Indiana rulebook · checked October 2026

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

In Indiana, you may watch up to 7 counted children before a license is required.

The Indiana line, in facts

Licensing agency: Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) — Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL)

The line: In Indiana, you may watch up to 7 counted children before a license is required.

The categories above the line

Category	Capacity	What it means
Class I Child Care Home	up to 12	Up to 12 children at any one time, plus 3 more during the school year only who are in at least full-day kindergarten. Related children under 7 count toward the cap; related children 7 and older do not (IC 12-7-2-33.7(b)).
Class II Child Care Home	up to 16	More than 12, up to 16 children — Class I requirements plus added building and fire-code standards (470 IAC 3-1.3).

What comes with the license

Ratios: 470 IAC 3-1.1-36.5: infant/toddler mixed (birth–24 months) 6 children per adult — but two of the six must be at least 16 months old and walking, otherwise 4:1. Mixed ages (birth–6 years): 10:1 with no more than 3 of the 10 under 16 months. Ages 3–10: 12:1.
Training before you open: Orientation Training 1 and Orientation Training 2 for child care home providers through Indiana Learning Paths (I-LEAD), plus health and safety modules, safe-sleep training, and CPR/first aid and universal-precautions certification — before the license issues.
Training to stay open: 12 clock hours of approved in-service training per year for providers counted in ratio (470 IAC 3-1.1-33.5).
State fees: FSSA publishes no license application fee for child care homes. The statute caps the only two charges: a new-inquiry application packet at no more than $5 and the annual inspection at no more than $25 (IC 12-17.2-2-2(7)).
Realistic timeline: No published timeline — FSSA lists the steps without a processing duration. Home licenses renew every 2 years with annual inspections.

Your path in Indiana, step by step

Optionally, submit FSSA's Emerging Provider Referral Form to be connected with a specialist.
Confirm from FSSA's definitions and program matrix that 'licensed child care home' is your program type.
Complete Orientation Training 1 (the start-up process) in Indiana Learning Paths, through I-LEAD.
Complete Orientation Training 2 for child care home providers (preparation for licensure).
Submit the application online in I-LEAD with background-check consents and fingerprints, drug screening, physical/TB documentation, and your CPR/first aid, safe-sleep and health-and-safety records.
Notify your local fire department of your licensed capacity and hours, and complete any local business permit requirements.
Pass the on-site inspection by OECOSL.
License issued as Class I or Class II; renewed every 2 years with annual inspections.

What catches people in Indiana

Indiana's line MOVED on July 1, 2024: from 6 children to 8 counted children, with a new infant trigger at 4 children under 12 months. Any page — including some local zoning codes — still quoting 'six or more' is stale.
A short-hours alternative also sits below the line: care under 6 hours per day and no more than 30 hours per week is outside the article — but the moment your schedule grows past either cap, the count test applies in full.
Everything runs through I-LEAD: orientation, application, background-check uploads. A fingerprint receipt that is not uploaded to I-LEAD is treated as invalid at inspection.
You must live in the home you license.

If you skip the line

Operating a child care home without a license is a criminal offense (IC 12-17.2-5-35), with civil penalties under IC 12-17.2-5-34 and court enforcement available; running over your Class I or Class II count triggers the same sanctions.

Rules checked October 2026 · Sources: Ind. Code 12-7-2-28.6 (child care home defined: at least 8 counted children, or at least 4 under 12 months — as amended by HEA 1102, eff. July 1, 2024); Ind. Code 12-17.2-1-1(2) (home exemption: fewer than 8 counted children; unpaid; related-only; short-hours care); Ind. Code 12-7-2-33.7 and 33.8 (Class I and Class II; counting exclusions); 12-17.2-2-2(7) (fee caps); 12-17.2-5-34/-35 (penalties); 470 IAC 3-1.1-36.5 (capacity and ratios); FSSA OECOSL, in.gov/fssa/carefinder. This page reads the published rules; it is not legal advice, and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) — Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL) is the final word.

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