Rhode Island Daycare Ratios: Staff-to-Child Ratios and Group Sizes by Age

The Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS) licenses child care centers under the Child Care Center and School Age Program Regulations for Licensure, whose latest version took effect July 7, 2026.

The rule sets staff-to-child ratios by age band: 1:4 for infants 6 weeks to 18 months, 1:6 for toddlers 18 to 36 months, 1:9 for 3-year-olds, 1:10 for 4-year-olds, 1:12 for 5- and 6-year-olds not yet in kindergarten and 1:13 for school-age children.

The table above lists each band with its maximum group size.

The rule tightens away from the building too: it requires precautionary staff-to-child ratios on field trips — 1:2 for infants and 1:4 for toddlers are the examples it gives — and 1:1 staffing for infants and toddlers during swimming activities.

Alongside each ratio, the rule caps the size of the group itself: 8 children in an infant group, 12 for toddlers, 18 for 3-year-olds, 20 for 4-year-olds, 24 for 5- and 6-year-olds not yet in kindergarten and 26 for school-age children.

The ratio and the group size plan different things: the ratio sets how many staff a group needs on the floor, while the group size caps how many children the group may include at all.

For a director, that makes the group size the number that decides how many classrooms an enrollment fills.

In a mixed-age group, Rhode Island ratios follow the youngest child, and the rule allows no exceptions to the staff-to-child ratio for infants — so a group that includes an infant is staffed at the 1:4 infant ratio.

Rest time works differently for the older bands: during rest time for toddler or preschool groups, one staff member may supervise one group of napping children, with the group sized by the maximum group size.

The rest-time allowance is written for toddler and preschool groups, and the rule gives infants no ratio exceptions of any kind.

Rhode Island sets a floor under the room ratios: two or more staff must be on site at all times, and at least one of them must be at Teacher or Program Leadership level.

The rule names three classroom roles — the Teacher (lead), the Teacher Assistant, who must be at least 18 with a high school diploma or GED, and the Teacher Aide, who may be 16 but must always be with staff 18 or older.

The sections of the rule we read set that site floor and those role ages, but no line saying which roles may be counted in ratio, so put that question to DHS when you build a schedule.

Rhode Island requires a license once a home cares for four or more children who are not relatives of the caregiver.

Working alone, a licensed family child care provider may care for up to 6 children — no more than 2 of them under 18 months, and only 4 if all are under 3.

With one or more approved assistants, a family child care home may care for up to 12 children, the tier the state licenses as a group family child care home.

Since August 9, 2026, group homes have been licensed under the same family child care regulation as other homes, in place of a separate group-home regulation that was repealed.

Take a center with one classroom per band, each at its maximum group size: 8 infants, 12 toddlers, 18 three-year-olds, 20 four-year-olds, 24 children aged 5 to 6 and 26 school-age children.

The ratios mean the infant room takes 2 staff on the floor at 1:4, the toddler room 2 at 1:6, the 3-year-old room 2 at 1:9, the 4-year-old room 2 at 1:10, the 5-to-6 room 2 at 1:12 and the school-age room 2 at 1:13 — 12 staff across six rooms.

Below the group maximum, the ratio is the driver: 10 four-year-olds take 1 staff member at 1:10, and the site rule still has to hold around that room.

That site rule is the other number to plan around — two or more staff on site at all times, at least one at Teacher or Program Leadership level.

This is an illustration of how the rule's numbers work, not a staffing plan; confirm a schedule with DHS before you rely on it.