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When you’re looking for child care, you should first understand how your state or territory regulates it.
Licensing is the main way the U.S. and its territories regulate child care. Child care licensing is a process where state and territory governments set minimum health and safety requirements that child care programs must meet to legally operate.
Federal law requires states and territories to set and enforce child care licensing requirements to ensure your child’s health and safety in a child care program.
Looking for a licensed program is one step you can take to choose a safe child care program for your child.
Although child care licensing does not guarantee quality, it does set minimum health and safety requirements for child care programs. In addition, licensed child care programs are required to be monitored to ensure they continue to meet those requirements.
Learn what it means for a child care program to be licensed and why it should matter to you. Learn where to find child care licensing requirements in your state or territory. Find out who to contact if you have questions or need to file a complaint.
Learn how criminal background checks are a key part of child care licensing requirements. Discover how federal law requires all states to implement state and federal criminal background checks that include fingerprints checks for staff in licensed child care programs and adults who live in family child care homes.
Learn how staff:child ratio and group-size requirements help ensure your child receives the supervision they need to stay healthy and safe in a child care program.
Learn what types of rules child care programs must follow to protect your child’s health and safety. Discover what child care licensing inspectors look for to help ensure child care programs provide safe and healthy environments for your child.
Learn about the types of qualifications and training child care licensing requires for child care program staff.
Learn more about monitoring for licensed child care programs. Discover how you can review monitoring and inspection reports for licensed child care programs to see if they have had any violations or complaints.
