What Are the Home Daycare License Requirements in Ohio?
Ohio's family child care rules define a Type B home as one caring for 1 to 7 children and a Type A home as one caring for 8 to 14, and the Ohio Department of Children and Youth licenses both (OAC Chapter 5180:2-13).
To get a license, you must be at least 18, complete the family child care prelicensing training, clear background checks that cover the adults living in the home, and pay a $25 nonrefundable fee.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
The Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY), under OAC Chapter 5180:2-13 for family child care homes.
Not established in our research — ask DCY. Ohio's rules define a Type B home (1 to 7 children) and a Type A home (8 to 14 children), and DCY licenses both.
Two: the Type B home (1 to 7 children) and the Type A home (8 to 14 children).
14 children at one time in a Type A home; up to 7 in a Type B home.
18 years old, with a completed high school education for Type B homes licensed after April 1, 2003.
6 clock hours of professional development each fiscal year; first aid, CPR, communicable disease and child abuse and neglect prevention training are separate prelicensure requirements.
$25, nonrefundable, submitted to DCY with the online application.
Home child care license types in Ohio
- Type B homeLicense
The provider's permanent residence caring for 1 to 7 children at one time; licensed by DCY under OAC Chapter 5180:2-13.
- Type A homeLicense
The provider's permanent residence caring for 8 to 14 children at one time; licensed by DCY, and the application adds building and fire inspections plus written zoning approval.
Do you need a license to run a home daycare in Ohio?
Under the family child care rules effective July 1, 2026, a Type B home is a provider's permanent residence caring for 1 to 7 children at one time, and a Type A home cares for 8 to 14 children; the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) licenses both (OAC 5180:2-13-01).
Our research did not establish whether every home that cares for children must hold one of these licenses, or whether an exemption or separate registration tier applies to smaller homes.
Ask DCY whether your situation needs a license before you open.
What are Ohio's home daycare license types and capacity limits?
Ohio licenses two kinds of family child care home.
As of the July 1, 2026 rules, a Type B home is the provider's permanent residence caring for 1 to 7 children at one time, and a Type A home cares for 8 to 14 children at one time (OAC 5180:2-13-01).
Capacity is a staffing rule as well as a headcount: each child care staff member may care for no more than 7 children, and no more than 3 of them may be under age 2, so a Type A home at its 14-child maximum operates with at least two staff members (OAC 5180:2-13-18).
Group size counts every child under 6, including the provider's own children and other residents of the home.
““Type A home” means the permanent residence of the provider in which child care is provided for eight to fourteen children at one time.”
What qualifications and training does an Ohio home daycare provider need?
A provider must be at least 18 years old, have completed a high school education (the rules apply that education requirement to Type B homes certified or licensed after April 1, 2003), and live in the home.
A provider named on a license on or after July 1, 2026 must also complete DCY's rules review course within 1 year of being named.
Before licensure, the rules require current first aid and CPR certification, communicable disease training, and child abuse and neglect prevention training.
Once licensed, a provider must complete 6 clock hours of professional development each fiscal year.
“Be at least eighteen years old, and for those type B certified or licensed after April 1, 2003, have completed a high school education.”
What background checks do you and your household need for an Ohio home daycare?
Ohio's family child care background checks cover the provider, every adult living in the home who is 18 or older, and all staff of the home.
Residents under 18 are not checked, but the rules require a check within 10 business days after a resident turns 18.
Our research did not confirm which records the family child care check searches; ask DCY what applies to your household before you apply.
“Within ten business days after a resident of the home turns eighteen years old.”
What are the inspection requirements for an Ohio home daycare?
The application rules name building and fire inspections and written zoning approval for Type A homes, the homes that care for 8 to 14 children; confirm with DCY how those items are scheduled for your address.
Our research did not capture DCY's inspection steps for Type B homes, or how DCY schedules licensing visits to a home.
Ask DCY what to expect at your address before you apply.
How do you apply for an Ohio home daycare license, and what does it cost?
The steps run through Ohio's statewide licensing system: the applicant completes an Ohio Professional Registry (OPR) profile and the family child care prelicensing training, then completes the application online and submits a $25 nonrefundable fee to DCY.
A Type A home adds the building and fire inspections and the written zoning approval to that file.
Our research did not capture how long the family child care licensing process takes; confirm the current timeline with DCY before you set an opening date.
“Complete an application online in the Ohio statewide licensing system and submit the fee of twenty-five dollars to the Ohio department of children and youth (DCY).”
Can an Ohio home daycare hire an assistant?
Yes.
The family child care ratio is written per child care staff member, not per provider: each staff member may care for no more than 7 children, and no more than 3 of them may be under age 2 (OAC 5180:2-13-18).
That limit is what lets a Type A home reach its 14-child capacity — at that number, at least two staff members are needed.
Staff are among the people the family child care background checks cover, and the provider must remain on site at least 75% of the home's weekly operating hours.
Our research did not confirm separate training requirements for assistants in Ohio family child care homes; ask DCY what an assistant must complete before starting work.
“Each child care staff member shall care for no more than seven children at any one time. No more than three of those children may be under two years of age.”
What changed in Ohio's home daycare rules on July 1, 2026?
The July 1, 2026 rules changed the home-size definitions: a Type B home moved from the old definition of up to 6 children to 1 to 7 children, and a Type A home from 7 to 12 children to 8 to 14.
Older web pages and JFS-numbered forms still carry the old chapter numbering (Ohio's child care rules were renumbered from 5101 to 5180) and the department's former name, ODJFS, so a page or form that still shows the old home sizes predates the rewrite.
The July 1, 2026 rules also set a rules review course deadline: providers named on a license on or after July 1, 2026 must complete DCY's rules review course within 1 year of being named.
““Type B home” means the permanent residence of the provider in which child care is provided for one to seven children at one time.”
Do Ohio home daycare providers need liability insurance?
The family child care rules require an Ohio provider to hold liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 in the aggregate, or to give every parent a signed DCY 01933 form stating that the home carries no such insurance.
That is what the licensing rule asks for.
Comparing policies, setting your rates and marketing the home are business decisions outside the licensing chapter.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Ohio licensing rules, agency pages and other sources listed below, as read for this state-by-state home daycare license requirements series, current as of October 2026. It is not a substitute for the instructions the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) publishes. For the rest of the picture in Ohio, see daycare licensing steps in Ohio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Type A and a Type B home daycare in Ohio?
Capacity.
A Type B home is the provider's permanent residence caring for 1 to 7 children at one time, and a Type A home cares for 8 to 14 children at one time.
Both are licensed by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth under OAC Chapter 5180:2-13.
A Type A application also adds building and fire inspections and written zoning approval, and each child care staff member may care for no more than 7 children, with no more than 3 of them under age 2.
How many kids can you watch in your home in Ohio without a license?
Our research did not establish that number.
Ohio's family child care rules define a Type B home as 1 to 7 children and a Type A home as 8 to 14, and the Ohio Department of Children and Youth licenses both, but our research did not examine whether any home may care for children without a license.
Ask DCY about your specific situation before you open.
How much does a home daycare license cost in Ohio?
The application fee is $25, nonrefundable, submitted to the Ohio Department of Children and Youth with the online application.
You also complete the family child care prelicensing training before applying, and a Type A home adds building and fire inspections and written zoning approval.
Our research did not capture any other recurring licensing fees, so confirm current costs with DCY before you budget.
Do adults living in the home need a background check for an Ohio home daycare?
Yes.
Ohio's family child care background checks cover the provider, adults living in the home who are 18 or older, and all staff.
Residents under 18 are not checked, but the rules require a check within 10 business days after a resident turns 18.
Our research did not confirm which records the family child care check searches; ask DCY what applies to your household.
What training do you need to open a home daycare in Ohio?
Before licensure, the rules require current first aid and CPR certification, communicable disease training, and child abuse and neglect prevention training, plus the family child care prelicensing training you complete before applying.
Providers named on a license on or after July 1, 2026 must also finish DCY's rules review course within 1 year of being named.
Once licensed, a provider must complete 6 clock hours of professional development each fiscal year.
More Ohio Resources
Sources
Sourced from the documents listed above. Verified October 2026. This is career and employer information, not licensing or legal advice. Confirm current rules with the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY).