How to Start a Daycare in Oregon: Licensing Steps, Costs and Staffing
To start a daycare in Oregon, you license your program with the Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD) of the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC).
Oregon licenses three categories: registered family child care homes (up to 10 children), certified family child care homes (up to 16) and certified child care centers.
A new center applies at least 45 days before opening and pays $100 plus $2 per certified space, and its director must be at least 21, qualifying through Oregon Registry Step 9 or one of the rule's alternative routes.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
The Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD) of the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC); centers follow OAR 414-305 plus the general rules in OAR 414-075.
Registered Family Child Care homes (Division 210, up to 10 children), Certified Family Child Care homes (Division 360, up to 16) and Certified Child Care Centers (Division 305).
Not established in our research — ask the licensing agency.
A new center pays $100 plus $2 per certified space ($160 for 30 children); a certified family home pays $25 plus $2 per space and a registered family home $30.
At least 21, meeting one of: Oregon Registry Step 9; for a single center of 20 or fewer children, 1 year as a certified family provider; or a combination of management or supervision knowledge plus child development knowledge.
Not established in our research — ask the licensing agency.
Steps to a license in Oregon
- Pick your license categoryStep
Registered Family Child Care (OAR 414-210, up to 10 children), Certified Family Child Care (OAR 414-360, up to 16) or a Certified Child Care Center (OAR 414-305); caring for 3 or fewer children is the rule's exemption, not a license.
- Apply — centers at least 45 days before openingStep
A new center pays $100 plus $2 per certified space; a certified family home pays $25 plus $2 per certified space and a registered family home $30.
- Enroll everyone in the Central Background RegistryStep
The operator, all staff and anyone 18 or over with possible unsupervised access enroll in CCLD's Central Background Registry; conditionally enrolled staff work without unsupervised access until enrollment is confirmed.
- Set up Oregon Registry Online accounts and trainingStep
All center staff need an active ORO account, orientation within the first 10 days of hire, CCLD's Introduction to Child Care Health and Safety and 2 hours of Oregon-specific child abuse reporting training within 30 days.
- Plan the annual renewalStep
Center certificates renew every year, and a renewal filed less than 30 days before expiration lets the certificate lapse and the center must stop operating.
Which agency licenses daycares in Oregon?
Oregon child care is licensed by the Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD) of the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC).
Certified child care centers follow OAR 414-305, effective January 1, 2024, with updates effective September 1, 2026, plus the general rules in OAR 414-075.
The same chapter carries the family child care rules: registered family homes under Division 210 and certified family homes under Division 360.
When a requirement on this page and the agency's current rulebook disagree, the rulebook governs.
“Rules for Certified Child Care Centers, Division 305”
Oregon daycare license types: registered family, certified family and center
Oregon's rulebooks name three categories for a new operator.
A Registered Family Child Care home (OAR 414-210, effective July 1, 2025) may care for up to 10 children, including the provider's own children 9 and under; no more than 6 of those may be preschool-age or younger, and only 2 under 24 months.
A Certified Family Child Care home (OAR 414-360) is certified for up to 16 children; the provider must be at least 18 — 21 if certified for more than 12.
Centers are certified under OAR 414-305.
Oregon does not require a license to care for 3 or fewer children, in addition to any children who reside with the provider, or for children from only one family; that threshold is the rule's exemption, not a license tier.
The rulebooks our research read name no separate group home license — the larger in-home tier is the certified family home.
The exemption is not the whole story for subsidized care: a provider paid with CCDF subsidy must still meet federal health, safety and background-check requirements under 45 CFR 98.41, with relatives specified in the rule the main exception to the health and safety requirements.
What are the application and inspection steps in Oregon?
A center files its application at least 45 days before opening.
Center certificates renew every year, and a renewal filed less than 30 days before expiration lets the certificate lapse and the center must stop operating.
Background clearance is its own track: the operator, all staff and anyone 18 or over with possible unsupervised access must be enrolled in CCLD's Central Background Registry, and conditionally enrolled staff may work but not have unsupervised access until enrollment is confirmed.
The family child care rules our research read set no matching filing deadline, so confirm timing with CCLD for your license type.
Our research also did not confirm the pre-licensing inspection steps CCLD requires for each license type, so ask the division what a site of your type should expect.
“Staff conditionally enrolled in the CBR may function in their staff position but shall not have unsupervised access to children”
What are the director and staff requirements for an Oregon daycare?
A certified center must have the director or a teacher-qualified substitute director on the premises during all hours of operation.
The director must be at least 21 and meet one of: Oregon Registry Step 9; for a single center of 20 or fewer, 1 year as a certified family provider; or a management-plus-child-development knowledge combination.
Teachers must be at least 18 and qualify through experience (750 hours in a center, 1,500 in family child care), Oregon Registry Step 6 or 9 quarter credits in two core knowledge categories, an ECE or related associate degree, or a CDA or similar credential.
New staff get orientation within 10 days of hire and before unsupervised access, then CCLD's Introduction to Child Care Health and Safety and 2 hours of Oregon-specific child abuse reporting training within 30 days.
Except cooks, staff and substitutes hold first aid and pediatric CPR within 90 days of hire; directors, teachers and Aide IIs need at least 15 training clock hours a year, including at least 8 in child development.
All staff keep an active Oregon Registry Online account, and the operator, all staff and anyone 18+ with possible unsupervised access enroll in the Central Background Registry.
“A certified child care center must have the director or a substitute director on the premises during all hours of operation.”
What ratios will you staff to in Oregon?
Center staffing starts from Table 3A of OAR 414-305-0400: 1:4 with a maximum group of 8 for children 6 weeks to 24 months, 1:5 (group of 10) for 24 to 36 months, 1:10 (group of 20) from 36 months to school age, and 1:15 (group of 30) for school age.
Table 3A applies to centers certified after July 15, 2001, so a newly certified center falls under it; centers certified on or before July 15, 2001 may use Table 3B instead.
Every group must also have at least one teacher-qualified caregiver with it, which is why teacher qualifications and ratio planning move together when you hire.
What fees, timeline and startup costs should you plan for in Oregon?
Oregon sets its certification fees in rule.
A new certified center pays $100 plus $2 per certified space — $160 for a 30-child center — and renewals are $2 per space, with the application filed at least 45 days before opening.
Center certificates renew every year, and a renewal filed less than 30 days before expiration lets the certificate lapse and the center must stop operating.
Family homes pay less: the certified family application is $25 plus $2 per certified space, and the registered family application is $30.
Our research captured no Oregon startup-cost figures for facilities, equipment or insurance beyond these rule-set fees, so ask CCLD and your local agencies what your site type should budget.
“For the initial application, a change of owner, the reopening of a center after a lapse in certification, or a change of location, the fee is $100 plus $2 for each certified space.”
What grants and resources can Oregon daycare operators use?
Start with the professional-development system, because Oregon writes it into licensing: Oregon Registry Online (ORO) is the statewide database of early educators' training and education, and Oregon Registry Steps count directly in licensing qualifications (Step 6 for teachers and family providers, Step 9 for directors).
The state's quality rating and improvement system, Spark, awards 3-, 4- or 5-star ratings plus an incentive payment and is supported by CCR&R Quality Improvement Specialists and the Spark Team at Western Oregon University; DELC has been redesigning Spark since spring 2023 and said it anticipated incorporating changes beginning in 2025, so confirm the current system with DELC before you plan around a rating.
On funding, Oregon is not on the T.E.A.C.H.
Early Childhood National Center's list of state programs, and our research did not confirm Oregon ECE scholarships, wage or retention programs, or a registered ECE apprenticeship.
One concrete federal program is the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which reimburses centers and day care homes for served meals; for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, a free lunch or supper reimburses $4.76 at centers and $3.31 at Tier I day care homes in the contiguous states.
What changed in Oregon's daycare rules recently?
Check publication dates when you read older Oregon pages.
The family child care rule divisions were renumbered in 2025: registered family is now Division 210 and certified family is Division 360, both with current editions effective July 1, 2025 — older pages cite different division numbers.
The center rulebook carries updates effective September 1, 2026 on top of the rules effective January 1, 2024.
And the Spark rating system has been in redesign since spring 2023, with DELC anticipating changes beginning in 2025, so star levels quoted on an older page may not match the current DELC system.
What do family child care providers need to qualify in Oregon?
The home licenses carry their own provider minimums.
A registered family provider must be at least 18, enrolled in the Central Background Registry, and hold a current Oregon food handler certification plus first aid and hands-on CPR; registered providers complete at least 10 clock hours of training over the 2-year license period.
A certified family provider qualifies through 1,500 hours of group-care experience, 20 semester (30 quarter) credits in early childhood education or Oregon Registry Step 6, and certified family providers and their Assistant IIs need 15 clock hours of training a year, including 8 in child development.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Oregon licensing rules, agency pages and other sources listed below, as read for this state-by-state daycare licensing steps series, current as of October 2026. It is not a substitute for the instructions the Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD), Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) publishes. For the rest of the picture in Oregon, see daycare director requirements in Oregon and home daycare license requirements in Oregon.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to get a daycare license in Oregon?
The application fee depends on the license type.
A new certified center pays $100 plus $2 per certified space — $160 for 30 children — and renewals are $2 per space.
A certified family child care home pays $25 plus $2 per certified space, and a registered family home pays $30.
Center certificates renew annually.
Our research captured no startup-cost figures beyond these rule-set fees, so ask CCLD what your site should budget.
How long does it take to get licensed in Oregon?
Oregon's rules set filing deadlines rather than processing times: a new center applies at least 45 days before opening, and center certificates renew every year, with a renewal filed less than 30 days before expiration letting the certificate lapse.
Our research did not confirm how long CCLD takes to process an application, so ask the division what to expect for your license type.
How many kids can you watch without a license in Oregon?
Oregon does not require a license to care for 3 or fewer children, in addition to any children who reside with the provider, or to care for children from only one family.
Beyond those exemptions, the license categories the rulebooks name are a registered family home (up to 10 children), a certified family home (up to 16) or a certified center.
A provider paid with CCDF subsidy must still meet federal health, safety and background-check requirements even when license-exempt, with relatives specified in the rule the main exception to the health and safety requirements.
What qualifications does a daycare director need in Oregon?
A center director must be at least 21 and meet one of three routes: Oregon Registry Step 9; 1 year as a certified family provider for a single center of 20 or fewer children; or a combination of management or supervision knowledge (for example, 7 credits in business or 70 hours of program management training) plus child development knowledge.
Directors also log 10 hours of Program Management training in Oregon Registry Online, or complete them within the first year of hire.
How many children can a home daycare have in Oregon?
A registered family child care home may care for up to 10 children, including the provider's own children 9 and under; no more than 6 of those may be preschool-age or younger and only 2 may be under 24 months.
A certified family child care home is certified for up to 16 children, and the provider must be at least 18, or 21 if the home is certified for more than 12.
More Oregon Resources
Sources
- Oregon DELC CCLD — Rules for Certified Child Care Centers (OAR 414-305) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Oregon DELC CCLD — Rules for Certified Family Child Care Homes (OAR 414-360) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Oregon DELC CCLD — Rules for Registered Family Child Care Homes (OAR 414-210) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Oregon DELC — Program Quality Support (Spark QRIS) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood National Center — programs by state (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Child and Adult Care Food Program reimbursement rates, July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 (Federal Register) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- 45 CFR 98.41 — CCDF health, safety and background-check requirements (eCFR) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
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 Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD), Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC).