Georgia rulebook · checked October 2026
Watching Kids at Home in Georgia: How Many Before You Need a License?
In Georgia, you may watch up to 2 counted children before a license is required.
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The Georgia line, in facts
Licensing agency: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) — Bright from the Start
The line: In Georgia, you may watch up to 2 counted children before a license is required.
The categories above the line
| Category | Capacity | What it means |
|---|
| Family Child Care Learning Home | up to 6 | The Georgia home license: care for 3 to 6 children for pay in your home. (Up to 2 more children can be in care in narrow before/after-school circumstances — DECAL's rule text governs; do not build a business on the exception.) |
What comes with the license
- Ratios: A Family Child Care Learning Home is capped at 6 children for pay, with tighter limits when infants are in the mix — no more than 3 children under 12 months unless an approved helper is present.
- Training before you open: DECAL orientation plus pre-licensure training (health and safety basics, CPR/first aid) through Georgia's training system.
- Training to stay open: 10 hours of annual training for the provider.
- State fees: Family Child Care Learning Home application fee: $50 (DECAL fee schedule; center fees are capacity-tiered $50–$250).
- Realistic timeline: Applications run online only, through DECAL's KOALA system; the pre-licensing visit follows a complete file.
Your path in Georgia, step by step
- Count paying children: 1–2 unrelated children for pay sit below the line; the 3rd is the license trigger.
- Create your DECAL KOALA account — Georgia's application is online only; there is no paper door.
- Complete orientation and pre-licensure training, and the comprehensive fingerprint background check for every adult in the home.
- File the Family Child Care Learning Home application ($50) with your home details and household roster.
- Pass the pre-licensing home visit (DECAL measures space, safety, records and supervision).
- Open at up to 6 children for pay — past 6 is a Child Care Learning Center, a different license entirely.
What catches people in Georgia
- Georgia's trigger is children FOR PAY: the 3rd paying child is the line, whatever the total head count in the room.
- The application lives only inside KOALA, DECAL's online system — budget setup time, not mailbox time.
Rules checked October 2026 · Sources: O.C.G.A. §20-1A-2 (definitions); Ga. Comp. R. 591-1-1 (family child care learning homes); Georgia DECAL — Bright from the Start, licensing and KOALA. This page reads the published rules; it is not legal advice, and the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) — Bright from the Start is the final word.
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