Indiana Daycare Ratios: Staff-to-Child Ratios and Group Sizes by Age
Indiana's center daycare ratios changed on December 1, 2025, when the state reset its ratio chart: infants are now 1:5 with a maximum group of 12, and the chart runs to 1:20 with a maximum group of 40 for ages 6 and older.
The Indiana FSSA Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL) administers the rule, keeps it no stricter than the average of Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio, and re-posts the chart by December 1 each year.
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At a glance
The Indiana FSSA Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL), which licenses centers under 470 IAC 3-4.7.
1:5 with a maximum group of 12 for children 6 weeks to 12 months, effective December 1, 2025.
1:5 at 12 to 17 months, 1:6 at 18 to 23 months, 1:8 at 24 to 29 months and 1:9 at 30 to 35 months.
1:11 with a maximum group of 25.
1:13 with a maximum group of 29.
1:20 with a maximum group of 40 for children 6 years and older.
Set alongside each ratio in the same statute; a center may triple the maximum group size in a space with at least 75 square feet per child.
Indiana ratio rules at a glance
- Center ratio chartRequirement
Indiana's staff-to-child ratios and maximum group sizes for licensed centers, set in statute and effective December 1, 2025.
- SEA 463 (P.L.140-2025)Requirement
The 2025 law directing FSSA to keep center ratios and group sizes no stricter than the average of Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio, re-evaluate them yearly, and post them by December 1 each year.
- 75 square feet per childRequirement
A center space with at least 75 square feet per child may triple the maximum group size that would otherwise apply, and a cafeteria's group size equals its number of seats.
- Class I child care homeLicense
Licensed to serve up to 12 children at once, plus 3 school-age children (full-day kindergarten or older) during the school year; homes do not use the center ratio chart.
- Class II child care homeLicense
Licensed to serve more than 12 but no more than 16 children at once.
Indiana center ratios and group sizes by age
| Age group | Staff-to-child ratio | Maximum group size |
|---|---|---|
| Infants, 6 weeks to 12 months | 1:5 | 12 |
| Toddlers, 12 to 17 months | 1:5 | 12 |
| Toddlers, 18 to 23 months | 1:6 | 14 |
| Toddlers, 24 to 29 months | 1:8 | 16 |
| Toddlers, 30 to 35 months | 1:9 | 17 |
| 3 years | 1:11 | 25 |
| 4 years | 1:13 | 29 |
| 5 years | 1:17 | 31 |
| 6 years and older | 1:20 | 40 |
Age bands are as FSSA's center chart states them; these ratios and group sizes took effect December 1, 2025.
What are the daycare ratios in Indiana?
Indiana's current center ratio chart took effect December 1, 2025, under SEA 463 (P.L.140-2025).
Infants, 6 weeks to 12 months, are 1:5 with a maximum group of 12, and the chart runs to 1:20 with a maximum group of 40 at 6 years and older, passing through 1:9 at 30 to 35 months, 1:11 at age 3 and 1:17 at age 5.
The law directs FSSA to keep Indiana's ratios and group sizes no stricter than the average of Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio, to re-evaluate them every year, and to post the current chart by December 1 each year, so the numbers can move again at a future December 1.
Maximum group sizes by age
Each ratio band carries its own maximum group size: 12 for children 6 weeks to 17 months, 14 at 18 to 23 months, 16 at 24 to 29 months and 17 at 30 to 35 months.
Groups max out at 25 at age 3, 29 at age 4 and 31 at age 5, and 40 for children 6 years and older.
Indiana law also lets a center triple the maximum group size in a space with at least 75 square feet per child, and a cafeteria's group size equals its number of seats.
Mixed-age and nap-time rules in Indiana
Indiana's 2025 changes let licensed centers group children ages 6 weeks to 36 months in a single classroom under specific conditions that FSSA lists on its legislative-changes page, so a center weighing a combined infant and toddler room should confirm those conditions with OECOSL.
Licensed homes follow their own mixed-age rule instead: a home caring for children under 24 months runs a 4:1 mixed infant and toddler ratio, or 6:1 only if 2 of the 6 children are at least 16 months old and walking, and 12:1 applies only when every child present is over 3.
Our research did not confirm a separate Indiana nap-time ratio for centers, so ask OECOSL how the chart applies during nap.
Who can count in ratio
Every Indiana center caregiver counted in child/staff ratios must be at least 18 years old and hold a high school diploma or equivalency, plus the reading and writing skills to handle emergencies, medication and child records.
A 2025 change adds one younger route: a student at least 15 years old exploring an early childhood career may count in a center's ratio as a volunteer while supervised at all times by an authorized adult.
The qualification standard applies to every caregiver counted in the ratio, so an assistant or floater added to a room adds staffing capacity only once they meet the same standard.
Home daycare capacity in Indiana
Indiana requires a child care home license when at least 6 children, not counting the provider's own, receive care for pay more than 4 hours a day for 10 consecutive days a year.
A Class I home serves up to 12 children at once, plus 3 school-age children (full-day kindergarten or older) during the school year, and a Class II home serves more than 12 but no more than 16.
Homes do not use the center ratio chart: a home caring for children under 24 months runs a 4:1 mixed infant and toddler ratio, rising to 6:1 only if 2 of the 6 children are at least 16 months and walking, and 12:1 applies only when all children present are over 3.
Staffing example for a typical center
Take an infant room at its maximum group of 12.
At the 1:5 infant ratio, two qualified caregivers cover ten infants, so a full room needs a third on the floor.
The same arithmetic runs at age 3: with a 1:11 ratio and a maximum group of 25, two caregivers cover twenty-two children, and a full room needs a third.
Every caregiver in the count must be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or equivalency, and a student at least 15 years old exploring an early childhood career can fill a spot only as a volunteer supervised at all times by an authorized adult.
This is an illustration of how the chart converts to headcount, not a staffing plan; OECOSL applies the chart to a center's own rooms and enrollment.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Indiana 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 Indiana FSSA Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL) publishes. For the rest of the picture in Indiana, see daycare teacher requirements in Indiana and daycare licensing steps in Indiana.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old do you have to be to count in daycare ratio in Indiana?
At least 18, with a high school diploma or equivalency.
Every Indiana center caregiver counted in child/staff ratios must meet that standard, plus reading and writing skills for emergencies, medication and child records.
One exception: a student at least 15 years old exploring an early childhood career may count in ratio as a volunteer while supervised at all times by an authorized adult.
Do Indiana's staff-to-child ratios apply to home daycares?
No. FSSA's 2025 center ratio chart does not apply to homes; licensed homes follow the Class I and Class II home rules instead.
A Class I home serves up to 12 children at once, plus 3 school-age children (full-day kindergarten or older) during the school year, and a Class II home serves more than 12 but no more than 16.
Homes caring for children under 24 months use a 4:1 mixed infant and toddler ratio.
Why did Indiana daycare ratios change in 2025?
SEA 463 (P.L.140-2025) changed how Indiana sets center ratios: FSSA must keep ratios and maximum group sizes no stricter than the average of Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio, re-evaluate them every year, and post the current chart by December 1.
The 2025 chart took effect December 1, 2025.
Because the law requires FSSA to re-evaluate the numbers every year, check FSSA's current chart before staffing a room.
Can infant and toddler classrooms be combined in an Indiana center?
In some cases.
Indiana's 2025 changes let licensed centers group children ages 6 weeks to 36 months in a single classroom under specific conditions.
FSSA's legislative-changes page lists the conditions, so confirm the details with OECOSL before planning a combined room.
Licensed homes use their own mixed-age rule instead.
More Indiana Resources
Sources
- FSSA Child-Staff Ratio Chart for Centers (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Indiana Code via Justia (child-staff ratio statute) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- FSSA Interpretive Guide for Child Care Centers (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- FSSA Early Child Care and Education Legislative Changes (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- FSSA Interpretive Guide for Child Care Homes (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- FSSA: Become a Child Care Provider (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 Indiana FSSA Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL).