Connecticut rulebook · checked October 2026

Watching Kids at Home in Connecticut: How Many Before You Need a License?

In Connecticut, there is no unlicensed tier for regular paid care of unrelated children: the first child on a regular schedule already needs the state's permit. The only question is which tier.

Run the free Connecticut check

The Connecticut line, in facts

Licensing agency: Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) — Division of Licensing

The line: In Connecticut, there is no unlicensed tier for regular paid care of unrelated children: the first child on a regular schedule already needs the state's permit. The only question is which tier.

Your own children: counted — Connecticut includes your own children (not in school full time) in the numbers that decide your category.

The categories above the line

Category	Capacity	What it means
Family Child Care Home (licensed)	up to 6	Up to 6 children — the cap INCLUDES your own children who are not in school full time. During the school year, up to 3 additional children in school full time are permitted. Since July 1, 2025, a pilot Large Family Child Care Endorsement lets up to 30 already-licensed providers a year care for up to 12 (Public Act 25-82).
Group Child Care Home (licensed)	up to 12	7 to 12 children, in a residence or another facility (Conn. Gen. Stat. §19a-77).

What comes with the license

Ratios: One provider: at most 6 children, and no more than 2 children under 18 months at one time — including your own — unless an assistant is present (then up to 6 under 18 months).
Training before you open: Current first aid and CPR certification at application (OEC application materials).
Training to stay open:
State fees: Application fee $40; the license runs 4 years and renews at $40 (Conn. Gen. Stat. §19a-87b(d)).
Realistic timeline:

What catches people in Connecticut

Connecticut has no small-number exemption for unrelated children: regular care of even one unrelated child for 3+ hours a day is a family child care home.
Your own children ride inside the 6-child cap until they are in school full time — the cap is a head count of the home, not of paying children.

Rules checked October 2026 · Sources: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-87b (family child care home license; $40 fee; 4-year term); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-77 (definitions, incl. group child care home); Regs. of Conn. State Agencies § 19a-87b-3(b) (relative providers; infant limits); Public Act 25-82 (large family endorsement pilot). This page reads the published rules; it is not legal advice, and the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) — Division of Licensing is the final word.

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