Starting a care business in Wyoming

Child care comes under Title 14 of the Wyoming statutes, which requires certification before a facility takes care, custody or control of any child. DFS uses the words certification and license interchangeably. Once you care for more than two unrelated children you need a license unless an exemption applies. One rulebook and one application form (the CCL-100) cover three tiers: a family child care home in your primary residence for up to 10 children, a family child care center in a house or commercial building for up to 15, and a child care center in a non-residential building for 16 or more. In every tier, measured indoor and outdoor play space can set capacity lower than the tier maximum.

Adult care falls under the health care facilities article, W.S. 35-2-901 to 35-2-914, which forbids anyone to establish a listed health care facility without an HLS license. Operating without one is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $750, up to six months in jail, or both, and each calendar week counts as a separate offense. The article contains no certificate of need. HLS license years run from July 1 to June 30, and the full fee is due even if you open partway through the year. Facility construction plans still need HLS approval: Laws 2025, chapter 102 repealed several subsections of W.S. 35-2-906 but kept the plan-approval requirement in subsection (a).

Residential care has two routes. An assisted living facility has no minimum bed count and is licensed at Level 1, or at Level 2 if it has a secure dementia unit, with tougher manager and staffing rules. An adult foster care home serves up to five unrelated adults in the licensee's own home, but Wyoming licenses these homes only as a pilot project. The statute allows no more than ten homes, while the 2008 Chapter 13 rule HLS still publishes says five. HLS does not publish how many slots are filled, so ask it in writing before you buy or remodel a house. Daytime programs for four or more adults with disabilities need an adult day care facility license.

In-home care splits on the number of health services. An agency that arranges for and directly provides two or more health care services, such as nursing, therapy or home health aide care, needs a home health agency license: HLS issues a provisional license after approving the packet, then a permanent license after an unannounced survey. Wyoming has no license for agencies that give only companionship or homemaker help, which is why that type has no guide. HLS has published no guidance on an agency whose only service is aide-level personal care, so get its answer in writing. Medicare enrollment is a separate step, and CMS stopped enrolling new home health agencies nationwide for an initial six months from May 13, 2026.

Recent changes are mostly on the Medicaid side. The renewed Community Choices Waiver took effect July 1, 2026; it pays assisted living facilities, adult day services and home health providers that are licensed, enrolled with Medicaid and certified by the Division of Healthcare Financing. HLS revised its licensure checklists in August 2025 and March 2026, but its licensing rules still name the former Office of Health Quality and an old Carey Avenue address. On the child care side, the DFS rule and its February 2026 checklist charge $25 to apply, while the 2024 CCL-100 form still prints $50, so confirm the amount with your licenser.