Can a Child Care Provider be Exempt from Being Licensed?

Question: Can a Child Care Provider be Exempt from Being Licensed?

Child care licensing helps to regulate the quality of care through health and safety inspections, standards for staffing and child to provider ratios, training requirements, and even background checks. But, child care licensing isn't needed for all types of kid care. Here are examples when a provider is exempt from child care licensing.

Answer: Most child care providers are required to be licensed/regulated from the state. In addition, in many cases volunteer national accreditation is often sought to help ensure an even higher designation of quality care. But, child care licensing is not always needed. Caregivers are exempt from child care licensing requirements when parents go out on their own and hire an individual to come into their home to care for children; when a family child care provider such as grandma or grandpa or another relative provides care; in "drop in" arrangements such as at certain businesses, health clubs, churches or certain recreational center programs; child care programs (i.e. before or after school care) run by school districts; and typically care providers caring for only kids from a single family.

As with any child care situation, check with your state to learn specific laws and regulation/licensing requirements and also determine your comfort level before selecting a non-licensed child care provider. You should also ask about specific operating standards, discipline approaches and program specifications, and complaint policies and procedures.