How Many Kids Are You Legally Allowed To Have?

[Michael]

Legal-Unlicensed Child Care in Maine

You'll find it here: www.Daycare.com/maine/

Legal-Unlicensed Child Care
Kith and Kin (family and friend) caregivers, are considered "legal-unlicensed" if they care for only one or two children in their home. Care for Me is a program of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Care and Head Start, which performs background checks on legal unlicensed providers and maintains a database that is available to parents to verify the background of their Kith and Kin provider. The Care for Me network also provides information to Kith and Kin caregivers on child care health and safety issues.

[godiva83]

I am from Ontario, Canada and like PP we can have 5 unrelated not including or own children. However, you are supposed to only have 2 under 2, 3 under 3 ect according to the DNA (governing regulations for all day care facilities in Ontario) Also, even if you have more than one provider or an assistant you are only permitted 5 children not counting your own under one roof.

[Meeko]

Utah Regs

No license required if watching up to 4 children

License or residential certificate required for 5 to 8 children with one provider. Only 2 children under age 2

License required for up 16 children with two providers. Only 4 children under age 2 (this is my set up)

[Unregistered]

I'm in Indiana. An unlicensed home is allowed 5 unrelated children, and I don't think there's a limit to related children.
A class 1 licensed home is allowed up to 12 children plus 3 school age children during the school year (and however many children they have of their own), but the ages of the children play into that number also (no more than 3 of those children can be under 16 months, and must be walking). so a total of 15 ages 0-school age.
A class 2 licensed home is allowed up to 16 children (and however many of their own children), plus up to 3 school agers during the school year. So a total of 19 ages 0-12.

A provider can have up to 10 children (plus up to 3 school agers over age 6) by themselves and still be in ratio (and however many of their own children) ages 0-6. But if the youngest child is 3 years old the ratio goes up to 12 children for one provider.

I looked at center based care and their school age ratio is 20:1! That's crazy! The other ratios are: 15:1 for 5 yr olds, 12:1 for 4 yr olds, 10:1 for 3 yr olds, 5:1 for 2 yr olds and toddlers, and 1:4 for infants. So between ages 2 and 3 the ratio doubles!

How many of you providers who only provide care for school agers think you can manage 20 of them by yourself?

Actually in Indiana unlicensed, you're only allowed to have 5 total, that includes your own children. So if you have 5 kids of your own under the age of 7 still at home then you can't watch any other children. I'm working towards my Indiana license and have been told this multiple times. Also, your ratios that you have are off. It's 10 children total per adult and over that you need another adult. I worked at a daycare for 3 years and it was the same there.You can only have 12 or 16 total at a time. We did after school care and were told 16 total was what we could have even if they were 9 years old.

[MN Day Mom]

I'm in Minnesota and my licensed capacity will depend upon which classification I am at the time choosing to run under...

I am licensed C-2 which means I can have up to 12 kids within these categories...
10 under school age
2 of these 10 can be Infants/Toddlers
1 of the 2 can be infants (so either 1 infant and 1 toddler or 2 toddlers)
2 school age

However I can also choose to run under a C-1 if it works better for my numbers. Under this category I can have only 10 kids but allows me an additional infant/toddler slot.
8 under school age
3 infant/toddler (2 of the 3 can be infants, not all 3)
2 school age

[Unregistered]

?

Wisconsin says you can have up to 3 kids that aren't your own unlicensed.

Is it per person? Its me and my boyfriend so could we have six kids? or is it per house hold?

[mismatchedsocks]

household can have 3 that arent your own unlicensed. not per person.

[TootsieBear]

Licensed in Wisconsin can have up to 8 (including your own if they are under 7), depending on the ages of the children. The more infants, the less others. I so wish they would give us a larger license on the condition that a certain number of those were school aged. I live across from an elementary school.

[frgsonmysox]

unlicensed 3 children not including yours

licensed 10 children including yours under 9yrs

this is for Nebraska

The new laws say for licensed you can only have 8 kids, including your own, plus 2 school age children.

Since I already have 5 of my own kids it doesn't make much sense to hurry up and get licensed. I will only take 3 kids on either way. Still plan to become licensed eventually, but there is no rush.

[Unregistered]

I'm in NC. Here you can have 2 not related to you without being licensed. Then you licenses for either 5 or 5+3 school age for a total of 8 depending on where you live. After that it is up to 12 for Center in a Residence with appropriate assistants to meet ratio's. I am a Center in a Residence I have 12 children and 3 other teachers that work with me.

What if I watch 3 and dont charge anything for the 3rd child? Is that allowed without being licensed?

[Crazy8]

I am in NJ - limit is 5 kids w/o an assistant. Then there are other restrictions based on ages but I only take one infant at a time and don't take school age so I don't get into all the restrictions much.

[tbutler]

I'm in Texas and I can have 6 all day under age 5 and 6 before and after schoolers. So a total of 12.

[CheekyChick]

I have 16 with assistants. I could NEVER do that by myself.

[JennyBear]

I'm also in Ontario Canada. I can provide care for 5 children not including my own.

[Unregistered]

I am in TN and Not Licensed, but I can have 4 unrelated and 4 related children. I called my district Licensing office to make sure I was legal. But right now I have 3 full time DCG's and in 3 weeks I will have 2 related children.

do you know if related would be considered any relative or just your own children because i am wanting to get started in the new area i live in and i have my own son and a neice and nephew i would be watching