Connecticut Daycare Ratios: Staff-to-Child Ratios and Group Sizes by Age
Connecticut sets staff-to-child ratios for licensed child care centers and group child care homes by age: one staff member to four children under age 2, one to five two-year-olds, and one to ten children ages 3 and older, with maximum group sizes of 8, 10 and 20.
The Office of Early Childhood (OEC) administers the rules and requires at least two program staff aged 18 or older on the premises whenever children are present.
Family child care homes have separate capacity limits, covered below.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
The Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), which licenses child care centers, group child care homes and family child care homes.
1:4, with a maximum group size of 8, for children under age 2.
1:5, with a maximum group size of 10, in the rule's two-year-old band.
1 staff per 10 children, with a maximum group size of 20.
1 staff per 10 children, with a maximum group size of 20; ages 3 and older share one band.
1 staff per 10 children, with a maximum group of 20; up to 30 for certain school-age-only activities.
8 for children under 2, 10 for two-year-olds, and 20 for ages 3 and older.
Connecticut ratio rules at a glance
- Child care centerLicense
The license for a Connecticut program serving more than 12 children; the ratios and group sizes in the table are this rulebook's staffing rules.
- Group child care homeLicense
Licensed for 7 to 12 children; the same regulations set its ratios, including the one-staff-per-ten band for children 3 and older.
- Family child care homeLicense
A private home caring for up to 6 children, or up to 9 with an approved assistant; caps on children under 18 months and school-age additions apply.
Connecticut center ratios and group sizes by age
| Age group | Staff-to-child ratio | Maximum group size |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | 1:4 | 8 |
| 2 years | 1:5 | 10 |
| 3 years and older | 1 staff per 10 children | 20 |
The infant and toddler bands apply under OEC's under-three endorsement and hold indoors and outdoors; certain school-age-only activities may run groups of up to 30.
What are the daycare ratios in Connecticut?
The Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) sets staff-to-child ratios for licensed child care centers and group child care homes under the state's child care regulations.
One program staff member cares for up to four children under age 2, up to five two-year-olds, or up to ten children ages 3 and older.
The infant and toddler bands apply to programs serving children under 3, which also need OEC's under-three endorsement, and they hold indoors and outdoors.
The ratios work alongside maximum group sizes, covered next.
“There shall be at least one program staff for every ten children, or fraction thereof in attendance.”
Maximum group sizes by age
Connecticut caps group size by age band: eight children in a group of children under 2, ten in a two-year-old group, and twenty in a group of children ages 3 and older.
Certain school-age-only activities may run groups of up to 30.
Group size and ratio work together, so a preschool room at its maximum group of 20 needs 2 staff members on the floor at 1 program staff per 10 children.
“The group size shall not exceed eight for children that are under the age of two years and shall not exceed ten for children that are two years old”
Mixed-age and nap-time rules in Connecticut
In a mixed-age group, the ratio and group size for the youngest child prevail: a room that includes even one child under age 2 follows the 1:4 infant ratio with a maximum group of 8.
During nap time, when all of the children in a group are sleeping, the overall staff-to-child ratio must still be maintained on the licensed premises, not necessarily in the room.
A group may never be unsupervised.
“When there is a mixed age group, the lower required ratio for the age of the youngest child shall prevail.”
Who can count in ratio
Connecticut requires at least two program staff aged 18 or older on the licensed premises whenever one or more children are present, even where a group's ratio could be met by a single caregiver.
The assistant role, which the rule calls the second program staff, works under the head teacher and must be at least 18; other program staff, such as aides, work under supervision at age 16 or older.
The regulation pages our research reviewed do not state a separate minimum age for the staff member who counts in a group's ratio, so direct specific questions about who counts to OEC.
“There shall be at least two program staff eighteen years of age or older on the licensed premises when one or more children are in attendance.”
Home daycare capacity in Connecticut
A licensed family child care home in Connecticut may care for up to 6 children, or up to 9 with an approved assistant.
No more than 2 children under 18 months may be in care at one time, including the provider's own children, or up to 6 children under 18 months with an approved assistant present.
During the school year, the home may add up to 3 school-age children, more if they are the provider's own.
A pilot that opened for applications on July 15, 2026 can additionally endorse up to 30 providers per fiscal year as large family child care homes caring for up to 12 children, provided they have adequate staffing; the pilot runs through June 30, 2029.
Group child care homes, a separate license class, serve 7 to 12 children.
“The provider shall care for no more than two children under the age of eighteen months at one time, including the provider’s own children”
Staffing example for a typical center
The ratios translate into head counts quickly.
An infant room at its maximum group of 8 children under age 2 needs 2 program staff on the floor (8 divided by 4, at 1:4); a toddler room of 10 two-year-olds needs 2 (1:5); and a preschool room of 20 children ages 3 and older needs 2 (1 program staff per 10 children).
A mixed group that includes one infant follows the 1:4 ratio and the maximum group of 8 for the whole group.
And even where a ratio alone would let one adult cover a small group — 3 infants, say — the two-adult rule still puts a second staff member aged 18 or older on the premises whenever children are present.
These are arithmetic illustrations of the rules, not a staffing plan for your center; confirm any schedule with OEC.
School-age ratios in Connecticut
School-age children fall in Connecticut's ages-3-and-older band: at least one program staff member per 10 children, with a maximum group size of 20.
Certain school-age-only activities may run groups of up to 30.
Recent changes to Connecticut's ratio rules
OEC's regulations for child care centers and group child care homes took their current form in a substantial rewrite effective October 16, 2024, with licensing sitting with the Office of Early Childhood.
Confirm current figures against OEC's regulation text before you build a staffing plan on them.
Swimming and wading ratios in Connecticut
Water activities carry their own, stricter ratios: one staff member in direct contact with each infant 12 months and under, 1:2 for children under 3, 1:4 for preschool children ages 3 to 5, and 1:6 for school-age children.
A lifeguard-certified person must directly supervise.
“For preschool children (three years to five years of age) there shall be at least one program staff with every four children”
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Connecticut licensing rules, agency pages and other sources listed below, as read for this state-by-state staff-to-child ratios series, current as of October 2026. It is not a substitute for the instructions the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) publishes. For the rest of the picture in Connecticut, see daycare teacher requirements in Connecticut and daycare licensing steps in Connecticut.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the infant ratio in Connecticut daycare centers?
One staff member to four children under age 2, with a maximum group size of 8.
The infant and toddler bands sit under OEC's under-three endorsement, which a program serving children under 3 needs, and they hold indoors and outdoors.
The Office of Early Childhood administers the rules.
What ratio applies to a mixed-age group in Connecticut?
The ratio and group size for the youngest child in the group prevail.
A room of preschoolers that includes even one child under age 2 runs at the 1:4 infant ratio with a maximum group of 8, rather than the ratio of 1 staff per 10 children and the group of 20 that apply from age 3.
Can one adult be alone with children in a Connecticut daycare?
Not as the only adult on site.
Connecticut requires at least two program staff aged 18 or older on the licensed premises whenever one or more children are present, even if a group's ratio could be met by a single caregiver.
The requirement is about the licensed premises, not each room: at nap time, once all children in a group are asleep, the overall ratio is still maintained on the premises, though not necessarily in the room, and a group may never be unsupervised.
How many children can a home daycare have in Connecticut?
A licensed family child care home may care for up to 6 children, or up to 9 with an approved assistant.
No more than 2 children under 18 months may be in care at one time, including the provider's own, or up to 6 children under 18 months with an approved assistant present.
During the school year, the home may add up to 3 school-age children.
What are the ratios when daycare children swim in Connecticut?
Connecticut sets separate, stricter ratios for swimming and wading: one staff member in direct contact with each infant 12 months and under, 1:2 for children under 3, 1:4 for preschool children ages 3 to 5, and 1:6 for school-age children.
A lifeguard-certified person must directly supervise.
More Connecticut Resources
Sources
- Connecticut eRegulations — Regulations for child care centers and group child care homes (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Connecticut Office of Early Childhood — Summary of changes to the child care center and group child care home regulations (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Connecticut Office of Early Childhood — Family child care home statutes and regulations (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Connecticut Office of Early Childhood — Licensing family child care homes (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Connecticut Office of Early Childhood — Large family child care homes (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Connecticut General Assembly — Child day care statutes (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 Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC).