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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 Department of Education, 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.

The In-Home Registration is not valid for child care provided outside the child(ren)'s own home.' READ '5 OR LESS', NOT 'FEWER THAN 5'. OEC's own Child Care Licensing page, read 2026-08-25, summarises the tier as 'Registered Child Care Family Homes – Homes that care for fewer than 5 children.' That web blurb is wrong by one child. The rule text is 'five (5) or less children' in all three sub-definitions, and the statutory exclusion at § 20-78-202(2)(D)(v) is 'fewer than six (6) children,' i.e. five. Five is the ceiling, and five is allowed. TIER 2 — LICENSED CHILD CARE FAMILY HOME (PUB-001). PUB-001 102.1: 'A Child Care Family Home is defined as a situation in which children are cared for in a caregiver's own family residence or in some other suitable family type residence.' PUB-001 102.4 is the trigger: 'A home requires licensing when one (1) or more persons care for six (6) or more children, from more than one (1) family at the same time. A maximum of sixteen (16) children may be cared for with a Child Care Family Home license.' PUB-003 103.7 states the same rule from the registered side and adds the counting convention: 'If at any time care is provided to six (6) or more children from more than one (1) family, the law requires the provider to be licensed.'

WHOSE CHILDREN COUNT — the sentence to memorise, printed almost identically in both books. PUB-001 102.7: 'The caregiver's own preschool children shall be considered when determining the need for a license. The caregiver's own school age children are not considered when determining the need for a license. Other children in the home who are not accompanied by a parent, whether pay is received for care or not, are considered in determining the need for a license and will be counted in the ratio after a license is obtained.' PUB-003 103.7 repeats it for registration. And PUB-001 301.8 carries the same split into the operating ratio: 'The primary caregiver's own preschool children shall be included in the caregiver to child ratio. The primary caregiver's own school age children are not considered in the ratio.' Note the two independent hooks in the 'other children' sentence: it is not about payment, and it is not about kinship — it is about whether a parent is present. A neighbour's child dropped off unaccompanied counts even if you charge nothing. NO 'GROUP' OR 'LARGE FAMILY' TIER. Arkansas has exactly two home categories.

Above sixteen children a home is not a bigger home; it is a child care CENTER under a different rulebook ('Minimum Licensing Requirements for Child Care Centers'). There is no Arkansas analogue to the 'group family child care home' tier used in Michigan, New York or Indiana. Anyone drafting an Arkansas table with three home tiers is inventing one. ONE PERMIT PER STRUCTURE, WITH A DUPLEX CARVE-OUT. PUB-001 102.1: 'There shall be no more than one (1) license issued per home or structure. (This does not apply to situations such as a duplex where two (2) licenses could be issued to two (2) separate applicants.)' PUB-003 103.4 is the mirror image for registrations. PUB-001 102.5: 'An individual shall be eligible to hold only one (1) license, which shall be issued for one (1) location.' PUB-003 103.4 likewise: 'An individual shall be eligible to hold only one (1) registration, which shall be issued for one (1) specified location.' THE LICENSEE IS THE CAREGIVER — this is a personal permit, not a business permit you can staff around. PUB-001 102.5: 'The holder(s) of the license shall be considered the primary caregiver(s) and shall be present and responsible for children during hours of care.

At least one (1) of the Licensees (primary caregivers) shall be present at all times children are in care and shall not be otherwise employed during the hours of care.' The only give is 102.6: 'If a qualified secondary caregiver is present, the primary caregiver may be absent for reasons related to the operation of the childcare business such as attending required training, and for brief or occasional absences relating to personal business or personal time off. Compliance with staff to child ratio must still be maintained during the absence of the primary caregiver.' PUB-003 103.6 states the identical rule for registered homes. PUB-001 303.3 adds: 'When two (2) persons are listed as joint holders of the license and are both primary caregivers, at least one (1) shall be present in the home while children are in care.' A SHIFT CAP THAT EXISTS ONLY FOR REGISTERED HOMES. PUB-003 103.5: 'Home with only one (1) caregiver shall limit care to no more than two (2) shifts (eighteen (18) hours) per twenty-four (24) hour period. Homes offering twenty-four (24) hour care shall provide a schedule verifying that they have made provisions for a secondary caregiver to provide relief for one (1) shift. (Alternative compliance may be requested by caregivers who provide twenty-four (24) hour care and who do not have a secondary caregiver...)' PUB-001 has no equivalent numeric shift cap.

THE LOCATION IS PART OF THE PERMIT. PUB-001 103.8: 'The license as issued shall apply only to the home's location at the time of licensing. The Licensee shall notify the Child Care Licensing Specialist's office of a change of location or ownership at which time a new study shall be conducted.' PUB-003 104.5 is identical for registrations. There is no annual renewal cycle in the ordinary sense: PUB-001 103.8 continues, 'Upon issuance of a license, the license shall remain in effect as long as compliance is maintained with the Minimum Licensing Requirements for Child Care Family Homes,' and PUB-003 104.5 mirrors it. What ends a permit passively is DORMANCY — PUB-001 102.9: 'Any home that has not provided care to children for a period of one (1) year shall have the license closed unless a written request is made by the Licensee stating why closure should not take place. If the Licensee requests that the license remain open, license fees and required annual inspections shall be kept current.' PUB-003 103.8 says the same for registration. THE VOLUNTARY DOOR IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. PUB-001 102.8: 'A Child Care Family Home which is not required to be licensed by this definition may voluntarily choose to apply for a license or for registration with the Voluntary Registry.'

So a four-child provider may elect the full licensed regime if she wants the 16-child ceiling available later, and a provider who never intends to exceed five may still choose registration for the certificate and program eligibility.

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.

This area shall not include kitchens, bathrooms, hallways or closets.' Do the arithmetic before you apply: sixteen children require at least 560 square feet of qualifying child-use space, and the excluded rooms are exactly the ones that inflate a floor plan. A 300-square-foot living-and-play area supports eight children, not sixteen, whatever the license says on its face. PUB-003 CONTAINS NO SQUARE-FOOTAGE REQUIREMENT AT ALL for registered homes — 801 in PUB-003 runs building cleanliness, boiler, telephone, ventilation, carbon monoxide and manufactured-home items with no per-child area figure. Do not import the 35 sq ft rule into the registered tier. OUTDOOR SPACE, BOTH TIERS. PUB-001 901.4 and PUB-003 901 require the play or outdoor learning area to be 'fenced or otherwise enclosed and provide at least seventy-five (75) square feet per child present on the playground at any time.' This is a per-child-PRESENT figure, so it is satisfied by rotating groups; the 35 sq ft indoor figure is not. THE TWO-SCHOOL-AGERS ALLOWANCE — LICENSED HOMES ONLY, AND IT HAS A FIRE TRIPWIRE. PUB-001 301.9, quoted in full because every clause bites: 'A Licensed Home may care for two (2) school age children for a short time not to exceed a total of three (3) hours per day before or after a school day.

These two (2) children shall not be counted in the caregiver to child ratio. School age children who are in care at times other than before or after a school day shall be included in the caregiver to child ratio. These same two (2) children may stay all day in care and not be counted in the ratio due to emergency school closings, such as inclement weather. The home's capacity shall not be exceeded other than the above stated exemptions. If the attendance exceeds ten (10), fire approval is required.' So: (a) the two extra school-agers ride outside the ratio only in the before/after-school window and only up to three hours a day total; (b) on a snow day the same two may stay all day, still uncounted; (c) the moment total attendance passes TEN, fire approval is required even though the general fire trigger is eleven; (d) summer and school-holiday care of school-agers is fully counted. PUB-003 has no counterpart — a registered home's five is five including school-agers other than the provider's own. THE INSPECTION TRIPWIRE AT ELEVEN. PUB-001 301.4: 'Fire inspection is mandatory for Homes licensed for eleven (11) or more children.

Health inspection (food service) is mandatory for Homes licensed for eleven (11) or more children.' OEC's Child Care Licensing page restates it in plain English: 'Licensed Homes – Homes that care for 6 to 16 children... Health and fire department approvals are required if care is provided to 11 or more children. City zoning approval is required where applicable.' A licensed home for 6-10 children can therefore open WITHOUT fire-department and health-department approvals, which is a material cost and timeline difference; PUB-001 103.2.c and .d list those approvals as 'if applicable' precisely for this reason. Once required, they are recurring: PUB-001 601.3.e and .f require 'Verification of ANNUAL fire department approval, if applicable' and 'Verification of ANNUAL health department approval, if applicable' in the home records. A SECOND FIRE TRIPWIRE THAT IS NOT ABOUT HEADCOUNT. PUB-001 302.2: 'Homes specializing in infant care shall have a Fire Department inspection and approval' — regardless of how few children are enrolled. PUB-001 801.10 adds a third: 'Annual fire approval shall be obtained on all manufactured homes licensed as Child Care Family Homes,' and PUB-003 801.9 imposes the same annual fire approval on all registered manufactured homes.

Manufactured homes in either tier must also 'be tied down and under-pinned as required by the Arkansas Manufactured Home Commission' and 'obtain an inspection and approval from the Arkansas Manufactured Home Commission prior to being licensed' / 'prior to registration' (PUB-001 801.9; PUB-003 801.8). THE FLOOR-LEVEL RULE THAT CAN COST YOU A ROOM. PUB-003 1202, preamble, and the parallel provision in PUB-001 1202: 'The currently adopted Arkansas Fire Prevention Code does not allow the use of basements or floors above ground level by children first grade and younger unless there is a ground level exit.' A finished basement playroom without its own ground-level exit does not count toward your 35 sq ft and cannot hold your preschoolers. Exits generally: PUB-003 1202.4 requires 'at least two (2) exits to the outside located on different sides of the home' and 'A Registered Home with more than one (1) level shall have second exits on all levels used by children.' CAPACITY IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE NUMBER, NOT A SELF-SERVE ONE. PUB-001 103.2.e requires zoning approval 'by new applicants for license and by existing homes requesting INCREASE IN LICENSING CAPACITY' — so raising your capacity re-opens the zoning question.

And per OEC's Licensing 101 Help Guide, 'Any requests for capacity or license status changes will be considered upon completion of the CAP' if you are on a Corrective Action Plan. CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES. PUB-001 301.10 and PUB-003 301.17 both provide: 'Additional staff provisions shall be made for enrollment of children with disabilities who require individual attention.' PUB-001 306.2 / PUB-003 302.2 extend the same logic to adults: 'The home shall have additional staff when there are persons in the home who require constant or routine care.' Neither is a capacity reduction on its face, but both are enforceable staffing add-ons on top of the ratio table.

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).

One caregiver's absolute ceiling is ten, and only with an all-3-and-up group. BLOCK 301.2 — labelled 'TWO' caregivers: A. 3-6 children: '0-up' (no under-2 sub-cap at all) B. 7 children: '0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years)' C. 8 children: '0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years)' D. 9 children: '0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years)' E. 10-14 children: '0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years)' F. 15-16 children: '0-up (no more than 2 under 2 years)' Note the counter-intuitive shape of F: going from fourteen to fifteen children HALVES the permitted infants, from four to two. BLOCK 301.3 — AND HERE IS A REAL DEFECT IN THE PUBLISHED RULE. The 'Adult Caregiver(s)' cell for the 301.3 block is BLANK in PUB-001 (REV. 12/01/2020). Where 301.1 prints 'ONE' and 301.2 prints 'TWO', 301.3 prints nothing — verified by two independent text extractions of the PDF, neither of which yields the word 'THREE' anywhere in the document. The rows themselves are: A. 7 children: '0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years)' B. 8 children: '0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years)' C. 9 children: '0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years)' D. 10-14 children: '0-up (no more than 5 under 2 years)' E. 15-16 children: '0-up (no more than 4 under 2 years)' The internal logic — a block that starts at seven rather than three, and that raises the under-2 allowance above the two-caregiver block at every matching row — makes THREE caregivers the only coherent reading, and that is how the block is universally applied.

But the rulebook does not say so in words. Cite 301.3 as 'the third staffing block (three caregivers by construction; the adult-count cell is blank in the published table)' rather than asserting 'PUB-001 301.3 requires three caregivers,' and confirm your specific staffing plan with your Licensing Specialist before you build a budget on it. INFANT-SPECIALIZING HOMES — A SEPARATE, STRICTER RULE. PUB-001 302, 'Homes specializing in Infant Care: Staff/Child Ratio', is two sentences: '1. Homes specializing in infant care shall maintain a 1:3 ratio. 2. Homes specializing in infant care shall have a Fire Department inspection and approval.' One adult to three infants, and fire approval regardless of headcount. The rulebook does not define 'specializing,' so the threshold at which an ordinary licensed home becomes an infant-specializing one is a judgment call by the Licensing Unit. WHO IS IN THE RATIO AND WHO IS NOT. • The primary caregiver's own PRESCHOOL children are IN (PUB-001 301.8). Own SCHOOL-AGE children are OUT. • Two school-age children before/after school for up to three hours a day are OUT (PUB-001 301.9) — see 'capacity_max'. • VOLUNTEERS may be counted, but only by becoming staff: PUB-001 304.1 / PUB-003 303.1: 'Volunteers are those individuals who have routine contact with children and assist in the home.

If they are left alone with children, considered in the staff to child ratios or given supervisory and disciplinary control over children, they shall be considered staff and must meet caregiver qualifications and responsibilities.' There is no cheap second body in Arkansas home care. • STUDENT OBSERVERS are NOT counted: PUB-001 305.1: 'Students visiting the home on a regular or periodic basis to observe classroom activities or for other similar purposes shall not be counted in the staff to child ratio, shall not have disciplinary control over children, and shall not be left alone with children. These individuals shall have a child maltreatment background check on file.' • Persons who 'provide health services or program enrichment activities on a limited basis are not considered volunteers' (PUB-001 304.4; PUB-003 303.4), but the home must keep a register of them with 'name, organization address, telephone number, date, and time'. SUPERVISION IS A SEPARATE OBLIGATION FROM RATIO — PUB-001 301.5, PUB-003 304: 'The caregiver shall be responsible for children in care at all times and shall exercise prudent supervision. a.

When a caregiver is not in the same room with children the children shall be frequently observed, and the caregiver shall remain close enough to easily hear them; b. Doors to rooms where children are sleeping or playing within the home shall remain open and sleeping children shall be visually monitored and periodically checked to ensure they are breathing normally; and c. The caregiver shall be present on the outdoor play area at all times when any children are present.' Two domestic prohibitions sit in the same block and are cited surprisingly often: PUB-001 301.6 / PUB-003 304.5, 'The caregiver shall not leave children unattended in the kitchen area of the home while any cooking is occurring,' and PUB-001 301.7 / PUB-003 304.6, 'Ironing shall not occur in the presence of the children.' WHAT OEC ENFORCES ON A VISIT. The 'Licensing 101 Help Guide' lists 'Staff/Child Ratios & Supervision' as one of the six critical areas and spells out the operative checklist: 'The site shall: 1. Not exceed the licensed capacity at any given time. 2. Maintain appropriate ratios. 3. Not mix infants and toddlers with preschool age unless there are eight (8) or less children in care. 4. Not leave children unattended or unsupervised for any amount of time. 5. Prohibit cell phone use except in cases of emergency. 6. Director, Assistant Director or Site Supervisor plus 50% of staff have current First Aid and CPR.'

Item 3 — the age-mixing bar at eight children — and item 5, the cell-phone prohibition, do NOT appear in the PUB-001 home rulebook text; item 6 is a CENTER formulation (a home has no Director) and is stricter than PUB-001 303.8, which requires only that at least one first-aid/CPR-certified caregiver be on site at all times. Treat the Help Guide as OEC's enforcement posture and PUB-001 as the citable rule, and ask your Specialist which governs your home. TRANSPORTATION HAS ITS OWN RATIO. PUB-001 1301 requires, among other things, an additional adult 'when more than ten (10) children age three (3) and above are transported', and PUB-001 1302 sets 'a ratio of one (1) adult to three (3) children' for infant and toddler transportation. Any driver must 'Be certified in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and First Aid' (PUB-001 1301).

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.'

You cannot skip it, and it applies to the registered tier too. The rulebooks' silence on it is a gap in the 12/01/2020 booklets, not permission. (2) THE PRE-APPLICATION / PRE-APPROVAL CONSULTATION MEETING — a separate, one-to-one meeting with your area Specialist, and this one IS in the rules. 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 identical requirement on registration applicants, phrased 'A pre-application consultation meeting shall be required for all applicants for registration prior to approval of the application.' The Step-by-Step Guide describes what the Specialist does at this stage: 'The Child Care Licensing Specialist will offer technical assistance, both before submission of an application and during the application process... The Licensing Specialist will also 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 it; it is free consultancy on the two approvals that most often delay an opening. (3) FIRST AID AND CPR — required from the first day of care, and Arkansas explicitly rejects online-only certification. PUB-001 303.8, and PUB-003 301.10 in identical words: 'At least one (1) caregiver who has a current certificate of successful completion of first aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) from an approved organization shall be on site at all times. If the home serves infants and toddlers, this training shall include infant and child CPR. (Infant and child CPR may be included in the basic course or in a separate course.) a. The curriculum shall conform to current American Heart Association or American Red Cross guidelines; 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; and c. The instructor shall be qualified and authorized to teach the curriculum and shall be certified by a nationally recognized organization. (Including but not limited to: Health and Safety Institute; Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Safety Services, Inc.)' Read 'on site at all times' literally: a sole-operator home means the sole operator must hold it.

Anyone who drives children must also 'Be certified in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and First Aid' (PUB-001 1301). (4) THE EIGHT-CLOCK-HOUR ORIENTATION — post-entry, but it locks you out of solo supervision until done. PUB-001 303.7, and PUB-003 301.9 verbatim the same: 'All caregivers, including volunteers who are counted in the ratios, shall receive the following orientation within three (3) months of employment (AND EVERY THREE (3) YEARS THEREAFTER) and SHALL NOT BE LEFT ALONE WITH CHILDREN UNTIL THIS IS COMPLETED.' The content is enumerated as 'Introduction (eight (8) clock hours)' covering, verbatim: 'a. Proper supervision of children; b. Behavioral guidance practices; c. Safe sleep practices for infants; d. Shaken baby syndrome; which includes prevention (Carter's Law, Act 1208); e. Appropriately responding to a crying, fussy, infant or child; f. Emergency procedures in the event of severe weather, or fire, including evacuation procedures and routes, and location, and use of fire extinguishers; g. Mandated reporter training; h. Administering medication; i. Caring for children with special needs or care plans; j.

Transportation and car seat safety; k. Policies regarding release of children to authorized individuals; l. Prevention and control of infectious diseases; m. Building and physical premises safety, including the identification of, and protection from, hazards, bodies of water, and vehicular traffic; n. Nutrition and physical activities; o. Prevention and response to food sensitivities and allergic reactions; p. Basic child development; and q. The handling and storage of hazardous materials and the appropriate disposal of bio contaminants.' Those seventeen topics are Arkansas's implementation of the federal CCDBG pre-service health-and-safety list; the three-year refresh is unusual and easy to miss. (5) THE SIX-MONTH POST-PERMIT COURSES — AND HERE THE COMMON SUMMARY IS SIMPLY WRONG. It is widely repeated that registered providers owe only 'Family Child Care Provider Training' while BAS is a licensed-home extra. PUB-003 imposes BOTH, in two separate numbered items: PUB-003 301.6: 'Newly Registered Home providers shall attend Family Child Care Provider Training within the first six (6) months of being registered.'

PUB-003 301.15: 'Newly registered caregivers shall attend Business Administration Scale (BAS) training within the first six (6) months of being registered.' PUB-001 303.13, for licensed homes, packages them in one sentence with an escape hatch registered homes do not get: 'Newly licensed caregivers shall attend Family Child Care Provider Training and Business Administration Scale (BAS) training (or other approved tools that are considered equivalent in the state's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) within the first six (6) months of being licensed.' So both tiers owe both courses within six months; only the LICENSED tier has the express QRIS-equivalent substitution. WHO MAY BE THE CAREGIVER AT ALL — the age and education gates differ by tier and are a genuine pre-service requirement. • LICENSED: PUB-001 303.1: 'The primary caregiver shall be twenty-one (21) years or older. A secondary caregiver shall be age eighteen (18) or older.' PUB-001 303.2: 'Primary caregivers licensed after November 1, 2002, and all secondary caregivers shall have a high school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED).

If a diploma or proof of a GED is not available, a reasonable attempt to obtain a copy shall be documented.' • REGISTERED: PUB-003 301.1: 'The Registered Home primary caregiver shall be eighteen (18) years or older.' PUB-003 301.2: 'The primary caregiver and all secondary caregivers shall have a high school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED).' Note the registered tier has NO 2002 grandfather clause and no 'reasonable attempt' softener in the text — the diploma requirement is stated flat. • BOTH: the caregiver 'shall be physically and emotionally able to care for children' (PUB-001 303.9; PUB-003 301.11), and 'Child Care Licensing may require a physician's statement for any caregiver anytime behavioral or physical indicators warrant' (PUB-001 303.10; PUB-003 301.12). PUB-001 303.5 / PUB-003 301.5: 'The caregiver shall have a person who would be able to care for the children in the event of an emergency' — name your backup before you open. • A REGISTERED-TIER DOCUMENT THE LICENSED TIER DOES NOT DEMAND: PUB-003 103.9.c requires '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.'

The phrase 'health card' appears NOWHERE in PUB-001. Do not carry it into a licensed-home checklist. IMMUNIZATIONS FOR STAFF ARE RECOMMENDED, NOT REQUIRED — and the rulebooks say so three times each. PUB-001 1101.11-.13 and PUB-003 301.18-.20: 'It is recommended that all staff members who have direct contact with children receive annual Influenza (flu) immunizations... receive a one-time Tdap (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis) immunization... receive the recommended series of immunizations for chicken pox, mumps, measles, and rubella, or evidence of immunity.' Children's immunizations, by contrast, are mandatory records: PUB-001 603.3.e requires '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 who have not completed the minimum immunization requirements.'

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.

Child growth and development; b. Nutrition and food service; c. Parent communication and involvement; d. Curriculum and curriculum development; e. Developmentally appropriate practice and learning environments; f. Behavior management; g. Emergency care and first aid; and h. Administration and management of early childhood program.' THE STATUTORY FLOOR IS TEN, NOT FIFTEEN — this is the fact that gets mangled in both directions. Ark. Code Ann. § 20-78-222(a)(1): 'All persons employed by a childcare facility who work directly with children shall receive AT LEAST TEN (10) HOURS PER YEAR of continuing early childhood education as approved by the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education of the Department of Human Services.' Subsection (a)(2) then lists the same eight topics PUB-003 reproduces — which is where PUB-003 got them. So: the STATUTE says ten; the RULES say fifteen; the rules are stricter and therefore govern what an inspector cites. It is wrong to say 'no ten-hour figure exists in Arkansas' (§ 20-78-222 is right there) and equally wrong to publish ten as the provider's requirement (no home provider is ever safe at ten).

Publish fifteen; know that the ten exists and where. THE ENFORCEMENT TEETH ARE STATUTORY. § 20-78-222(b): 'Evidence satisfactory to the division of each employee's completion within the past twelve (12) months of continuing education shall be maintained by the childcare facility as part of the childcare facility's personnel records.' § 20-78-222(c): 'The failure of a childcare facility to comply with this requirement shall be grounds for the denial, revocation, or suspension of a license issued pursuant to this subchapter.' Missing training hours is not a paperwork citation in Arkansas; it is an express ground for revocation. WHAT COUNTS AS A 'YEAR' — PUB-001 602.1.b carries a clarification you should read before you plan a training calendar: 'Documentation of high school diploma or GED, and continuing education hours (If these documents are no longer available, proof of reasonable effort to obtain the documentation is acceptable). (Clarification: TRAINING HOURS WILL BE COUNTED ON A CALENDAR YEAR BASIS OR BY THE HOME'S OPERATING SCHEDULE IF THEY DO NOT OPERATE YEAR-ROUND.)' A seasonal home is measured against its own operating schedule, not January-December.

WHERE THE HOURS MUST BE REGISTERED. Both rules require the training to be 'registered with the DCCECE Professional Development Registry' or approved by the Department of Education or Department of Higher Education. That registry is now run by OEC's Content and Development unit, which the OEC About page describes as providing 'training and technical assistance to child care and early childhood education professionals/programs, families and OEC staff through a variety of professional development contracts; the Arkansas Birth through Pre-K Teaching Credential; the Arkansas Child Care Aware Network; the Professional Development Registry' — contact 501-320-8906. Hours from an unregistered provider are at risk of not counting. WHAT THE FIFTEEN HOURS DOES NOT ABSORB. Three separate obligations run alongside and are not satisfied by the annual fifteen: (a) the 8-clock-hour orientation, refreshed 'every three (3) years thereafter' (PUB-001 303.7; PUB-003 301.9); (b) current hands-on first aid and CPR certification, kept current per the certifying body's own cycle (PUB-001 303.8; PUB-003 301.10); and (c) the emergency-plan drill training — PUB-001 1201.3.e requires 'Procedures and documentation for annual training of staff regarding the plan and possible reassignment of staff duties in an emergency,' and 1201.7.e requires that 'Caregivers, including volunteers, shall be trained in safety drill procedures.' If you transport children, add the transportation training documented under PUB-001 602.1.d and OEC's separately posted 'Child Transportation Safety Training'.

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'.

REGISTERED (PUB-003 108.1): substantively identical, with (a) simply 'Each applicant' and (b) 'All household members who are at least ten (10) years of age'. THE TEN-YEAR-OLD THRESHOLD IS THE TRAP. It is age TEN for the maltreatment registry and age EIGHTEEN for the police checks. Your own twelve-year-old is in scope for the registry check. PUB-001 304.3 / PUB-003 303.3 add: 'Child Maltreatment Central Registry checks for volunteers under eighteen (18) years of age must include a parent's signature.' THE FORM AND THE FEE. PUB-003 103.9.e sets out the mechanics in the registered-home application list, and this is the sentence the $10 figure comes from: 'A signed Authorization for Release of Confidential Information and Child Maltreatment Central Registry Check Form (Everyone living in the home age eighteen (18) and older must complete and sign this form. A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER FOR $10.00 MADE OUT TO DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES (DHS) MUST BE ATTACHED TO EACH FORM. Children under age eighteen (18) only need to be listed where applicable. THIS FORM MUST BE NOTARIZED).' Note the two-layer design: the FORM is signed by adults 18+, and children 10-17 are 'listed' on it rather than signing their own.

PUB-001's licensed-home application list (103.2) does NOT reproduce this paragraph — it says only 'Verification that all required criminal background checks and child maltreatment central registry checks have been INITIATED' — so the notarised-form-and-$10 mechanics are printed in the registered book and applied to both. CURRENT FEE AND ADDRESS, verified on OEC's Electronic Background Check page 2026-08-25: 'Arkansas Central Registry Child Abuse & Neglect Check... DCFS Central Registry, Slot S566, P.O. Box 1437, Little Rock, AR 72203. Phone: 501-682-0405. Fee: $10.00.' The same page warns, in bold on the page: 'The online criminal background check does not include the Child Maltreatment Registry Check' — the registry check is a separate, paper, notarised, mailed transaction. Requests go through https://humanservices.arkansas.gov/divisions-shared-services/children-family-services/request-a-child-maltreatment-check/. WHAT A TRUE REPORT DOES. PUB-001 108.2: the Division may 'a. Deny an application; b. Require corrective action; and c. Take appropriate adverse action against the licensee.'

PUB-001 108.4: 'If a complaint of child maltreatment is filed against any employee or persons in the home, the Child Care Licensing Unit shall evaluate the risk to children and determine the suitability of persons to supervise, be left alone with children, or remain in the home during hours of care until the allegations have been determined true or unsubstantiated.' PUB-001 108.5: a true report puts the person on a Licensing-approved corrective action plan whose 'measures may vary from relevant training to reassignment or termination.' === CHECK 2: ARKANSAS STATE POLICE FINGERPRINT CHECK, INCLUDING THE ARKANSAS SEXUAL OFFENDER REGISTRY — EVERY FIVE YEARS === PUB-001 109.2: 'The following persons shall be required to have their background reviewed through a fingerprint criminal records check including the Arkansas Sexual Offender Registry, conducted by the Arkansas State Police.' The table: (a) 'Each applicant to own or operate a Licensed Home' — at application and every five years; (b) 'ALL HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS WHO ARE EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER' — 'At application; upon residency and every five (5) years thereafter'; (c) staff and applicants for employment — prior to employment and every five years; (d) 'Volunteers and Therapists who have routine contact with children'; (e) 'Other persons who have supervisory or disciplinary control over children, or have routine contact with children'.

THE HIRING BLOCK, printed in a box in both books: 'A prospective staff member may not begin work until the Arkansas State Police criminal record check result has been returned as satisfactory. Following receipt of the satisfactory result, this individual must be supervised at all times, pending completion of all of the required background check components, by a staff member who has successfully completed all required background checks.' So the ASP result unlocks supervised work; only the full set unlocks unsupervised work. OUT-OF-STATE: 'Prospective 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 criminal background check and sexual offender registry check in any states where they resided during the past five (5) years. (A National Sexual Offender Registry check will also be conducted on prospective employees.)' OEC's Electronic Background Check page adds the operational rule: 'The applicant/provider is responsible for initiating the out-of-state process PRIOR TO EMPLOYMENT regardless if the Arkansas State Police criminal record check result has been returned as satisfactory.

The applicant shall remain on a PROVISIONAL STATUS until all out-of-state background checks have been returned as satisfactory.' It also notes 'Arkansas is a National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact State. However, Arkansas is not a National Fingerprint File state.' CURRENT FEES, OEC Electronic Background Check page, read 2026-08-25: 'Arkansas Criminal History Check... Arkansas State Police, One State Police Plaza Dr., Little Rock, AR 72209. Phone: 501-618-8500. FEE: $25.00.' 'Arkansas Sex Offender Registry... FEE: NONE.' === CHECK 3: FBI NATIONWIDE FINGERPRINT CHECK — EVERY FIVE YEARS, AND THE PERSON-LISTS DIVERGE BETWEEN TIERS === Both books head this section '109 FBI Criminal Record Checks' (the table of contents in PUB-001 calls it merely '109 Criminal Record Checks'). Opening line, both: 'The following persons shall apply to the Identification Bureau of the Arkansas State Police for a nationwide criminal records check, to be conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which shall include a fingerprint check: (THE INDIVIDUAL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE NATIONWIDE CHECK.)' PUB-001 109.1 (LICENSED) lists FOUR categories and HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS ARE NOT AMONG THEM: (a) 'Each applicant to own or operate a Licensed Home' — at initial application and every five years; (b) 'Each staff member'; (c) 'Volunteers and therapists who have routine contact with children or who have supervisory or disciplinary control over children'; (d) 'Other persons who have supervisory or disciplinary control over children, or have routine contact with children'.

PUB-003 109.1 (REGISTERED) folds household members into the first row explicitly: (a) 'Each applicant to own or operate a Registered Home AND ALL HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS AGE EIGHTEEN (18) AND UP' — at initial application and every five years; (b) 'Each staff member'; (c) 'Volunteers or other persons who have supervisory or disciplinary control over children, are left alone with children, or have routine contact with children'. That is a real, checkable divergence: on the face of the two rulebooks, an adult housemate in a REGISTERED home must clear the FBI check, while PUB-001's FBI table does not name household members for a LICENSED home (they are, however, covered for the ASP check under 109.2.b and for the maltreatment registry under 108.1.b at age ten). Do not assume; ask your Specialist, because in practice OEC processes both checks together through one submission. 'Fingerprints submitted will be used to check the criminal history records of the FBI. Individuals with results showing a prohibited offense shall be advised to contact the Licensing Unit for procedures to obtain the results and for procedures to update or make corrections to the record of their individual history.' === HOW IT IS ACTUALLY SUBMITTED IN 2026 — the electronic system, from OEC's Electronic Background Check page read 2026-08-25 === The provider (not the applicant) drives it.

Log into the provider account at https://www.ark.org/criminal/index.php and click 'Search.' 'Fill in the information about the applicant and upload completed State and Federal Criminal Background Check form' — the Arkansas DHS Criminal Background Check Request Form, served today as a Formstack form at https://ardhs.formstack.com/forms/arkansas_dhs_criminal_background_check_request_form. 'Double-check that the documents uploaded correctly before clicking “Submit FBI and State.”' 'No refunds will be provided for incorrect data entry or incorrect selection of data submitted.' A pop-up returns a Search ID and a Transaction number; 'The provider must give the Transaction number to the applicant so that the fingerprint scan can be scheduled.' Live-scan appointments are booked at https://telegov.egov.com/dhsfingerprint; 'It usually takes less than 20 minutes for fingerprints to be scanned.' 'Results are normally back in five to ten business days.' The provider account then shows one of four statuses, quoted: 'Pending – the check has been submitted and is being processed'; 'Provisional – some steps in the review process are complete and the applicant can work UNDER DIRECT SUPERVISION, pending further checks'; 'Approved – all steps in review are complete, and the applicant is eligible to work WITHOUT direct supervision'; 'Not Approved – the review is complete, and the applicant is not eligible to be hired for the position.'

Disputes go through OEC's 'Challenging Your Background Check Result' page.

Questions: 'contact the OEC Licensing Unit at (501) 682-8590.' === WHAT DISQUALIFIES === PUB-001 109.3: 'Any charge or convictions listed in this section (Section 110) that are returned will be considered REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE RECORD IS EXPUNGED, PARDONED, OR OTHERWISE SEALED.' (The internal cross-reference to 'Section 110' is a drafting error — the offence lists are at 109.4 and 109.5; there is no Section 110 in PUB-001.) TEN PERMANENTLY PROHIBITING OFFENCES (PUB-001 109.4) — 'No person shall be eligible to be a child care facility owner, operator, employee, household member, or volunteer who is in the home on a routine or continual basis' with a guilty plea or finding for: Abuse of an endangered or impaired person, if felony (§ 5-28-103); Arson (§ 5-38-301); Capital Murder (§ 5-10-101); Endangering the welfare of an incompetent person in the first degree (§ 5-27-201); Kidnapping (§ 5-11-102); Murder in the first degree (§ 5-10-102); Murder in the second degree (§ 5-10-103); Rape (§ 5-14-103); Sexual assault in the first degree (§ 5-14-124); Sexual assault in the second degree (§ 5-14-125). SIXTY-TWO FURTHER PROHIBITED OFFENCES (PUB-001 109.5) — including criminal attempt/complicity/conspiracy/solicitation to commit any offence (§§ 5-3-201, -202, -401, -301);

assault and aggravated assault; battery in any degree; domestic battery in any degree; burglary and breaking or entering; coercion; computer crimes against minors; contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile or minor; criminal impersonation; criminal use of a prohibited weapon; communicating a death threat concerning a school employee or students; the child sexual-performance and obscenity offences (§§ 5-27-303, -304, -305, -401, -403; 5-68-303 to -305, 5-68-205); false imprisonment; felony interference with a law enforcement officer; FELONY VIOLATION OF THE UNIFORM CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE ACT (§ 5-64-101 et seq.); financial identity fraud; forgery; incest; interference with court-ordered custody and with visitation; introduction of a controlled substance into the body of another; manslaughter; negligent homicide; cruelty to animals and aggravated cruelty to a dog, cat or horse; permanent detention or restraint; permitting abuse of a minor; prostitution, sexual solicitation and promoting prostitution; resisting arrest; robbery and aggravated robbery; sexual offences generally (§ 5-14-101 et seq.);

simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms; soliciting money or property from incompetents; stalking; terroristic act and terroristic threatening; theft by receiving, theft of property, theft of services; unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle; and voyeurism.

THE TIME-BAR THAT LETS A 109.5 OFFENCE AGE OUT — PUB-001 109.10: a person with a 109.5 offence 'may not work in child care unless: a. The date of the conviction, plea of guilty or nolo contendere for a MISDEMEANOR offense is at least FIVE (5) YEARS from the date of the request for the criminal history records check and there have been no criminal convictions or pleas... of any type or nature during the five (5) year period preceding the background check request; or b. The date of the conviction... for a FELONY offense is at least TEN (10) YEARS from the date of the request... and there have been no criminal convictions or pleas... of any type or nature during the ten (10) year period preceding the background check request.' The lookback is clean-record-based, not offence-specific — any new conviction of any kind restarts the clock. THE NINE-OFFENCE WAIVER (PUB-001 109.6, citing § 20-38-103(e)(3)(A), Act 990 of 2013): for theft by receiving (§ 5-36-106), forgery (§ 5-37-201), financial identity fraud (§ 5-37-227), resisting arrest (§ 5-54-103), criminal impersonation in the second degree (§ 5-37-208(b)), interference with visitation (§ 5-26-501), interference with court-ordered visitation (§ 5-26-502), prostitution (§ 5-70-102) and patronizing a prostitute (§ 5-70-203), the Licensee 'shall submit a written request for a waiver PRIOR TO EMPLOYMENT.'

Conditions: 'The individual has completed probation or parole supervision; The individual has paid all court ordered fees, fines, and restitution; and The individual has fully complied with all court orders pertaining to the conviction or plea.' PUB-001 109.7: the waiver is revoked on any later prohibited offence or any true/founded maltreatment report. 109.8: 'The request for waiver and certification of approval shall be kept in the individual's file for the term of employment and three (3) years after termination.' 109.9: 'If approved, the waiver is not transferable to another licensed facility.' GRANDFATHER CLAUSE (PUB-001 109.11): 'Anyone employed in a licensed center, COE center, Licensed Child Care Family Home, or a Registered Child Care Family Home prior to 09/01/2009 with a clear background check history may remain eligible for employment unless the employee had a conviction, plead guilty, or plead nolo contendere to an offense listed in the above section (Section 109.5) since 09/01/2009.' THE DHS EXCLUSION LIST — a fourth screen nobody lists. PUB-001 201.3: 'Any individual and related parties, on the Department of Human Services (DHS) Exclusion List pursuant to DHS Exclusion Policy 1088 shall not be eligible to be an owner or Person in Charge of any licensed Child Care Family Home.'

FALSIFICATION. PUB-001 201.2: 'Falsification of any document and submission of false information to the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education (DCCECE) may constitute grounds for revocation of the license. (Falsification means the submission of untrue information, WHETHER BY STATEMENT OR OMISSION.)' THERAPISTS — a nuance in both books (PUB-001 304.4; PUB-003 303.4): 'Therapists who are not left alone with children are required to have child maltreatment background checks. Therapists who are left alone with children at any time are subject to ALL background checks required for personnel. The therapist is entitled to a copy of the initial background or maltreatment check results and may share a copy with other facilities in which the therapist may be working.' ADULTS IN THE HOME, declared in writing. PUB-001 306.1: 'The caregiver(s) shall provide a clear statement regarding the presence of any other adults eighteen (18) years of age and above who remain in the home during any hours in which care is being given. Such persons shall not present a threat to the safety or welfare of children.'

PUB-003 302.1 is broader — it reaches everyone who RESIDES in the home, not only those present during care hours: 'The caregiver(s) shall provide a clear statement regarding the presence of any other adults eighteen (18) years of age and above WHO RESIDE IN THE HOME. Any adult, residents, or visitors shall not present a threat to the safety or welfare of children.'

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 moment a sixth unrelated child is present (PUB-001 102.4). You may also opt UP: 'A Child Care Family Home which is not required to be licensed by this definition may voluntarily choose to apply for a license or for registration with the Voluntary Registry' (PUB-001 102.8).
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 Nutrition Program; Better Beginnings.' This class applies to registered-home applicants too and appears in NEITHER rulebook — do not skip it because PUB-001/PUB-003 are silent.
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 capacity against PUB-001 801.3 (35 usable indoor sq ft per child, excluding kitchens, bathrooms, hallways and closets), whether you cross the eleven-child line that makes fire AND health inspections mandatory (PUB-001 301.4), and whether any room you are counting is a basement or above-ground floor barred to first-graders-and-younger without a ground-level exit (PUB-001/PUB-003 1202 preamble).
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 development; (C) Fire and life safety; (D) Sanitation; and (E) Building codes,' and (d)(1) that a local authority 'shall not impose: (A) Any additional regulations that do not also apply to other residential properties; or (B) Stricter requirements than those in the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code.' Zoning approval is required 'if applicable' for new applicants and for 'existing homes requesting increase in licensing capacity' (PUB-001 103.2.e; PUB-003 103.9.d).
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, 501-682-0405, fee confirmed at $10.00 on OEC's Electronic Background Check page. (b) Arkansas State Police fingerprint check including the Arkansas Sexual Offender Registry, every five years, covering the applicant, ALL HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS 18 AND OVER, staff, volunteers and therapists (PUB-001 109.2) — fee $25.00 per OEC. (c) FBI nationwide fingerprint check every five years, applicant pays: 'The individual is responsible for the cost of the nationwide check' (PUB-001 109.1; PUB-003 109.1, which expressly adds household members 18 and up). Submission runs through the provider account at ark.org/criminal with the Arkansas DHS Criminal Background Check Request Form uploaded, then a live-scan appointment at telegov.egov.com/dhsfingerprint; results in 5-10 business days. Lived outside Arkansas in the last five years? Start the out-of-state checks BEFORE employment and expect provisional status until they clear.
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 101 of the 'Minimum Licensing Requirements for Child Care Centers' ('Licensed Capacity of Center 1-74 → $500,000 per occurrence; 75 and up → $1,000,000 per occurrence') printed on a guide that also covers homes. For a home, $100,000 per occurrence is the rule; carry the higher figure only if your Specialist tells you OEC now applies it to homes. If you cannot obtain coverage before applying, both books allow the application to proceed but 'it must be obtained with proof provided to the Child Care Licensing Unit BEFORE CARE OF CHILDREN CAN BE PROVIDED' (PUB-001 103.2.g; PUB-003 103.9.i).
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 responsible for cooperating and keeping documentation of such inspection on file for review. (AR Code § 20-23-101 et seq.)' It is your ordinary domestic water heater that is in scope.
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 (PUB-003 103.9) adds four items the licensed list does not contain: 'b. Diagram of the home INDICATING ROOMS TO BE USED BY CHILDREN IN CARE AND THE LOCATION OF EXIT DOORS; c. 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; e. A signed Authorization for Release of Confidential Information and Child Maltreatment Central Registry Check Form (... $10.00 ... This form must be notarized); f. Criminal Record Check Form(s) (Everyone in the home age eighteen (18) and older must complete a form. The form(s) must be NOTARIZED); g. The registrant's Social Security number (SSN) or Tax Identification number (TIN) shall be listed on the application.' If you are applying as a RELATIVE Child Care Family Home, add the documentary proof of relationship enumerated at PUB-003 103.2.a-e (children's birth certificates, the parent's birth certificate, marriage licences where names changed, and the caregiver's birth certificate for an aunt or uncle). If you have outdoor play equipment, prepare the playground diagram required by PUB-001 901.1 — 'a satellite photo, when possible, from an internet site such as Google Maps, or a diagram... clearly identifying the perimeter of the playground, with measurements, and identifying each piece of equipment.'
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 within the 7-day period, IT WILL BE WITHDRAWN.' Do not be alarmed that the portal is branded 'Arkansas Department of Human Services' — that is the correct, current route even though DESE/OEC licenses. Step #6: 'The assigned Licensing Specialist will contact the applicant WITHIN TWO BUSINESS DAYS of receipt of the application.'
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, Child Care Licensing Staff must also be given access to ALL OTHER ROOMS OR SPACES NOT USED FOR CHILD CARE. Any rooms or areas that are not accessible to children in care will only be viewed briefly for major health and safety issues... to help ensure that there are no dangers such as fire hazards, which could impact the safety of the entire structure.' The Step-by-Step Guide lists as a pre-approval condition 'A walk-through of the building and grounds by the Licensing Specialist to ensure that there are no hazards that could pose a risk to children in care.' If you will be licensed for 11+ children, fire and health (food service) approvals must be in hand (PUB-001 301.4); if you specialise in infant care, fire approval is required at any size (PUB-001 302.2); if the home is a manufactured home, add Arkansas Manufactured Home Commission tie-down/under-pinning approval before licensure or registration plus annual fire approval (PUB-001 801.9-.10; PUB-003 801.8-.9).
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 ON-LINE.' Late-payment mechanics: a second 'Notice of License Fee Past Due' goes out twenty days after the first, and 'Failure to submit a license fee within twenty (20) days of the receipt of the past due notice will result in action to SUSPEND the license until such time as the fee is paid' (PUB-001 104.5). Refunds happen 'only when the Division does not approve issuance of a license' (104.6).
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 facility has demonstrated substantial compliance.' PUB-003 104.6-104.7 do the same for registrations. Expect heavier monitoring while provisional — OEC's Licensing 101 Help Guide: 'These programs shall be monitored more frequently during the New Provisional status to coach and assist the new provider.'
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 1201.8); the CPSC product-recall log plus the annual self-certification form supplied by the Specialist (PUB-001 1201.11, Act 1313 of 2001); a five-pound minimum ABC-rated fire extinguisher in the kitchen area, annually inspected and tagged, with working smoke detectors near the kitchen and in children's sleeping areas (PUB-003 1202.1-.2 and the parallel PUB-001 provisions); and the first-aid materials listed item-by-item at PUB-001 1101.9 (adhesive band-aids in various sizes, scissors, sterile gauze squares, roll of gauze bandages, adhesive tape, antiseptic, thermometer, tweezers, disposable gloves), kept out of children's reach with any kit containing medications LOCKED.
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 considered an adverse action and, therefore, cannot be appealed,' and while it runs 'Any requests for capacity or license status changes will be considered upon completion of the CAP.' Notify the Licensing Unit within FIVE calendar days of any change in designated secondary caregivers (PUB-001 303.14; PUB-003 301.7), immediately of any structural damage (PUB-001 801.1, 1201.10) and 'no later than the end of the following working day' of any fire causing damage (PUB-003 1202.8). Adverse actions — revocation, suspension, conversion to provisional, denial — plus founded complaints, denied alternative-compliance requests and cited noncompliance are appealable: written request to the Licensing Specialist or Supervisory Staff within TEN calendar days of an adverse action, TWENTY calendar days for anything else, escalating to the Child Care Appeal Review Panel (PUB-001 105).
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 of the Division, an expert's opinion.' An approval 'is effective for the duration of the license' and 'shall in no way constitute a precedent.'

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 same at 1201.
• 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 numbers of the parents.' The two books print different central-office numbers; OEC's live pages give 501-682-8590, so post that one alongside the toll-free line.
• 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, child maltreatment investigators, or law enforcement officials for the purpose of determining licensing compliance or for investigative purposes. CHILD INTERVIEWS DO NOT REQUIRE PARENTAL NOTICE OR CONSENT' (PUB-001 201.9). (d) The Kindergarten Readiness Skills Calendar or Checklist to parents of every enrolled 3- and 4-year-old, with a signed parent receipt in the child's record (PUB-001 201.10, Act 825 of 2003). (e) Shaken Baby Syndrome information to all parents of infants, documented (PUB-001 603.5, Carter's Law, Act 1208 of 2013). (f) If the owner, operator, lessee or administrator is married to a Level 2 (public), 3 or 4 sex offender, written or e-mail notice to every parent (Ark. Code Ann. § 12-12-930, Act 828 of 2021).
• 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 children no longer enrolled' (PUB-001 601.1).
• 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 Law; and infant feeding documentation kept at least one year.
• 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 (https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Child-Transportation-Safety-Training_20230508100445.pdf).

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: PRIMARY SOURCES READ IN FULL OR IN SUBSTANTIAL PART ON 2026-08-25: 1. 'MINIMUM LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR Child Care Family Homes', PUB-001 (REV. 12/01/2020) — https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/2020-CCFH-Clean-Copy_20230506115827.pdf (downloaded, 1,507,780 bytes; text extracted and read: sections 100-109, 200-201, 300-306, 400-401, 500-501, 600-603, 700-702, 800-801, 900-901, 1100-1106, 1200-1202, 1300-1302). 2. 'Registration Requirements for Registered Child Care Family Homes', PUB-003 (REV. 12/01/2020) — https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/2020-RCCFH-Clean-Copy_20230506120624.pdf (downloaded, 1,417,073 bytes; text extracted and read: 100-109, 200-201, 300-304, 400-401, 500-501, 600-603, 700-702, 800-801, 900-901, 1100-1106, 1200-1202). 3. Childcare Facility Licensing Act, Ark.

Code Ann. §§ 20-78-201 to 20-78-230, Westlaw compilation posted by OEC — 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 (2,003,450 bytes; §§ 20-78-201, -202, -205, -206, -221, -222, -229 read verbatim; currency stamp: 2025 Regular Session, general effective date August 5, 2025). 4. OEC Child Care Licensing page — https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/child-care-licensing (HTTP 200). 5. OEC Policies page (rulebook currency) — https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/oec-policies (HTTP 200; 'Licensing Requirement Booklets (Effective December 1, 2020)'). 6. OEC About page (unit structure) — https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/about-oec (HTTP 200). 7. OEC Electronic Background Check page (fees, process, statuses, out-of-state) — https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/electronic-background-check (HTTP 200). 8. OEC Frequently Asked Questions page — https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/frequently-asked-questions (HTTP 200). 9. OEC Proposed Rules & Public Notices page — https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/proposed-rules--public-notices (HTTP 200;

stale DHS Medicaid list). 10. '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 (1,111,785 bytes). 11. 'Licensing 101 – Six Critical Areas of Compliance' help guide — https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Licensing_101_help_guide_OEC.pdf (159,587 bytes). 12. Act 828 of the 2021 Regular Session (HB1098, approved 4/21/21; § 12-12-930) — https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Act-828_20230507080148.pdf (310,073 bytes). 13. Child Care Licensing Area Telephone Directory, filename-dated 8.20.26 — https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Child_Care_Licensing_Area_Telephone_Directory_2026_-_8.20.26_OEC.pdf (225,836 bytes). 14. 'Minimum Licensing Requirements for Child Care Centers' (12/01/2020), consulted ONLY to source the $500,000/$1,000,000 liability figures and confirm they are center figures — https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/2020-CCC-Clean-Copy_20230506115600.pdf. 15. Arkansas General Assembly, Exhibit C, 'Arkansas Department of Education, Office of Early Childhood [2024 Update]' — https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FAssembly%2FMeeting+Attachments%2F862%2F26577%2FEXHIBIT+C+-+Office+of+Early+Childhood+2024+Update.pdf (335,387 bytes; 'As of August 1, 2023 nearly 250 early childhood staff transitioned from the DHS to the Office of Early Childhood at ADE'). 16. State eLicensing portal — https://ardhslicensing.my.site.com/elicensing/s/ (HTTP 200; HTML <title> served as 'Arkansas Department of Human Services').

Self-registration: https://ardhslicensing.my.site.com/elicensing/s/login/SelfRegister?language=en_US 17. Codification check: Arkansas Administrative Code 016.22.20 Ark. Code R. 005, 'Minimum Licensing Requirements (Child Care Centers, Licensed Child Care Family Homes, Out-Of-School Time Facilities, & Registered Child Care Family Homes)', Title 016 Department of Human Services / Division 22 DCCECE, statutory authority '§§ 20-78-201 to -220, as amended' — via Cornell LII (https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/arkansas/016-22-20-Ark-Code-R-005) and the Division 22 rule index (https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/arkansas/agency-016/division-22), which also lists the superseded 016.22.14-003, 016.22.14-005, 016.22.18-002 and 016.22.18-003. CONTACTS: OEC Child Care Licensing, 501-682-8590, CCL.Questions@ade.arkansas.gov; DESE, Four Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, 501-682-4475; Child Maltreatment Hotline 1-800-482-5964; Poison Control 1-800-376-4766; DCFS Central Registry 501-682-0405; Arkansas State Police Identification Bureau 501-618-8500.

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