North Dakota Daycare Ratios: Staff-to-Child Ratios and Group Sizes by Age
North Dakota sets center staff-to-child ratios by age: 1:4 for children under 18 months, 1:5 at 18-36 months, 1:7 for 3-year-olds, 1:10 for 4-year-olds, 1:12 for 5-year-olds and 1:20 for school-age children aged 6-12, each with a maximum group size.
North Dakota Health and Human Services, Early Childhood Services, administers the center rules in N.D. Administrative Code chapter 75-03-10.
Family child care homes are capped separately, at no more than 7 children at a time plus 2 school-age children.
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At a glance
North Dakota Health and Human Services, Early Childhood Services, under N.D. Century Code chapter 50-11.1 and N.D. Administrative Code 75-03-10 for centers.
Children under 18 months: 1 staff member to 4 children (1:4), maximum group size 10.
18-36 months: 1:5, maximum group size 15.
3 years: 1:7, maximum group size 20.
4 years: 1:10, maximum group size 25.
6-12 years: 1:20, maximum group size 40.
Maximum group sizes run from 10 children (under 18 months) to 40 (school-age); mixed-age rooms use decimal ratio math with a .35 rounding rule.
North Dakota center ratios and group sizes by age
| Age group | Staff-to-child ratio | Maximum group size |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 months | 1:4 | 10 |
| 18-36 months | 1:5 | 15 |
| 3 years | 1:7 | 20 |
| 4 years | 1:10 | 25 |
| 5 years | 1:12 | 30 |
| 6-12 years | 1:20 | 40 |
The bands are the rule's own age groups in N.D. Administrative Code 75-03-10-08, amended April 1, 2024; each ratio also carries a decimal form the state's mixed-age math uses.
What are the daycare ratios in North Dakota?
North Dakota sets center ratios by age in N.D. Administrative Code 75-03-10-08, the center licensing chapter, amended April 1, 2024.
One staff member may care for 4 children under 18 months, 5 children aged 18-36 months, 7 three-year-olds, 10 four-year-olds, 12 five-year-olds or 20 school-age children aged 6-12.
Each band also has a decimal form — children under 18 months are .25 — and that decimal form drives the mixed-age math below.
The table above lists every band with its maximum group size.
“For children less than eighteen months of age, one staff member may care for four children, a ratio of .25 in decimal form, with a maximum group size of ten children;”
Maximum group sizes by age
Every ratio in the table comes with a maximum group size: 10 children under 18 months, 15 toddlers, 20 three-year-olds, 25 four-year-olds, 30 five-year-olds and 40 school-age children.
The group-size maximum caps the number of children in the group; the ratio sets the staff count those children require.
Operators licensed for at least two years can also apply for a waiver of the required ratio and maximum group size, not to exceed .25 decimal point per group, and a denial under the rule is not appealable.
“An operator licensed for at least two years may apply for a waiver of the required ratio and maximum group size, not to exceed .25 decimal point per group.”
Mixed-age and nap-time rules in North Dakota
North Dakota has no single ratio for a mixed-age room.
The rule instead multiplies the children in each age category by that band's decimal ratio — .25 for children under 18 months — adds the results and rounds up to the next highest whole staff member whenever the fractional count amounts to .35 or more.
Our research found no separate nap-time ratio in the North Dakota center rules we reviewed, so confirm how the ratios apply during rest time with ND HHS Early Childhood Services.
“any fractional staff member count is then rounded to the next highest whole number whenever the fractional staff member count amounts to thirty-five hundredths or more.”
Who can count in ratio in a North Dakota daycare?
The ratio lines speak of staff members — the rule's own term — and the same center chapter sets who may serve as one.
Center staff may be as young as 14, with written parental consent if under 16 and in compliance with child labor law.
Staff must complete a department-approved basic child care course within 90 days, and infant/pediatric CPR with AED plus pediatric first aid certification within 90 days and before unsupervised access to children.
The center supervisor, a lead-teacher-level role, needs an associate degree in early childhood, a CDA or approved diploma, Montessori certification, or a high school diploma plus 1 year of child care experience.
How many children can a home daycare have in North Dakota?
Home capacity follows its own rules, not the center table.
A North Dakota family child care home is a private residence licensed for no more than 7 children at a time, plus 2 additional school-age children.
A family child care license is required at 4 or more children aged 24 months and under, or at 6-7 children through age 11, with no more than 3 of them under 24 months.
The next tier, group child care for programs of 8 to 30 children, is staffed per provider: a provider may care for up to 7 children (no more than 3 under 24 months) plus 2 school-age children, or elect the decimal ratios, with no more than 4 children under 18 months per staff member in mixed-age groups.
“A provider may provide early childhood services for no more than seven children at any one time, which includes no more than three children under twenty-four months of age.”
Staffing example for a typical North Dakota center
The decimal math converts straight into headcount.
An infant room at its maximum group size of 10 carries 10 × .25 = 2.5, and the rounding rule calls for three staff members.
A toddler room of 15 — the band's maximum — at 1:5 (.20 in decimal form) sums to exactly three, so three staff members again.
Mixed ages add band by band: 4 infants (4 × .25 = 1) with 8 toddlers (8 × .20 = 1.6) totals 2.6, and the .6 fraction rounds up to a third staff member.
The same room with 6 toddlers sums to 2.2, which stays at two staff, while 7 toddlers reach 2.4 and the .35 rule adds the third.
These are illustrations of the rule's arithmetic, not a staffing plan for any particular center; confirm any specific schedule with ND HHS Early Childhood Services.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the North Dakota 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 North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Early Childhood Services (ND HHS) publishes. For the rest of the picture in North Dakota, see daycare teacher requirements in North Dakota and daycare licensing steps in North Dakota.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the infant ratio in a North Dakota daycare?
North Dakota centers staff infant rooms at 1:4 for children under 18 months, with a maximum group size of 10.
The rule prints the ratio as .25 in decimal form, the figure the state's mixed-age math uses.
One staff member may care for four children under 18 months.
How many kids can an in-home daycare have in North Dakota?
A licensed North Dakota family child care home is a private residence capped at 7 children at a time, plus 2 additional school-age children.
A family child care license is required at 4 or more children aged 24 months and under, or at 6-7 children through age 11, with no more than 3 of them under 24 months.
Group child care, the next tier, is staffed per provider.
Can a North Dakota center get a waiver from the ratio rules?
Yes, in a narrow form.
An operator licensed for at least two years may apply for a waiver of the required ratio and maximum group size of up to .25 decimal point per group, under N.D. Administrative Code 75-03-10-08(5).
Denials under that section are not appealable.
Confirm the current waiver process with ND HHS Early Childhood Services.
What is the ratio for mixed-age groups in North Dakota?
There is no single mixed-age ratio.
The center rule multiplies the children in each age category by that band's decimal ratio, adds the results and rounds up to the next whole staff member whenever the fractional count is .35 or more.
Four infants plus 6 toddlers, for example, sums to 2.2, which stays at 2 staff.
What is the school-age ratio in North Dakota childcare centers?
Children aged 6-12 run at 1:20 in North Dakota centers, with a maximum group size of 40, the largest band in the state's table.
In a mixed-age room, each child adds their own age band's decimal ratio to the staff total, so 20 school-age children contribute exactly one staff member to the sum.
More North Dakota Resources
Sources
- North Dakota Century Code — early childhood services (ndlegis.gov) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- North Dakota Administrative Code — child care centers (ndlegis.gov) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- North Dakota Administrative Code — group child care (ndlegis.gov) (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 North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Early Childhood Services (ND HHS).