   Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Administrative Rules, Certified Child Care Center Director Qualifications Table 1, OAR 414-305-0320 (rule attachment) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
4. 4
   Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Administrative Rules, Certified Child Care Center Teacher Qualifications Tables 2 and 3, OAR 414-305-0340 (rule attachment) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
5. 5
   Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care, Certified Child Care Center Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
6. 6
   Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care, The Child Care Licensing Division's Guide to Certified Center Child Care (CCLD-0105) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑

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