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Home Daycare License Requirements in Arkansas (2026)

Opening a home daycare in Arkansas means getting a family child care home license from the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Office of Early Childhood (OEC). Here is exactly what that takes in 2026 — your capacity limit and ratios, the training and background checks, the application steps, and the postings and enrollment forms you need — sourced to the state’s own rules and dated.

Who needs a license — home types in Arkansas

Arkansas splits home-based care at SIX unrelated children, and the tier you land in changes the rulebook, the minimum age of the provider, the fee, the square-footage rule and the inspections. TIER 1 — REGISTERED CHILD CARE FAMILY HOME (PUB-003). PUB-003 103 is headed 'Definitions and Application' and opens 'There are three (3) types of Registered Homes as follows:' 1. 'Registered Child Care Family Home: a situation in which five (5) or less children are cared for in the caregiver's own residence or in some other suitable family type residence.' 2. 'Relative Child Care Family Home: a situation in which five (5) or less children are cared for by a relative of the child(ren). The relationship must be that of a grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt, uncle, or sibling (residing out of the home). The registered relative may provide the child care either in his or her home or the home of the child(ren).' Proof of relationship is documentary and enumerated in 103.2.a-e: 'the child(ren)'s birth certificate(s); the parent's birth certificate; marriage license of the parent (if parent's last name has changed); marriage license of the caregiver (if last name has changed); and birth certificate of the caregiver (if the application is for an aunt or uncle).' 3. 'In-Home Child Care Provider: an individual selected by the family to provide the day care to five (5) or less children in the child(ren)'s own home.

Summarised from the state’s own rules. Every figure above is quoted from the regulation cited on this page.

How many children you can care for in Arkansas

REGISTERED CHILD CARE FAMILY HOME — FIVE, HARD. PUB-003 103.1/.2/.3 each cap the three registered sub-types at 'five (5) or less children.' There is no school-age exemption, no emergency-closing allowance, no assistant that buys headroom, and no square-footage formula in PUB-003 that could raise or lower the number. The caregiver's own PRESCHOOL children are inside the five (PUB-003 103.7); the caregiver's own SCHOOL-AGE children are outside it. The sixth unrelated child is not a violation of the registration — it is unlicensed operation of a childcare facility, because at six the statutory exclusion in § 20-78-202(2)(D)(v) stops applying. LICENSED CHILD CARE FAMILY HOME — SIXTEEN, CEILING. PUB-001 102.4: 'A maximum of sixteen (16) children may be cared for with a Child Care Family Home license.' PUB-001 201.5: 'The home shall not exceed its licensed capacity at any time (see Regulation 801.3).' Note the cross-reference: capacity is not a free choice up to sixteen, it is bounded by floor space. THE SPACE RULE THAT SETS YOUR REAL NUMBER — LICENSED HOMES ONLY. PUB-001 801.3: 'There shall be at least thirty-five (35) square feet of usable indoor space for each child in the Home.

Summarised from the state’s own rules. Every figure above is quoted from the regulation cited on this page.

Adult-to-child ratios

THE FIRST THING TO SAY: REGISTERED HOMES HAVE NO RATIO TABLE. PUB-003 contains no staff-to-child grid anywhere. Its 300 section is 'Caregiver Qualifications and Responsibilities' (301), 'Adults in the Registered Home' (302), 'Volunteer Requirements' (303) and 'Supervision' (304) — no ratios. A registered home is regulated by the five-child ceiling plus PUB-003 304 supervision duties plus PUB-003 301.16, 'At no time shall children be left unsupervised.' One qualified caregiver may hold all five children of any ages. If you see a published 'Arkansas registered family home ratio,' it is fabricated. THE LICENSED-HOME TABLE, PUB-001 301, TRANSCRIBED FROM THE PUBLISHED GRID. The table has three columns — 'Adult Caregiver(s)', 'Number of Children', 'Ages of Children' — and three row-blocks. BLOCK 301.1 — labelled 'ONE' caregiver: A. 3-6 children: '0-up (no more than 3 under 2 years)' B. 7 children: '0-up (no more than 2 under 2 years)' C. 8 children: '0-up (no more than 1 under 2 years)' D. 9 children: '2-up (no more than 3 between 2 and 3 years)' E. 10 children: '3-up' Read D and E carefully: at nine children the MINIMUM AGE of every child rises to two, and at ten it rises to three. A single caregiver may never hold nine or ten children if any of them is under two (nine) or under three (ten).

Summarised from the state’s own rules. Every figure above is quoted from the regulation cited on this page.

Training you must complete before licensure

There are five distinct pre-service obligations in Arkansas, and only three of them are in the rulebooks. Sequence matters, because two of them gate the application itself. (1) THE PRE-LICENSING CLASS — MANDATORY, AND ABSENT FROM PUB-001 AND PUB-003. OEC's 'Step-by-Step Guide to apply for a Child Care License' (posted on the Child Care Licensing page; read 2026-08-25), which by its own header covers 'the process to obtain a license to operate a child care center, an out of school time facility, a licensed child care family home or REGISTERED CHILD CARE FAMILY HOME,' makes it step two and three of seven: #1 'The prospective applicant contacts Child Care Licensing Staff at the main office number, 501-682-8590.' #2 'The prospective applicant will be given contact information for the Child Care Licensing Specialist in their area and information on how to schedule the REQUIRED Pre-Licensing Class.' #3 'The prospective applicant will attend the Pre-Licensing Training and will receive information on the steps involved in obtaining a license, including: The applicable licensing requirements; Required background checks on the owner and employees; Financial considerations and business liability; Fire Department approval; Health Department approval; Zoning requirements; The school readiness assistance program; The USDA Nutrition Program; Better Beginnings, Arkansas' quality rating and improvement system.'

Summarised from the state’s own rules. Every figure above is quoted from the regulation cited on this page.

Ongoing (annual) training

FIFTEEN (15) CLOCK HOURS PER YEAR, IDENTICAL IN BOTH TIERS — and there IS a ten-hour figure in Arkansas law, which is where the confusion comes from. THE RULE, LICENSED HOMES — PUB-001 303.6: 'All caregivers who work directly with children shall obtain at least fifteen (15) hours of training, including child development training, registered with the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education Professional Development (DCCECE) Registry, or Department of Education or Department of Higher Education approved training each year in continuing early childhood education.' THE RULE, REGISTERED HOMES — PUB-003 301.8: 'The caregiver shall obtain at least fifteen (15) hours of training, including child development training registered with DCCECE Professional Development Registry, Department of Education, or Department of Higher Education approved training each year in continuing early childhood education, which is approved by the Division.' PUB-003 then enumerates the approved subject areas, which PUB-001 does not: 'Topics appropriate for continuing early education shall include, but are not limited to the following: a.

Summarised from the state’s own rules. Every figure above is quoted from the regulation cited on this page.

Background checks

THREE SEPARATE CHECKS, TWO DIFFERENT CLOCKS, AND — the detail almost every summary flattens — DIFFERENT PERSON-LISTS IN THE TWO RULEBOOKS. Read the table for YOUR tier. === CHECK 1: ARKANSAS CHILD MALTREATMENT CENTRAL REGISTRY — EVERY TWO YEARS, AND IT REACHES CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS TEN === PUB-001 108.1 and PUB-003 108.1 both open with the same catch-all: 'Prospective owners, HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS WHO ARE TEN (10) YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, and employees who have not lived in the State of Arkansas during the preceding five (5) years will be subject to current federal guidelines regarding conducting a child maltreatment background check in any states where they resided during the past five (5) years.' The tables then read: LICENSED (PUB-001 108.1): (a) 'Each applicant to own or operate a Licensed Home' — 'at application and every two (2) years thereafter'; (b) 'All household members who are ten (10) years of age or older' — 'at application; upon residency and every two (2) years thereafter'; (c) 'Staff members and applicants for employment in a Licensed Home' — 'Prior to employment and every two (2) years thereafter'; (d) 'Volunteers, therapists, and student observers who have access to children in the home' — 'Prior to providing services or being present in the home and every two (2) years thereafter'; (e) 'Other persons who have supervisory or disciplinary control over children, or have routine contact with children' — 'Prior to providing services or participating in home activities and every two (2) years thereafter'.

Summarised from the state’s own rules. Every figure above is quoted from the regulation cited on this page.

The application, step by step

Work through these in order — the prep packet turns them into a checklist you can tick off:

1. STEP 0 — Decide your tier before you spend a dollar, because the two tiers are different products. Five or fewer unrelated children = REGISTERED Child Care Family Home under PUB-003: no state fee, no square-footage rule, no ratio table, primary caregiver may be 18, and registration is legally VOLUNTARY (Ark. Code Ann. § 20-78-202(2)(D)(v) excludes 'fewer than six (6) children from more than one (1) family at the same time' from the definition of a childcare facility; § 20-78-221(a)-(b) makes the registry voluntary). Six to sixteen = LICENSED Child Care Family Home under PUB-001: $15/year, 35 sq ft per child, a ratio table, primary caregiver must be 21, and a licence is compulsory the…
2. STEP 1 — Call OEC Child Care Licensing at 501-682-8590. OEC's own Step-by-Step Guide, step #1: 'The prospective applicant contacts Child Care Licensing Staff at the main office number, 501-682-8590.' You can also e-mail CCL.Questions@ade.arkansas.gov. Ask for the current Child Care Licensing Area Telephone Directory so you know which Specialist covers your county.
3. STEP 2 — Schedule and ATTEND the required Pre-Licensing Class. Step-by-Step Guide #2: 'The prospective applicant will be given contact information for the Child Care Licensing Specialist in their area and information on how to schedule the REQUIRED Pre-Licensing Class.' #3: 'The prospective applicant will attend the Pre-Licensing Training and will receive information on the steps involved in obtaining a license, including: The applicable licensing requirements; Required background checks on the owner and employees; Financial considerations and business liability; Fire Department approval; Health Department approval; Zoning requirements; The school readiness assistance program; The USDA…
4. STEP 3 — Hold the pre-application / pre-approval consultation with your area Licensing Specialist. PUB-001 103.3: 'A pre-approval consultation meeting shall be required for all applicants for a license PRIOR TO THE APPROVAL of the application. This meeting shall be offered prior to application or within thirty (30) days of receipt of the application.' PUB-003 104.2 imposes the same on registration applicants. Step-by-Step Guide #4: the Specialist 'will offer to review plans and blueprints, visit proposed site locations with the prospective applicant and provide information on how to obtain zoning, Fire and Health approvals.' Use this meeting to settle three things on paper: your intended…
5. STEP 4 — Settle zoning EARLY, and know the 2023 protection you now have. Ark. Code Ann. § 20-78-229(b), Acts of 2023, Act 60, eff. Aug. 1, 2023, still requires compliance: the Division 'shall require any childcare facility seeking licensure... to comply with applicable zoning and land use development regulations of the municipality and county,' and 'Failure to comply with applicable zoning and land use regulations is grounds for the denial of a license.' But § 20-78-229(c)(1) now commands that 'A local governing authority shall treat a childcare family home as RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY USE in the application of local regulations, including without limitation: (A) Zoning; (B) Land use…
6. STEP 5 — Start the background checks for EVERY adult, and remember the age-ten registry rule. (a) Arkansas Child Maltreatment Central Registry check, every two years, covering the applicant, ALL HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS AGE 10 AND OLDER, staff, volunteers, therapists, student observers and anyone with routine contact (PUB-001 108.1; PUB-003 108.1) — separate paper process, notarised Authorization for Release of Confidential Information / Central Registry Check Form signed by everyone in the home 18 and older with a $10 check or money order per form payable to Department of Human Services (PUB-003 103.9.e), mailed to DCFS Central Registry, Slot S566, P.O. Box 1437, Little Rock, AR 72203,…
7. STEP 6 — Get current, HANDS-ON First Aid and CPR (infant and child CPR if you will serve infants or toddlers). PUB-001 303.8.b / PUB-003 301.10.b: 'The curriculum shall require hands on, skill-based instruction, as well as practical testing. TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION THAT IS PROVIDED SOLELY ONLINE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.' Curriculum must conform to current American Heart Association or American Red Cross guidelines and the instructor must be certified by a nationally recognised organisation. At least one certified caregiver must be on site at all times the home operates.
8. STEP 7 — Buy Child Care Liability insurance and get the amount right. PUB-001 101.8: 'Prior to approval of an application, the applicant shall provide verification of the required coverage to the Licensing Specialist... Maintain the minimum amount of $100,000 PER OCCURRENCE.' PUB-003 101.7.b sets the same figure in a table: 'Registered Capacity of Home 1–5 → Minimum Child Care Liability Coverage Required $100,000 per occurrence.' WARNING: OEC's Step-by-Step Guide prints a footnote reading '*Licensed Capacity 1-74. Minimum Liability Insurance Coverage is $500,000 per occurrence, and 75 and up is one million per occurrence.' That $500,000 figure is the CENTER standard — it is the table at…
9. STEP 8 — Schedule the boiler / water-heater inspection. This item is omitted from most Arkansas checklists and it gates the application. PUB-001 103.2.f and PUB-003 103.9.h both require 'Boiler inspection, or verification that inspection has been scheduled' as part of a complete application. PUB-001 801.2 / PUB-003 801.2: 'Department of Labor, Boiler Inspection Division requirements shall be met. ALL WATER HEATERS and any other boilers in licensed child care settings shall be inspected on an annual basis and upon installation. Verification that initial inspection or proof of attempt to set up initial inspection, shall be completed within six (6) months of licensure... the facility is…
10. STEP 9 — Assemble the application package for YOUR tier; the two lists are not the same. LICENSED (PUB-001 103.2): 'a. A completed and signed application on a form provided by the Division; b. Diagram of the home; c. Fire department approval, if applicable; d. Health department approval, if applicable; e. Zoning approval, if applicable...; f. Boiler inspection, or verification that inspection has been scheduled; g. Verification of Child Care Liability Insurance...; h. Verification that all required criminal background checks and child maltreatment central registry checks have been INITIATED; and i. All caregiver's names shall be included on the application for the license.' REGISTERED…
11. STEP 10 — Submit ONLINE through the eLicensing portal, within a 60-day window, and watch the 7-day cure clock. Step-by-Step Guide #5: 'The prospective applicant will submit on-line a complete and signed application form WHEN THEY ARE WITHIN 60 DAYS OF THE ANTICIPATED DATE OF OPENING the center and/or home. https://ardhslicensing.my.site.com/elicensing/s/login/SelfRegister?language=en_US ... Applications must be processed within 60 days of receipt. If an applicant fails to submit all required documentation, the licensing specialist will return the application. THE APPLICANT HAS 7 DAYS to complete the application by providing the missing documentation. If the application is not complete…
12. STEP 11 — Pass the on-site inspection for SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE. PUB-001 102.2: 'the home shall be reviewed by a Child Care Licensing Specialist to determine that the home is in substantial compliance.' 102.3 defines it: 'compliance with all essential standards necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the children... Essential standards include but are not limited to those relating to issues involving FIRE, HEALTH, SAFETY, NUTRITION, BEHAVIOR GUIDANCE, STAFF TO CHILD RATIO, AND SPACE.' (PUB-003 102.2 lists the same essentials minus ratio and space.) Expect a whole-house walk-through, not a playroom visit: PUB-001 103.6 clarification — 'In addition to rooms used for care,…
13. STEP 12 — Pay the fee — online only, and only if you are the licensed tier. PUB-001 104.1: 'A Child Care Family Home shall be assessed a license fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00) per year.' 104.3: 'The Division shall not issue a license unless the required license fee has been paid.' PUB-003 has NO fee section at all, and OEC's Step-by-Step Guide confirms the point in its fee box: 'Licensed Homes - $15. REGISTERED HOMES - NO FEE REQUIRED. Centers (both child care and out of school time) up to 17 children - $15, 17 to 99 children - $50, 100 or more children - $100.' The same guide: 'The applicant will receive an alert via electronic in the provider portal. THE LICENSE FEE CAN ONLY BE PAID…
14. STEP 13 — Receive the New Provisional permit, then earn the Regular one. PUB-001 103.9: 'If the Division Staff finds that an applicant meets the licensing requirements... or has a reasonable expectation of correcting deficiencies in a reasonable time, the Child Care Licensing Specialist may recommend a NEW PROVISIONAL LICENSE... in effect for a reasonable period, NOT TO EXCEED TWELVE (12) MONTHS... A written list of deficiencies shall be provided to the applicant at the time of issuance... A Licensing Specialist has SIXTY (60) DAYS to submit a recommendation to the Division for a provisional license.' 103.10: 'The Child Care Licensing Specialist will recommend a REGULAR license when the…
15. STEP 14 — Inside the first three months: complete the 8-clock-hour orientation for yourself and anyone counted in ratio, because until it is done that person 'shall not be left alone with children' (PUB-001 303.7; PUB-003 301.9). It refreshes every three years.
16. STEP 15 — Inside the first six months: attend BOTH Family Child Care Provider Training AND Business Administration Scale (BAS) training. Licensed homes: PUB-001 303.13 (or a QRIS-approved equivalent). Registered homes: PUB-003 301.6 (Family Child Care Provider Training) AND PUB-003 301.15 (BAS) — both, notwithstanding the widespread claim that registered providers are exempt from BAS. Also inside six months: boiler/water-heater initial inspection verification (PUB-001 801.2; PUB-003 801.2).
17. STEP 16 — Stand up the records and plans the inspector will ask for on day one: the written procedure for reporting suspected child maltreatment and the written procedure for reporting suspected licensing violations (PUB-001 201.7-.8); the Emergency Preparedness plans and procedures, including family-reunification procedures and provision for children with special needs (PUB-001 1201.3); an on-site current copy of the Arkansas Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan issued by the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, 'reviewed by the licensee and signed and dated' (PUB-001 1201.5); the evacuation pack with its thirteen enumerated contents (PUB-001 1201.9); the drill record (PUB-001…
18. STEP 17 — Know what happens after you open. Fire and tornado drills MONTHLY, 'on separate days and at different times of the day', 'During all hours when children are in care (evenings, nights, weekends, etc.)', with everyone present participating (PUB-001 1201.7). Monitoring for a full-year Regular-licence program is 'at least three (3) times per year at least once per trimester (January-April, May-August, and September-December)' (Licensing 101 Help Guide). Failure in any of the six critical areas — Regulatory Checks, Staff/Child Ratios & Supervision, Behavior Guidance, Building & Grounds, Infant/Toddler Care Issues, Transportation — can put you on a Corrective Action Plan, which 'is not…
19. STEP 18 — If a requirement is genuinely impossible in your building, use Alternative Compliance rather than ignoring it. PUB-001 106: the Division may grant it 'if the Division determines that the alternative form of compliance offers equal protection of health, safety, and welfare to children and meets the basic intent of the requirement,' but 'The Division shall consider all requests... EXCEPT those requirements which are enforced by the Department of Health, Local Fire Marshal, or State Fire Marshal's Office.' Requests must be in writing, one per requirement, naming the standard, explaining how the alternative equals or exceeds it, with 'clear and supportive evidence, and upon request…

What you must post on your walls

• POSTED DAILY SCHEDULE — the only affirmative posting requirement in the program section of both books. PUB-001 401.1 and PUB-003 401.1, identical: 'There shall be a POSTED daily schedule, which includes age-appropriate activities, including alternating periods of active play and quiet activities throughout the day.'
• WRITTEN EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND EVACUATION DIAGRAMS, IN EVERY ROOM USED FOR CHILD CARE. PUB-001 1201.6 and PUB-003 1202.6, identical: 'Written procedures and evacuation diagrams for emergency drills shall be POSTED IN EACH ROOM USED FOR CHILDCARE.' Note 'each room' — one diagram by the front door does not satisfy it.
• CPSC PRODUCT RECALL AND SAFETY NOTICES — a hybrid duty: post OR otherwise make available. PUB-001 1201.11: 'Licensed Homes shall maintain a log of all child product recall and safety notices issued by Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) or distributed by the Attorney General's Office and shall POST OR OTHERWISE MAKE THESE NOTICES AVAILABLE FOR PARENTS TO REVIEW ON SITE. The Licensee shall certify, on an annual basis, that these notices have been maintained and reviewed and that any identified items have been removed from the facility. Forms for self-certification will be provided by the Licensing Specialist and shall be submitted annually. (Act 1313 of 2001)' PUB-003 carries the…
• EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS — 'AVAILABLE IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE TELEPHONE', which is a placement duty rather than a wall posting, but is enforced as one. PUB-001 1105.1 and PUB-003 1105.1: 'The following phone numbers shall be available in the immediate area of the telephone: a. Ambulance service or emergency medical services; b. Police or sheriff's department; c. Fire department; d. POISON CONTROL CENTER: 1-800-376-4766; e. CHILD ABUSE HOTLINE NUMBER: 1-800-482-5964; f. The physicians named by the parents; g. Child Care Licensing Unit Central Office Number [PUB-001: 501-682-2350 or toll free 1-800-445-3316; PUB-003: 501-682-8590 or toll free 1-800-445-3316]; and h. Home and business…
• NOT A POSTING, THOUGH IT IS WIDELY LISTED AS ONE: MENUS. PUB-001 701.7 says only 'Menus for all meals and snacks shall be AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW.' The word 'posted' does not appear in the nutrition section of either book. Keep menus accessible to parents and to the Specialist; you are not required by PUB-001 or PUB-003 to post them on a wall.
• NOT A POSTING EITHER, ON THE TEXT OF THESE RULES: THE LICENCE OR REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE. Neither PUB-001 nor PUB-003 contains any requirement to display the certificate — a full-text search of both booklets returns no display or posting rule for the licence. Many states require it; Arkansas's home rulebooks, as published 12/01/2020, do not. Ask your Licensing Specialist whether OEC expects it as practice, and do not publish it as a rule citation.
• DOCUMENTS THAT MUST BE MADE AVAILABLE RATHER THAN POSTED — the practical equivalent for a home. (a) Licensing/Registration Compliance Forms, DCC-521: PUB-001 601.2, 'Licensing Compliance Form(s) (DCC-521) shall be maintained at the facility for three (3) years. THE FACILITY SHALL ADVISE PARENTS IN WRITING that the compliance forms are available for review upon request.' PUB-003 601.1.a carries the same with the same written-notice duty. (b) The written behavior guidance policy, which must be 'provided to parents, with a copy signed by the parents and retained by the caregiver' (PUB-001 603.2.e). (c) Written notice at enrolment that 'children may be subject to interviews by licensing staff,…
• A POSTING THAT IS PROHIBITED. PUB-001 501.7 and PUB-003 501.6: 'POSTED GROUP BEHAVIOR CHARTS SHALL NOT BE USED.' Individual behavior charts that are not publicly displayed are the permitted alternative. This is the one thing in an Arkansas home you can be cited for putting on the wall.

Enrollment forms for each child

• 'Minimum Licensing Requirements for Child Care Family Homes' — PUB-001 (REV. 12/01/2020). The licensed-home rulebook. https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/2020-CCFH-Clean-Copy_20230506115827.pdf
• 'Registration Requirements for Registered Child Care Family Homes' — PUB-003 (REV. 12/01/2020). The registered-home rulebook. https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/2020-RCCFH-Clean-Copy_20230506120624.pdf
• Online application for a Child Care Facility Licence or Registration, filed through the eLicensing portal — https://ardhslicensing.my.site.com/elicensing/s/login/SelfRegister?language=en_US. Must be 'a completed and signed application on a form provided by the Division' (PUB-001 103.2.a; PUB-003 103.9.a) with 'All caregiver's names... included on the application' (PUB-001 103.2.i). Submit within 60 days of your anticipated opening date; a returned incomplete application must be cured within 7 days or it is withdrawn.
• OEC 'Step-by-Step Guide to apply for a Child Care License' — https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Application_step_by_step_guide_OEC_OEC.pdf. The only source for the mandatory Pre-Licensing Class, the 60-day/7-day timing, the online-only fee rule and the 'Registered Homes - no fee required' statement.
• OEC 'Licensing 101 Help Guide' — https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Licensing_101_help_guide_OEC.pdf. The six critical areas of compliance, the monitoring cadence, and the Corrective Action Plan mechanics.
• Diagram of the home. Licensed: 'Diagram of the home' (PUB-001 103.2.b). Registered, more specific: 'Diagram of the home INDICATING ROOMS TO BE USED BY CHILDREN IN CARE AND THE LOCATION OF EXIT DOORS' (PUB-003 103.9.b).
• Playground diagram — PUB-001 901.1: 'A diagram of the playground shall be submitted, clearly identifying the perimeter of the playground, with measurements, and identifying each piece of equipment used by the children... in the form of a satellite photo, when possible, from an internet site such as Google Maps, or a diagram of the playground if a satellite photo is not available.' PUB-001 901.2: 'Any changes in the play area boundaries or equipment requested must be submitted in writing and approved PRIOR TO USE.'
• Authorization for Release of Confidential Information and Child Maltreatment Central Registry Check Form — NOTARIZED, one per person living in the home age 18 and older, each with a $10.00 check or money order payable to Department of Human Services attached; household children under 18 (and, per PUB-001/PUB-003 108.1, any household member 10 and older) are listed on it (PUB-003 103.9.e). Mailed to DCFS Central Registry, Slot S566, P.O. Box 1437, Little Rock, AR 72203, 501-682-0405. Request route: https://humanservices.arkansas.gov/divisions-shared-services/children-family-services/request-a-child-maltreatment-check/
• Criminal Record Check Form(s) — 'Everyone in the home age eighteen (18) and older must complete a form. The form(s) must be NOTARIZED' (PUB-003 103.9.f).
• Arkansas DHS Criminal Background Check Request Form (State and Federal) — the form uploaded into the provider account at https://www.ark.org/criminal/index.php to trigger the combined Arkansas State Police and FBI fingerprint checks. Served today as https://ardhs.formstack.com/forms/arkansas_dhs_criminal_background_check_request_form. Fingerprint appointment booked separately at https://telegov.egov.com/dhsfingerprint; OEC publishes a fingerprint-locations list at https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/2021_04_15_Fingerprint-Locations_EBCS-Website_20230508110218.pdf
• Health Card — REGISTERED HOMES ONLY: 'A Health Card on applicant, other caregivers, and any adult(s) in addition to the caregiver(s) present in the home on a regular basis while children are in care' (PUB-003 103.9.c). The term does not appear anywhere in PUB-001.
• Registrant's Social Security number or Tax Identification number — REGISTERED HOMES ONLY: PUB-003 103.9.g requires the SSN or TIN on the application and even prints TIN instructions ('A TIN number can be obtained by calling 1-900-546-3920 or by sending a SS-4 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Memphis, Tennessee 37501. It takes approximately four (4) weeks to receive the TIN'). Note this 1-900 premium-rate number is almost certainly dead — verify with the IRS before dialling.
• Proof of relationship documents — RELATIVE CHILD CARE FAMILY HOME applicants only: children's birth certificate(s), the parent's birth certificate, marriage licence of the parent if the parent's last name changed, marriage licence of the caregiver if the caregiver's last name changed, and the caregiver's birth certificate if the application is for an aunt or uncle (PUB-003 103.2.a-e).
• Verification of Child Care Liability Insurance, minimum $100,000 per occurrence for a home (PUB-001 101.8.b; PUB-003 101.7.b). Required before approval; if not obtainable before application, must be in place before any child is cared for.
• Boiler / water-heater inspection verification, or verification that inspection has been scheduled with the Department of Labor Boiler Inspection Division (PUB-001 103.2.f, 801.2; PUB-003 103.9.h, 801.2).
• Zoning approval, where applicable — required of new applicants and of 'existing homes requesting increase in licensing capacity' (PUB-001 103.2.e; PUB-003 103.9.d).
• Fire department approval and Health department (food service) approval — 'if applicable' at application (PUB-001 103.2.c-d), MANDATORY for homes licensed for eleven or more children (PUB-001 301.4), mandatory for infant-specializing homes regardless of size (PUB-001 302.2), and annually for manufactured homes in both tiers (PUB-001 801.10; PUB-003 801.9). Verification of the ANNUAL approvals must be in the home records (PUB-001 601.3.e-f).
• Arkansas Manufactured Home Commission inspection and approval — for any manufactured home, before licensure or registration (PUB-001 801.9; PUB-003 801.8).
• DCC-521 Licensing / Registration Compliance Form — kept at the facility for three years, with parents advised IN WRITING that the forms are available for review on request (PUB-001 601.2; PUB-003 601.1.a).
• CPSC recall self-certification form — supplied by the Licensing Specialist and 'submitted annually' (PUB-001 1201.11).
• Home records file, enumerated at PUB-001 601.3: attendance records with date and time of arrival and departure and DAILY PARENTAL SIGNATURES on sign in/out forms; transportation rosters (kept one year); commercial vehicle insurance verification; Child Care Liability insurance verification; annual fire and health approvals; zoning approval (permanent record); annual Boiler Inspector Division approval; Mobile Home Commission approval (permanent record); record of emergency drills; Emergency Preparedness plans and procedures; procedures for reporting allegations of child maltreatment; CPSC recall and safety notice log; and pet vaccinations. All records kept THREE YEARS, 'including records on…
• Caregiver records, PUB-001 602.1: employee application for secondary caregivers (name, date of birth, address, telephone); documentation of high school diploma or GED and continuing education hours; 'Documentation of the initiation of all required background checks AND RESULTS OBTAINED'; and, for anyone who transports children, verification of transportation training and a current copy of the driver's licence.
• Children's records, PUB-001 603: identifying and personal data; medical records including physician contact, allergies and care plans, and 'An authorized record of up-to-date immunizations or documentation of a religious, medical, or philosophical exemption from the Arkansas Department of Health' plus a roster of children not fully immunised; a written accident/incident/injury record given to the parent ON THE DAY OF OCCURRENCE; signed permissions for emergency medical care and transportation, other transportation and field trips, water activities, authorised pick-up persons, photography/video, and social-media use; documented distribution of Shaken Baby Syndrome information under Carter's…
• Arkansas Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (Arkansas Division of Emergency Management) — a current copy maintained ON SITE, 'reviewed by the licensee and signed and dated, indicating that they have reviewed the current plan and agree to comply with the provisions of the plan' (PUB-001 1201.5).
• Kindergarten Readiness Skills Calendar or Checklist (Arkansas Department of Education) — distributed to parents of all enrolled 3- and 4-year-olds with a signed parent receipt retained (PUB-001 201.10, Act 825 of 2003).
• Statutory and background material OEC itself posts: the Childcare Facility Licensing Act compilation, §§ 20-78-201 to -230 (https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Arkansas_Statutes_%26_Court_Rules___Subchapter_2%E2%80%94Childcare_Facility_Licensing_Act_(%C2%A7_20%E2%80%9378%E2%80%93201_to_%C2%A7_20%E2%80%9378%E2%80%93230)___Westlaw_Advantage_OEC.pdf); Act 828 of 2021 (https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Act-828_20230507080148.pdf); the Child Care Licensing Area Telephone Directory (https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Child_Care_Licensing_Area_Telephone_Directory_2026_-_8.20.26_OEC.pdf); and the Child Transportation Safety Training document…

What's specific about getting licensed in Arkansas

Arkansas splits home child care into two different legal animals and providers routinely pick the wrong one. Caring for 5 or fewer children is only a REGISTRATION ('Registered Child Care Family Home'); the instant a 6th child from more than one family walks in, state law requires a full LICENSE ('Child Care Family Home,' 6–16 children). The counting trap is that your OWN preschool-age children count toward that six (only your school-age kids are exempt), so a provider with two toddlers of her own can legally take just three more before she must be licensed. And the program quietly moved out of DHS to the Department of Education's Office of Early Childhood — the current rulebooks are the PUB-001 (licensed) and PUB-003 (registered) editions revised 12/01/2020 on dese.ade.arkansas.gov, while most of the DHS DCCECE 'humanservices.arkansas.gov' PDFs a Google search still surfaces are dead links to superseded 2010/2014 versions. Real applications now run through the ardhslicensing eLicensing portal. (Note: annual continuing-education training is 15 hours for BOTH tiers — there is no license-vs-registration difference on training hours, contrary to a common myth.)

How long it takes and what it costs in Arkansas

Timeline: Roughly a few weeks to a few months. Sequence: pre-application consultation and application, then background clearances (the FBI fingerprint result is the long pole, commonly 2–6 weeks), CPR/First Aid class, then the on-site home inspection (plus fire/health inspections if licensing for 11+). A provisional license is issued first and runs up to 12 months, converting to a regular license once substantial compliance is demonstrated. The Family Child Care Provider Training (plus BAS training for a licensed home) is due within the first 6 months after licensure/registration, not before opening.

Cost: Licensed home: $15 annual license fee (a registered home is not assessed a registration fee in PUB-003). Background checks, per adult 18+ in the home: Child Maltreatment Central Registry $10 (check/money order to DHS, notarized) plus the Arkansas State Police and FBI fingerprint checks — the applicant pays the FBI cost, and the specific dollar amount is not stated in the rule, so confirm current fees with DESE OEC / Arkansas State Police. Additional out-of-pocket: in-person CPR/First Aid class and Child Care Liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence (required for BOTH registered and licensed homes). Confirm all current fees with DESE Office of Early Childhood.

Source: Sources officielles consultées pour Arkansas :

https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/2020-CCFH-Clean-Copy_20230506115827.pdf

https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/2020-RCCFH-Clean-Copy_20230506120624.pdf

https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Arkansas_Statutes_%26_Court_Rules___Subchapter_2%E2%80%94Childcare_Facilit

https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/child-care-licensing

https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/oec-policies

https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/about-oec

https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/electronic-background-check

https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/frequently-asked-questions

Verified 2026-08-25. General information, not legal advice and not a guarantee of licensure — confirm with your state’s licensing agency before applying.