Child Care Licensing Studies

State child care licensing regulations and monitoring and enforcement policies help provide a baseline of protection for the health and safety of children in out-of-home care. Effective, robust licensing prevents harm to children. It mitigates the risk of injury or death from fire, building hazards, disease, and inadequate staff oversight, and helps to prevent the developmental delays that can result from the lack of healthy relationships with adults or developmentally inappropriate activities. Licensing is a process that establishes the minimum requirements necessary to protect the health and safety of children in out-of-home-care; it is illegal for facilities that do not meet or exceed these minimum standards to operate. States manage the licensing process through the application and enforcement of regulations.The Child Care Licensing Studied provides information collected about child care licensing programs and policies and the regulations for child care centers, small family child care (FCC) homes, and large/group FCC homes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

2017 Child Care Licensing Study

2014 Child Care Licensing Study

2011 Child Care Licensing Study 

2008 Child Care Licensing Study

2005 Child Care Licensing Study