Wyoming Daycare Ratios: Staff-to-Child Ratios and Group Sizes by Age
Wyoming daycare ratios come from Table 4-1 of the Child Care Licensing rules the Department of Family Services (DFS) administers: licensed centers staff 1:4 from birth to 12 months, 1:5 from 12 to 24 months, 1:8 from 24 to 36 months, 1:10 for three-year-olds, 1:12 for four- and five-year-olds, and 1:18 for school-age children.
Each band also carries a maximum group size, from 10 infants to 40 school-age children.
Mixed-age and nap-time rules, who counts in ratio, home daycare capacity and a worked staffing example follow.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
The Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS), Child Care Licensing, which licenses child care facilities under its Child Care Licensing rules in Wyo. Code R. agency 049.
1:4 from birth to 12 months, with a maximum group size of 10.
1:5 from 12 to 24 months (group of 12) and 1:8 from 24 to 36 months (group of 18).
1:10 for three-year-olds, with a maximum group size of 24.
1:12 for four- and five-year-olds, with a maximum group size of 30.
1:18 for school-age children and older, with a maximum group size of 40.
Group sizes run from 10 in an infant room to 40 in school-age care; at centers, group size may be exceeded for no more than one hour during opening and closing hours and special events.
Wyoming ratio rules at a glance
- Single-age bandsRequirement
Table 4-1 sets one ratio and one maximum group size per age band, from 1:4 with infants to 1:18 with school-age children.
- Youngest-child ruleRequirement
In a mixed-age group, the age of the youngest child dictates the ratio.
- Mixed-age optionRequirement
A separate one-staff option covers up to 6 children under 36 months, no more than 2 in each age band, inside a total group of 8. The sources we read do not confirm which license types it applies to; confirm with DFS Child Care Licensing before using it in a center.
- Nap-time relaxationRequirement
At centers, while all children sleep, the ratio may relax to one staff member in the sleeping area as long as the facility's overall ratios are maintained.
- One-hour group-size allowanceRequirement
At centers, group size may be exceeded for no more than one hour during opening and closing hours and special events.
Wyoming center ratios and group sizes by age
| Age group | Staff-to-child ratio | Maximum group size |
|---|---|---|
| Birth to 12 months | 1:4 | 10 |
| 12 to 24 months | 1:5 | 12 |
| 24 to 36 months | 1:8 | 18 |
| 3-year-olds | 1:10 | 24 |
| 4- and 5-year-olds | 1:12 | 30 |
| School age and older | 1:18 | 40 |
Age bands are the rule's own from Table 4-1 of Chapter 4. In a mixed-age group, the youngest child's age dictates the ratio.
What are the daycare ratios in Wyoming?
The Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS), Child Care Licensing, sets staff-to-child ratios for licensed child care centers in Table 4-1 of the Child Care Licensing rules.
One staff member cares for up to 4 children from birth to 12 months, up to 5 from 12 to 24 months, up to 8 from 24 to 36 months, up to 10 three-year-olds, up to 12 four- and five-year-olds, and up to 18 school-age children.
Each band carries a maximum group size too, which the next section takes up.
Where a Wyoming group mixes ages, the youngest child's age dictates which ratio applies.
Maximum group sizes by age
Wyoming pairs every ratio with a maximum group size: 10 children from birth to 12 months, 12 from 12 to 24 months, 18 from 24 to 36 months, 24 for three-year-olds, 30 for four- and five-year-olds, and 40 for school-age children.
Ratio and group size do different jobs: the ratio sets how many staff are on the floor, while the group size caps how many children the group can hold no matter how many staff are present.
The rules allow one narrow exception: group size may be exceeded for no more than one hour during opening and closing hours and special events.
“Group size may not be exceeded for more than one (1) hour during opening and closing hours and special events.”
Mixed-age and nap-time rules in Wyoming
Mixed ages change the staffing math in two ways.
First, in any mixed group the age of the youngest child dictates the ratio: a room of three-year-olds that includes one infant runs at the 1:4 infant ratio.
Second, the rules write a separate mixed-age option: when one staff person is present caring for up to 6 children under 36 months, no more than 2 may be under 12 months, with no more than 2 one-year-olds and 2 two-year-olds, inside a total group of 8.
The sources we read do not confirm which license types that option applies to, so a center confirms with DFS Child Care Licensing before staffing a room on it rather than on the youngest-child rule.
Nap time relaxes staffing at centers: the staff-to-child ratio may drop to one staff member in the sleeping area while all children are sleeping, as long as the facility's overall ratios are maintained.
“Fewer children may be present in the youngest age group and slots shifted to older age groups, but the age of the youngest child shall dictate the ratio.”
Who can count in ratio
Wyoming's rules define staff as the people who provide direct care or count in ratio, and the minimum age for that work is 16.
Before unsupervised direct care, and within three months of starting, staff must complete approved pre-service training, facility orientation and Wyoming Early Learning Standards training of 8 credits.
Staff working 24 or more hours a month in direct care or counted in ratio complete 32 training credits every two years, and directors must meet that requirement regardless of their hours.
Every staff member also holds current Department-approved pediatric and adult CPR and first aid.
A center weighing whether a particular person counts in a room's ratio confirms the specifics with DFS Child Care Licensing.
“Minimum age of staff shall be 16 years.”
Home daycare capacity in Wyoming
Home-based child care in Wyoming is licensed in two tiers below the center license.
A Family Child Care Home cares for 3 to 10 children in the provider's own primary residence without additional staff, with the licenser setting total capacity up to 10; the owner's own children who have completed kindergarten, are in first grade or higher, or are 6 or older do not count toward that capacity.
A Family Child Care Center is licensed for up to 15 children, with one extra staff member once more than 10 are in care.
At 16 or more children a facility is a child care center, which may not be located in any person's residence.
Anyone caring for more than two children needs a license unless an exemption applies.
Staffing example for a typical center
Here is how the table translates into head counts for a center running three rooms at their maximum group sizes: 10 infants, 12 children aged 12 to 24 months, and 24 three-year-olds.
The infant room at 1:4 needs 3 staff on the floor, because 2 caregivers cover 8 infants and a full group of 10 takes a third.
The toddler room at 1:5 needs 3 staff for 12 children, and the three-year-old room at 1:10 needs 3 staff for 24 — nine classroom caregivers in all while the rooms are fully active.
Nap time flexes that picture: with all children sleeping, one staff member may be in the sleeping area while the facility's overall ratios hold.
These are arithmetic illustrations of the rules, not a staffing plan for your center; confirm a schedule with DFS Child Care Licensing before you rely on it.
Recent changes to Wyoming's ratio rules
Wyoming's Child Care Licensing rules cover child care licensing in chapters 1 through 10; the center rules were adopted 10/7/2016 and amended 2/2/2022.
Confirm the current figures against DFS Child Care Licensing's rule text before you build a staffing plan on them.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Wyoming 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 Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS), Child Care Licensing publishes. For the rest of the picture in Wyoming, see daycare teacher requirements in Wyoming and daycare licensing steps in Wyoming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the infant ratio in Wyoming daycare centers?
One staff member to 4 infants from birth to 12 months, with a maximum group size of 10.
Because 2 caregivers cover 8 infants at that ratio, a full group of 10 takes 3 staff on the floor.
The Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS), Child Care Licensing, administers the ratios under its Child Care Licensing rules.
What ratio applies to a mixed-age group in Wyoming?
The ratio for the youngest child in the group.
A room of three-year-olds that includes one infant runs at the 1:4 infant ratio.
Wyoming's rules also spell out a separate mixed-age option for one staff person caring for up to 6 children under 36 months, with no more than 2 under 12 months, inside a total group of 8.
The sources we read do not confirm which license types that option covers, so confirm with DFS Child Care Licensing before using it in a center.
Can Wyoming daycare staff relax ratios at nap time?
Yes.
Wyoming's center rules allow the staff-to-child ratio to relax to one staff member in the sleeping area while all children are sleeping, provided the facility's overall ratios are maintained.
Group size works differently: it may be exceeded only for up to one hour, during opening and closing hours and special events.
How many children can a home daycare have in Wyoming?
A licensed Family Child Care Home cares for 3 to 10 children in the provider's own primary residence, with the licenser setting total capacity up to 10.
The provider's own children who have completed kindergarten, are in first grade or higher, or are 6 or older do not count toward capacity.
A Family Child Care Center is licensed for up to 15 children, with one extra staff member once more than 10 are in care.
How old do you have to be to count in ratio at a Wyoming daycare?
Wyoming's rules set the minimum age for staff who provide direct care or count in ratio at 16.
Staff must also complete pre-service training, orientation and Wyoming Early Learning Standards training before unsupervised care and within three months of starting, complete 32 training credits every two years if they work 24 or more hours a month, and hold current DFS-approved pediatric and adult CPR and first aid.
More Wyoming Resources
Sources
- Wyoming Department of Family Services — Child Care Licensing (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Wyoming Child Care Licensing Rules, Chapter 4 (staff ratios and group sizes, Table 4-1) — via Cornell LII (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Wyoming Child Care Licensing Rules, Chapter 7 (center capacity and staffing) — via Cornell LII (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Wyoming Child Care Licensing Rules, Chapter 1 (definitions) — via Cornell LII (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Wyoming Child Care Licensing Rules, Chapter 4 (training) — via Cornell LII (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Wyoming Child Care Licensing Rules, Chapter 2 (who must be licensed) — via Cornell LII (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Wyoming Child Care Licensing Rules, Chapter 5 (family child care homes) — via Cornell LII (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Wyoming Child Care Licensing Rules, Chapter 6 (family child care centers) — via Cornell LII (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 Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS), Child Care Licensing.