Oregon Daycare Ratios: Staff-to-Child Ratios and Group Sizes by Age
Oregon's Table 3A (OAR 414-305), the chart for centers certified after July 15, 2001, sets daycare ratios: one caregiver to four infants (6 weeks to 24 months), one to five toddlers (24 to 36 months), one to ten preschoolers (36 months to school age), and one to fifteen school-age children.
Group sizes run from 8 to 30; centers certified on or before July 15, 2001 may use Table 3B instead.
The Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD) of the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care administers the rule.
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); certified centers follow OAR 414-305.
1:4 with a maximum group of 8 for children 6 weeks to 24 months (Table 3A).
1:5 with a maximum group of 10 at 24 to 36 months.
1:10 with a maximum group of 20, in the 36 months to school age band.
1:10 with a maximum group of 20, in the 36 months to school age band.
1:15 with a maximum group of 30.
Set beside each ratio in Table 3A, from 8 to 30 by band; a center may exceed them on field trips, outdoor play, planned large group activities, napping and eating.
Oregon ratio rules at a glance
- Table 3ARequirement
The certified-center ratio and group-size chart that applies to centers certified after July 15, 2001.
- Table 3BRequirement
The alternative chart a center certified on or before July 15, 2001 may use: 1:4 with a group of 8 from 6 weeks to 30 months, then 1:10 and 1:15.
- Registered Family Child Care homeRegistration
A home registered under OAR 414-210 to care for up to 10 children, including the provider's own children 9 and under.
- Certified Family Child Care homeRegistration
A home certified under OAR 414-360 for up to 16 children; the provider must be at least 18, or 21 if certified for more than 12.
Oregon center ratios and group sizes by age
| Age group | Staff-to-child ratio | Maximum group size |
|---|---|---|
| 6 weeks to 24 months | 1:4 | 8 |
| 24 months to 36 months | 1:5 | 10 |
| 36 months to school age | 1:10 | 20 |
| School age | 1:15 | 30 |
Table 3A applies to centers certified after July 15, 2001; centers certified on or before July 15, 2001 may use Table 3B, which sets 1:4 with a maximum group of 8 from 6 weeks to 30 months.
What are the daycare ratios in Oregon?
Oregon's Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD) sets certified center ratios and group sizes in OAR 414-305-0400, Table 3A, which applies to centers certified after July 15, 2001.
The table starts at one caregiver to four children ages 6 weeks to 24 months and runs to one caregiver for every 15 school-age children, with a 1:5 toddler band and a 1:10 preschool band in between.
Centers certified on or before July 15, 2001 may use Table 3B instead, which holds 1:4 with a maximum group of 8 up to 30 months before stepping to 1:10 and 1:15.
The certified center rulebook took effect January 1, 2024, with updates effective September 1, 2026, so the figures below are the current ones.
Maximum group sizes by age
Each ratio band carries its own maximum group size: 8 for children 6 weeks to 24 months, 10 at 24 to 36 months, 20 from 36 months to school age and 30 for school-age children.
Group size is its own column in the table, listed beside each ratio, and it caps how many children one group holds.
The rule does let a center exceed maximum group size on field trips, outdoor play, planned large group activities, napping and eating.
“may exceed maximum group size on field trips, outdoor play, planned large group activities, napping and eating.”
Mixed-age and nap-time rules in Oregon
Oregon's Table 3A sets center ratios by age band, and Table 3B is the alternative chart: a center certified on or before July 15, 2001 that uses it may treat 6 weeks to 30 months as one band at 1:4 with a maximum group of 8.
Rest time has its own allowance.
During rest time, one teacher or aide enrolled in the Central Background Registry may supervise the resting children when there are no infants in the group and staff can be summoned.
Group size may also be exceeded while children are napping and eating.
Our research did not confirm how CCLD treats a group that spans two Table 3A bands, so a center weighing a combined room should confirm the calculation with the agency.
Who can count in ratio
The rule sets qualifications for teachers and for aides.
Every group must have at least one teacher-qualified caregiver with it.
A teacher is at least 18 and qualifies through one option: 750 hours of qualifying teaching experience in a certified center, 1,500 hours in registered or certified family child care, Oregon Registry Step 6 (or 9 quarter credits in two core knowledge categories), an associate degree in early childhood education or a related field, or a credential such as the CDA.
Aides have two tiers: an Aide I may be 14 or older, and an Aide I under 18 is never alone with children and stays within sight and sound of a teacher; an Aide II must be 18 with at least 240 hours of aide experience, 80 of them at the current center.
The Central Background Registry sits underneath the count: the operator, all staff and anyone 18 or older with possible unsupervised access must be enrolled, and conditionally enrolled staff may work but not have unsupervised access until enrollment is confirmed.
“must have at least one caregiver who meets the qualifications”
Home daycare capacity in Oregon
Family child care homes follow their own rulebooks — OAR 414-210 for registered homes and OAR 414-360 for certified homes — and the limits our research verified for them are capacity limits, not the center's Table 3A chart.
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, with no more than 6 preschool-age or younger and only 2 under 24 months.
A certified family child care home (OAR 414-360, effective July 1, 2025) may be certified for up to 16 children, and the provider must be at least 18, or 21 if certified for more than 12.
Oregon does not require a license to care for 3 or fewer children, plus children who live with the provider, or for children from only one family.
Staffing example for a typical center
Take a center certified after July 15, 2001, so Table 3A applies, with one room per age band at its maximum group size.
Eight infants at 1:4 need two caregivers on the floor, ten toddlers at 1:5 need two, twenty preschool-age children at 1:10 need two, and thirty school-age children at 1:15 need two — at full group size, every band works out to two staff.
At least one caregiver in each group must be teacher-qualified; our research did not confirm which aide tiers count toward the ratio, so confirm who can fill the second spot with CCLD.
Rest time loosens the count differently: once the preschool room's twenty children are resting, one teacher or aide enrolled in the Central Background Registry may supervise them, because there are no infants in the group and staff can be summoned.
This is an illustration of how the chart converts to headcount, not a staffing plan; CCLD applies the chart to a center's own rooms and enrollment.
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 staff-to-child ratios 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 teacher requirements in Oregon and daycare licensing steps in Oregon.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the infant-to-staff ratio in Oregon daycare centers?
For centers certified after July 15, 2001, Table 3A sets one caregiver to four children ages 6 weeks to 24 months, with a maximum group of 8, so a full infant room runs with two caregivers.
Centers certified on or before July 15, 2001 may use Table 3B instead, which also sets 1:4 with a group of 8 but runs it up to 30 months.
Ask CCLD which table applies to a given center.
Do Oregon daycare ratios change during nap time?
Rest time has its own allowance: one teacher or aide enrolled in the Central Background Registry may supervise the resting children when there are no infants in the group and staff can be summoned.
Separately, a center may exceed maximum group size while children are napping and eating, as it may on field trips, outdoor play and planned large group activities.
Because the allowance turns on whether an infant is in the group, confirm how it applies to a specific room with CCLD.
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, with no more than 6 preschool-age or younger and only 2 under 24 months.
A certified family child care home may be certified for up to 16 children, with the provider at least 18, or 21 if certified for more than 12.
Caring for 3 or fewer children, plus children who live with the provider, or for children from only one family, does not require a license.
Who counts as a teacher in an Oregon daycare ratio?
Oregon requires every group to have at least one teacher-qualified caregiver.
A teacher is at least 18 and meets one option: 750 hours of qualifying teaching experience in a certified center, 1,500 hours in registered or certified family child care, Oregon Registry Step 6 or 9 quarter credits in two core knowledge categories, an associate degree in early childhood education or a related field, or a credential such as the CDA.
Aides work under their own tiers: an Aide I may be 14 or older but is never alone with children if under 18, and an Aide II must be 18 with at least 240 hours of experience.
What is the Oregon daycare ratio for preschoolers?
Once children reach 36 months, Table 3A sets one caregiver to ten children with a maximum group of 20, and the band runs until school age — a full preschool room of twenty children therefore needs two caregivers.
At school age the ratio becomes one caregiver to fifteen children, with a maximum group of 30.
Table 3B, for centers certified on or before July 15, 2001, uses the same 1:10 and 1:15 above 30 months.
More Oregon Resources
Sources
- Oregon DELC, CCLD — Rules for Certified Child Care Centers (current rulebook) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Oregon DELC, CCLD — Rules for Registered Family Child Care Homes (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Oregon DELC, CCLD — Rules for Certified Family Child Care Homes (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).