Home › State guides › District of Columbia

Home Daycare License Requirements in District of Columbia (2026)

Opening a home daycare in District of Columbia means getting a family child care home license from the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Division of Early Learning. 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 District of Columbia

DC has two home-based (family) categories, both operated in a private residence occupied by the operator: (1) Child Development Home — a private residence that provides a child development program (5-A DCMR §199, which also states the term 'includes those Facilities classified as Expanded Child Development Homes'; additional/caregiver requirements at §§167–168); and (2) Expanded Child Development Home — per §199 verbatim, 'A Child Development Home in which child care is provided by two (2) or more Caregivers for up to twelve (12) children' (additional/caregiver requirements at §§169–170). A facility serving more than 12 children (or in non-residential premises) is a Child Development 'Center,' NOT a home license.

How many children you can care for in District of Columbia

OSSE sets each home's license capacity (§119) based on DCRA/FEMS occupancy, program-space, lavatory, and the §121 ratio/enrollment limits. Under the §121 home table: a single-caregiver Child Development Home may serve a maximum of 6 children; an Expanded Child Development Home (2+ caregivers) may serve up to 12 children. The number of children under age 2 caps the total (see ratios) and can force additional caregivers and a lower maximum. The licensing regulations do not state a separate exemption or count rule for the caregiver's own children — confirm how a caregiver's own resident children are counted with OSSE.

Adult-to-child ratios

Home ratios are stated as a caregiver-to-enrollment table in 5-A DCMR §121 (verified verbatim against the codified text): 1 child under 2 plus 1–11 children over 2 = ratio 1:6, max 12 enrolled; 2 children under 2 plus 1–4 over 2 = ratio 1:6, max 6 enrolled; 3 children under 2 plus 1–6 over 2 = ratio 1:3 (at least 2 caregivers), max 9 enrolled; 4 children under 2 plus 1–8 over 2 = ratio 1:3 (at least 2 caregivers), max 12 enrolled; 5 children under 2 plus 1–4 over 2 = 3 caregivers, max 9 enrolled; 6 children under 2 plus 1–3 over 2 = 3 caregivers, max 9 enrolled. A non-ambulatory child is treated as a child under 2 for ratio purposes (§121). When ages are mixed, the ratio for the youngest child applies. (The distinct center age-band ratios in §121 — 0–24 mo 1:4/group 8; 24–30 mo 1:4/group 12; 30–48 mo 1:8/group 16; 48–60 mo 1:10/group 20 — apply to Child Development Centers, not homes.) NOTE: OSSE has floated proposed ratio amendments; verify the currently codified version before relying on these numbers.

Training you must complete before licensure

Before submitting the initial application, the applicant must complete an OSSE Child Development Facility licensing orientation (5-A DCMR §103.2); OSSE may suspend processing if the application is filed before orientation. All staff — including the home caregiver and any associate/back-up caregiver — must hold current, valid first aid and CPR certification appropriate to the ages of children served before caring for children (§150.1) and must complete the chapter's health-and-safety training. For paid employees, 'pre-service training' must take place 'prior to or within ninety (90) calendar days of providing service' (§199, definition confirmed verbatim).

Ongoing (annual) training

5-A DCMR §139 sets annual professional-development hours by facility type (confirmed verbatim): Child Development Home caregivers/staff = at least twelve (12) hours annually; Expanded Child Development Home caregivers/staff = at least fifteen (15) hours annually; Child Development Center staff = at least twenty-one (21) hours annually. For a single-caregiver Child Development Home, §168.1(b) restates this as at least four (4) DC-approved child development-related training courses per year totaling at least twelve (12) hours. These hours must include the chapter's health-and-safety topics. Confirm any additional role-specific hours (e.g., out-of-school-time or associate-caregiver staff) with OSSE.

Background checks

Fingerprint-based FBI criminal background check plus sex-offender registry and child-protection registry checks, submitted to OSSE, for the caregiver, any paid staff/associate caregiver, and EVERY person residing in the home who is age 18 or older — §133.2 states such a resident 'is considered to be a staff member' (5-A DCMR §§132–135; fingerprint/registry requirements at §133.7 and §133.9). Checks must be done before the person has unsupervised access to children, and background checks are re-submitted not less than once during each 3-year period (§133.3(b)). Disqualifying findings include sex offenses, crimes against children, and specified offenses (§133.9). A separate traffic-record check applies to anyone transporting children (§134). OSSE makes a good-faith effort to return results within forty-five (45) days (§133.4).

The application, step by step

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

1. Complete the OSSE Child Development Facility licensing orientation (required before submitting an initial application) — 5-A DCMR §103.2.
2. Verify caregiver eligibility: at least 18 years old, high school diploma or equivalent, and commit to earning a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential within two (2) years; obtain current first aid and CPR certification (§168.1, §150).
3. Submit fingerprints and complete OSSE criminal-background and registry checks for yourself, any associate/back-up caregiver, and all household members age 18+ (§§132–135); complete a traffic-record check if transporting children (§134).
4. Obtain a Certificate of Occupancy, Home Occupation Permit, or equivalent from DC DCRA/DOB confirming the residence complies with building/fire-safety/zoning requirements (§103.5(a)).
5. Obtain a FEMS fire-safety inspection certification no more than 90 days old (§103.5(b)).
6. Obtain a DOEE-certified lead-based-paint clearance issued no more than 30 days before application showing no lead-based paint hazards (§103.5(c)).
7. Obtain an OTR 'Clean Hands' certification (D.C. Official Code §47-2862) issued within 30 days of application (§103.5(e)).
8. Secure required insurance — Commercial General Liability, Umbrella Liability, Sexual Abuse & Molestation Liability, and vehicle liability for any vehicle used to transport children (§103.5(f)).
9. Prepare a current, valid, notarized building-use agreement identifying a contingency/back-up location, plus a written emergency contingency plan and a qualified, background-checked back-up caregiver (§103.5(g), §168).
10. Submit the completed OSSE initial-license application with all required documentation, signed declaration, and applicable fees (§§103.3–103.6, §108).
11. Pass the OSSE on-site inspection; correct any Statement of Deficiency items within the timeframe OSSE specifies, then receive the license (§§103.7 et seq.).

What you must post on your walls

• The OSSE Child Development Facility license (post conspicuously) — confirm exact posting requirements with OSSE
• Written emergency preparedness / evacuation and contingency plan and emergency contact / Poison Control numbers — confirm exact posted-item list with OSSE
• NOTE: The licensing chapter does not enumerate a single consolidated 'postings' list for homes; verify the complete required-posting set with OSSE licensing staff.

Enrollment forms for each child

• OSSE Child Development Facility initial license application (form issued by OSSE; no statutory form number in the rule)
• Certificate of Occupancy or Home Occupation Permit (DC DCRA/Dept. of Buildings)
• FEMS fire-safety inspection certification (issued within 90 days)
• DOEE lead-based-paint clearance/certification (issued within 30 days)
• OTR 'Clean Hands' certification (D.C. Official Code §47-2862)
• Proof of insurance (Commercial General Liability; Umbrella Liability; Sexual Abuse & Molestation Liability; Vehicle Liability if transporting)
• Notarized building-use agreement identifying a contingency location
• Criminal background check / fingerprint submission packet (§133.7)

What's specific about getting licensed in District of Columbia

DC's home license is deceptively named 'home' care but is governed by the same 5-A DCMR Chapter 1 as full centers, and it runs on a capacity model, not a simple staff-ratio: the number of children UNDER AGE 2 silently caps everything (three infants already forces a second caregiver and drops your max to nine, and a non-ambulatory older child counts as under-2). The real trap is the facility gauntlet applied to a private residence — before OSSE will even inspect, a home applicant must produce a Certificate of Occupancy or Home Occupation Permit, a FEMS fire-safety inspection, a DOEE lead-based-paint clearance, an OTR Clean Hands certificate, commercial insurance that specifically includes Sexual Abuse & Molestation liability, and a notarized building-use agreement naming a backup contingency location. Just as important: under §133.2 every adult (18+) who merely LIVES in the home is deemed a 'staff member' and must clear the FBI fingerprint and registry checks — a spouse or adult child with a disqualifying record can sink the application. Applicants who budget only for a class and a fee routinely stall for months on the lead inspection and occupancy paperwork.

How long it takes and what it costs in District of Columbia

Timeline: Plan on roughly 3–6 months. The OSSE orientation and application can move quickly, but the gating items — FBI fingerprint results (OSSE targets ~45 days per §133.4), DOEE lead-paint clearance, DCRA/DOB occupancy or home-occupation permit, and the FEMS fire inspection — run on separate agency queues and are the usual bottleneck, followed by the OSSE on-site inspection and any deficiency-correction period.

Cost: Varies — confirm current figures with OSSE and each DC agency. Out-of-pocket items typically include: OSSE license/application fee (set under 5-A DCMR §108 — confirm amount with OSSE), FBI fingerprint/background-check fee, DOEE lead-based-paint inspection/clearance (commonly a few hundred dollars from a certified inspector), FEMS fire-inspection and DCRA/DOB occupancy or home-occupation permit fees, CPR/first-aid certification, CDA credential/coursework, and commercial insurance premiums (general liability plus Sexual Abuse & Molestation and vehicle coverage). Do not rely on a single lump-sum estimate — several of these are third-party costs.

Source: https://osse.dc.gov/service/child-care-licensing; 5-A DCMR Chapter 1 (Child Development Facilities: Licensing), Final Rulemaking 63 DCR 14640 (Dec. 2, 2016), §§ 103, 119, 121, 132–135, 139, 150, 167–170 & 199 — codified text consulted at DCMR mirror https://dcrules.elaws.us/dcmr/5-a1 and official register https://dcregs.dc.gov; OSSE 'Licensing Orientation for New Child Development Homes and Expanded Homes' (osse.dc.gov)

Verified 2026-08-10. General information, not legal advice and not a guarantee of licensure — confirm with your state’s licensing agency before applying.