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Home Daycare License Requirements in Georgia (2026)

Opening a home daycare in Georgia means getting a family child care home license from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), Child Care Services. 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 Georgia

A Family Child Care Learning Home is a private residence in which one person — the Provider — personally cares for a small, capped number of other people's children for pay. Georgia writes that definition twice, once in statute and once in rule, and the two texts agree word for word on the numbers while differing in one instructive detail. The rule. Rule 290-2-3-.03(k): "'Family Child Care Learning Home' or 'Home' means a private residence operated by any person who receives therein for pay for supervision and care fewer than 24 hours per day, without transfer of legal custody, at least three but not more than six Children under 13 years of age who are not Related to such persons and whose Parent(s) are not residents in the same private residence as the Provider and which is required to be licensed; provided, however, that the total number of unrelated Children cared for in such Home, for pay and not for pay, may not exceed six Children under 13 years of age at one time, except that a Provider may care for two additional children three years of age or older for two designated one hour periods daily upon approval by the Department."

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

How many children you can care for in Georgia

Six unrelated children under 13 at one time — plus a narrowly drawn two-child, two-hour exception that requires the Department's approval, and subject to a separate twelve-child household ceiling that counts everybody. The operative rule is Rule 290-2-3-.07(16): "The total number of Children not Related to the Provider in the Family Child Care Learning Home, for pay or not for pay, cannot exceed six Children, except that a Provider may care for two additional children who are three years of age or older for two designated one hour periods daily upon approval by the Department." The identical cap is written into the definition at Rule .03(k) and into the statutory definition at O.C.G.A. § 20-1A-2, and O.C.G.A. § 20-1A-10 carries the exception at the statutory level: a family child care learning home operator may "care for two additional children aged three years and older for two designated one-hour periods daily," notwithstanding the six-child limitation (FindLaw reproduction of § 20-1A-10, page last updated March 28, 2024). Four things in that sentence do real work, and each of them is a place where Georgia homes get cited.

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

Adult-to-child ratios

Georgia publishes no age-by-age staff:child ratio table for family child care learning homes. What it publishes instead is a duty of supervision defined in operational terms, three numeric trigger points that force a second person into the house, and one genuine ratio table that applies only to water activities. Reading a center ratio chart (Chapter 591-1-1) into a home is the single most common category error here, and it produces a staffing plan that is both wrong and more expensive than the law requires. THE SUPERVISION DUTY. Rule 290-2-3-.07(18): "At least one Staff person with a satisfactory Comprehensive Records Check Determination shall supervise Children at all times appropriate to the individual age, needs and capabilities of each child. Such supervision must include, but not be limited to, indoor and outdoor activities, mealtimes, naptime, transportation, field trips, and transitions between activities. 'Supervision' means Staff members are providing watchful oversight to the children, volunteers and Students-in-Training. The person(s) supervising in the child care area must be alert, positioned to maximize their ability to hear and see the children at all times, and able to respond promptly to the needs and actions of the children being supervised, as well as the actions of the volunteers and Students-in-Training, and provide timely attention to the children's actions and needs.

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

Training you must complete before licensure

Georgia front-loads more than most states, and it front-loads it before the application rather than before the license. Four separate bodies of preparation have to exist on paper before a Georgia family child care learning home can open: an age and credential qualification for the Provider personally; a three-part pre-service training package completed before the application is submitted; a program orientation before anyone is assigned to children; and a health-and-safety orientation within the first 90 days that also counts toward first-year training hours. 1. THE PERSONAL QUALIFICATION — AGE AND CREDENTIAL. Rule 290-2-3-.07(1): "The Provider shall be at least 21 years of age." Rule 290-2-3-.07(2): "Providers must possess and submit valid evidence/documentation of one of the following credentials/degrees issued by either the organizations listed below, an accredited educational institution, or another organization approved/recognized by the Department: (a) Child Development Associate (CDA) credential (issued by the Council for Professional Recognition and kept current); or (b) Technical Certificate of Credit (TCC) in Early Childhood Education; or (c) Technical College Diploma (TCD) in Early Childhood Education; or (d) Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education (AA, AAS, AAT); or (e) Paraprofessional Certificate (issued by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and kept current); or (f) Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education; or (g) Master's degree in Early Childhood Education."

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

Ongoing (annual) training

Ten clock hours every calendar year after the first year of employment, for the Provider, Provisional Employees and Employees alike — and the ten hours are prescriptive, not free-form. Rule 290-2-3-.07(9)(a): "Annual Training. Every calendar year after the first year of employment, the Provider, Provisional Employees and Employees shall attend ten (10) clock hours of diverse training which is offered by an accredited college, university or vocational program or other Department-approved source."

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

Background checks

This is the field where Georgia's codified rules are the stale layer and the session law is the operative one, so it is organised in that order: what the statute says today (as amended effective July 1, 2025), then what the rules say (frozen since September 14, 2023), then the practical machinery. === PART I. THE STATUTORY LAYER, REWRITTEN BY HB 175 (2025), EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2025 === HB 175 of the 2025-2026 regular session — "House Bill 175 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) ... A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 1A Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to early care and learning, so as to revise provisions regarding employee comprehensive background checks for early care and education programs and Head Start programs; to provide for definitions; to provide for revocation and nonissuance of licenses and commissions for early care and education programs; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes" — was signed and, by its Section 5, "This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025." It was read here in the enrolled version published by the Governor's office (2025 signed legislation, HB 175, 25 LC 49 2064/AP, seven pages).

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

The application, step by step

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

1. STEP 1 — Confirm you are in the right category before spending a dollar, because Georgia's boundary is arithmetic and it is unforgiving. The licence applies to "at least three but not more than six Children for pay under 13 years of age who are not Related to such persons and whose Parent(s) are not residents in the same private residence as the Provider" (Rule 290-2-3-.04(1)(c)); below three unrelated paid children there is no licence to obtain and no registration tier to join (DECAL's Applicant's Guide, revised May 2025, states the working version: "You may legally care for (2) children for pay until a license has been issued"); above six paid children — "related or unrelated" — Rule…
2. STEP 2 — Confirm the personal qualification, which takes months and cannot be bought late. The Provider must be at least 21 (Rule 290-2-3-.07(1)) and must hold one of seven credentials listed at Rule 290-2-3-.07(2): a current CDA credential from the Council for Professional Recognition, a Technical Certificate of Credit in Early Childhood Education, a Technical College Diploma in Early Childhood Education, an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education (AA, AAS, AAT), a current Georgia Professional Standards Commission Paraprofessional Certificate, or a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Early Childhood Education. A high school diploma alone is sufficient only for a Provider whose…
3. STEP 3 — Complete the three-part pre-service package BEFORE you submit the application, not before the licence issues. Rule 290-2-3-.04(2)(b) requires, "Prior to the submission of the License application," that the applicant responsible for day-to-day operations complete (1) a Department-approved licensure orientation covering the application process and an overview of the rules; (2) a pre-licensure training course on Provider competencies covering early learning standards, communication, developmentally appropriate practices, professional and leadership development, business management, and advocacy; and (3) CPR and first aid training from certified or licensed health care professionals…
4. STEP 4 — Get everyone in the household and every prospective helper fingerprinted and cleared, and understand that the clearance runs on the fingerprint date. Rule 290-2-3-.21(1)(a) requires the Provider, every actual and potential Employee "(including residents age 17 and older)" and every Provisional Employee to submit both a Records Check Application to the Department and fingerprints to an authorized fingerprinting site. Rule 290-2-3-.04(2)(d) makes a "valid, current satisfactory Comprehensive Records Check Determination" a precondition to issuance for the Provider and for "every potential Employee of the Home, including persons age 17 or older who reside at the Home or who, with or…
5. STEP 5 — Open a DECAL KOALA account and file the application online, with the exhibits. The regulation says only that "An application for a License to operate a Family Child Care Learning Home shall be submitted to the Department on the forms provided by the Department" (Rule 290-2-3-.04(2)(a)) and that every applicant "shall submit a valid e-mail address to the Department at the time of application on forms provided by the Department" (Rule 290-2-3-.20). DECAL's Applicant's Guide fills in the mechanics: the application is filed online through DECAL KOALA at https://www.decalkoala.com/Default, and the uploads include a notarized Affidavit for Lawful Presence Verification with a copy (front…
6. STEP 6 — Handle the local layer that the state rulebook never mentions. Chapter 290-2-3 contains no zoning provision, no business-licence provision and no fire-marshal provision; DECAL's Applicant's Guide supplies all three as application requirements: "Contact the local fire Marshall to determine if there are local ordinances that apply to operating a Family Child Care Learning Home in your area"; "Copy of Zoning Approval from agency with jurisdiction or letter stating no zoning required (Must be dated within the past 12 months)"; "Copy of current Business license or letter stating no business license is required"; "Fire Inspection (only if applicable) (dated within past 12 months)." The…
7. STEP 7 — Prove your water and sewage. Rule 290-2-3-.13(1)(h): "Water supply and sewage disposal systems, if other than approved county or city systems, shall be approved by the proper authority having jurisdiction," and Rule 290-2-3-.08(14) requires that "If applicable, documentation of approved water and sewage disposal systems shall be maintained in the Home by the Provider." DECAL's checklist operationalises it: "Confirmation of city/county water/sewer (copy of bill)" and, for a well or septic system, an "Environmental Health Letter."
8. STEP 8 — Write the emergency plan, because it is a document with a fixed content list and an inspector will read it. Rule 290-2-3-.11(2)(a): "A Home shall have a written plan for handling emergencies, including but not limited to fire, severe weather, loss of electrical power or water, and death, serious injury or loss of a child, a threatening event, or natural disaster which may occur at the Home. The Home will have in place procedures for evacuation, relocation, shelter-in-place, lock-down, communication and reunification with families, continuity of operations, accommodation of infants and toddlers, children with disabilities, and children with chronic medical conditions. No Home…
9. STEP 9 — Write the parent-facing policies and procedures, which Rule 290-2-3-.08(8) turns into a seventeen-item drafting assignment. Subsection (a) requires a written description of services specifying "ages of children served, months of operation, days of operation, hours of operation, dates the Family Child Care Learning Home will be closed, admission requirements, including parental responsibilities for supplying and maintaining accurate required record information and escorting Child to and from the Family Child Care Learning Home; standard fees, payment of fees, fees related to absences and vacations and other charges such as transportation, etc. and transportation provided, if any."
10. STEP 10 — Settle the liability insurance question before the inspection, because Georgia's answer is a posted sign and a signed acknowledgment rather than a policy. Rule 290-2-3-.11(2)(n): "If a Provider does not carry liability insurance coverage sufficient to protect its clients, the Provider shall post that fact in a conspicuous place in the program. Such notice shall be in at least 1/2 inch letters. A Provider that fails to post may be subject to a civil fine of $1,000.00." Rule 290-2-3-.08(11) adds the per-parent duty: written notice to the Parent of each child, with each Parent acknowledging receipt and "a copy of the acknowledgment ... kept in the Child's file." The statutory hook…
11. STEP 11 — Prepare the physical house against Rules .11, .12, .13 and .19, which together are the inspection. Minimum 35 square feet of usable floor space per child in the areas used for child care, no use of basement areas more than 25 linear feet from a window, furniture arranged so as not to interfere with exits, no multiple plugs or extension cords, outlets within reach of children plugged or covered, fans inaccessible, screens on windows and doors used for ventilation, barriers or screens on radiators, open fires, oil or wood burning stoves and floor furnaces, and no unvented fuel-fired heaters without an oxygen depletion safety shut-off (Rule .13(1)). At least one UL Approved smoke…
12. STEP 12 — Pass the pre-licensing on-site inspection, and understand what applying has already consented to. Rule 290-2-3-.04(2)(c): "Pre-Licensing Visit. Following receipt and review of the complete license application package, the Department shall conduct an on-site inspection of the potential Family Child Care Learning Home to assess compliance with these rules. The Department may deny the application for License if conditions are found during the on-site inspection that pose health and/or safety risks to children." Rule 290-2-3-.05(b) is the consent provision, and it is broad: "An application for a License to operate a Home or the issuance of a License by the Department constitutes…
13. STEP 13 — Pay the fee on Georgia's clock. Rule 290-2-3-.04(1)(f): "Every License or Commission issued by the Department to operate a Family Child Care Learning Home shall be subject to an annual fee of $50.00. If such annual fee is not paid by the date set forth by the Department, the Department may issue a late fee of up to $250.00 within 30 days of the due date. If such annual fee and any imposed late fees are not paid within 30 days of the due date, the Department shall revoke the License or Commission." The statutory fee schedule at O.C.G.A. § 20-1A-10 sets the same $50.00 for programs of 1 to 25 children, rising to $250.00 for 200 or more. DECAL's Applicant's Guide describes the…
14. STEP 14 — Complete the annual lawful-presence formality that has nothing to do with child care and will stop your licence anyway. Per DECAL's Applicant's Guide, "Effective January 1, 2012, Georgia law (O.C.G.A. Section 50-36-1) requires all applicants for a public benefit to verify their lawful presence in the United States before receiving the benefit. A Bright from the Start license or registration is a public benefit issued to the owner of a child care facility each year. Therefore, Bright from the Start must have the required verification documents before the annual license will be issued ... You cannot pay your license fee or receive your new license each year until the Affidavit or…
15. STEP 15 — Open with every child's record complete on day one, because Rule 290-2-3-.08 is enforced per child. Identifying information (child's name, birth date, Parent's name, home and business addresses, telephone numbers), emergency contacts including the child's physician, and the names, addresses, telephone numbers and relationship of persons to whom the child may be released (Rule .08(1)); evidence of age-appropriate immunizations or a signed religious-objection affidavit or a physician's contraindication statement, "on file for each Child upon admission to the Home or within 30 days thereafter" (Rule .08(2)); written authorization for emergency medical treatment when the Parent is…
16. STEP 16 — Set up the ongoing calendar before you are busy. Within 24 hours or the next work day, report to DECAL any child death, any serious illness or injury requiring hospitalization or professional medical attention beyond first aid, any child who becomes missing (including "a Child who is left on a vehicle, a Child who leaves the Home, playground, or property, or a Child who is left behind on any trip"), any fire, any structural disaster, any emergency situation requiring temporary relocation of children, and "any time the Home's operating status changes" (Rule 290-2-3-.14(1)); any arrest or change in a records check determination for a Provider, Employee, resident aged 17 or older or…

What you must post on your walls

• Emergency telephone numbers, posted in a conspicuous place next to an operable telephone. Rule 290-2-3-.11(2)(b): "An operable telephone shall be readily available in the Home with the following telephone numbers posted in a conspicuous place next to the telephone: a physician or hospital, an ambulance or rescue squad service, the local fire department, the local police department, the county health department and the regional poison control center. In those areas of the state serviced by the 911 emergency number, 911 may be posted in lieu of the phone numbers required for ambulance, fire and police." DECAL supplies a fill-in poster in the Applicant's Guide which adds two lines the rule…
• "No smoking" signs. Rule 290-2-3-.11(1)(l): "Smoking is prohibited on the premises of a Home during the hours of operation and no smoking signs must be posted. Smoking is also prohibited in any vehicle used to transport children during the hours that the Home is in operation." The sign is mandatory language in the rule itself — "must be posted" — and DECAL provides a printable No Smoking Sign in the Applicant's Guide.
• Notice of no liability insurance, if applicable, in letters at least half an inch high. Rule 290-2-3-.11(2)(n): "If a Provider does not carry liability insurance coverage sufficient to protect its clients, the Provider shall post that fact in a conspicuous place in the program. Such notice shall be in at least 1/2 inch letters. A Provider that fails to post may be subject to a civil fine of $1,000.00." The parallel private notice — written notice to each Parent with a signed acknowledgment kept in the child's file — is required by Rule 290-2-3-.08(11), and the acknowledgment is a file document, not a posting; DECAL's form makes the distinction explicit: "Parent/Guardian Acknowledgement of…
• The infant feeding plan for each child under one year of age, posted in the main child care area. Rule 290-2-3-.10(3): "A signed written feeding plan for children less than one (1) year of age shall be obtained from Parent(s). Instructions from the Parent(s) shall be updated regularly as new foods are added or other dietary changes are made. The feeding plan shall be posted in the main child care area and must include the child's feeding schedule, the amount of formula or breast milk to be given, instructions for the introduction of solid foods, the amount of food to be given and notation of any type(s) of commercially premixed formula which may not be used in an emergency because of food…
• The current week's menu of all meals and snacks, with substitutions recorded on the posted menu. Rule 290-2-3-.10(6): "Menus. The Home shall provide a menu listing all meals and snacks to be served during the current week. Substitutions shall be recorded on the posted menu. Menus shall be retained at the Home for six (6) months."
• The licence itself — an agency requirement rather than a rule requirement, and worth stating precisely because the distinction has been mis-stated before. Chapter 290-2-3 as served by the Secretary of State on 2026-08-25 contains no rule requiring the licence to be displayed. DECAL requires it anyway: the Applicant's Guide (revised May 2025) states that "Once the license fee is paid, you will receive a license by e-mail that you must print and post," and lists among the items "posted so that they are easily seen by you, the children's parents, and your helper/assistant" the "Bright from the Start License." Post it; just do not cite Chapter 290-2-3 for the duty.
• The "Parents You Have the Right" poster — again DECAL policy rather than rule text. The Applicant's Guide lists it among the items consultants expect to see posted, and reproduces it: "You have the right: • To access this facility anytime your child is in care. However, you need to immediately make your presence known to the person in charge of the facility. • To review a copy of the facility's latest licensure evaluation report. The facility director has the report." The poster also carries the complaint line, (404) 657-5562. The underlying access right is in the rule — Rule 290-2-3-.06: "The Parent(s) of a Child shall be permitted access to all child care areas of the Home at all times a…
• Written emergency plans, kept posted per DECAL's inspection list and required in substance by Rule 290-2-3-.11(2)(a). The rule requires the plan to exist in writing and to cover fire, severe weather, loss of electrical power or water, death, serious injury or loss of a child, a threatening event and natural disaster, with procedures for evacuation, relocation, shelter-in-place, lock-down, communication and reunification with families, continuity of operations, and accommodation of infants and toddlers, children with disabilities and children with chronic medical conditions; DECAL's Applicant's Guide lists "Written Emergency Plans" among the documents that must be "accurate, current, and…
• During any adverse action: the Department's formal notice, posted where parents can see it, for as long as the action is pending — and the inspection reports with it. Rule 290-2-3-.15(4)(g)(2): "the Home shall post the formal notice in an area that is visible to the Parents and others whose Children attend the Home"; Rule .15(4)(k): "the Home shall ensure that the notice continues to be visible to the Parents and others throughout the pendency of the revocation or emergency action, including throughout any appeal period"; Rule .15(4)(m): "the Home shall post any inspection reports that are prepared by the Department during the pendency of any revocation or emergency action in an area that…
• Kept on the premises rather than posted, but produced on demand at every inspection: documentation of monthly fire drills and of tornado and other emergency drills every six months, "the dates and times of these drills," retained two years (Rule 290-2-3-.11(2)(c)); current pediatric CPR and pediatric first aid certificates, "maintained on the Home's premises" (Rule .07(8)(a)); evidence of records check determinations for the Provider, each Employee and each resident aged 17 or older, "for the duration of employment or residency plus one year," available to the Department "immediately" upon request (Rule .21(1)(f)-(g)); personnel files for the term of employment plus one calendar year (Rule…

Enrollment forms for each child

• The licence application itself, filed on DECAL's forms and — per the agency — online. Rule 290-2-3-.04(2)(a): "An application for a License to operate a Family Child Care Learning Home shall be submitted to the Department on the forms provided by the Department." Rule 290-2-3-.20 makes an e-mail address part of the filing: "All Family Child Care Learning Home license applicants shall submit a valid e-mail address to the Department at the time of application on forms provided by the Department. It shall be the Family Child Care Learning Home's responsibility to maintain correct contact information, to update the Department if contact information changes, and to respond timely to information…
• A Records Check Application to the Department plus fingerprints at an authorized fingerprinting site, for the Provider, every actual and potential Employee and Provisional Employee, and every resident aged 17 or older. Rule 290-2-3-.21(1)(a). The Records Check Application is defined at Rule 290-2-3-.03(v) as "a document created by the Department ... which authorizes the Department to receive any sex offender registry, child abuse and neglect registry and criminal history record information pertaining to the individual from any local, state or national agency of appropriate jurisdiction and render a Fingerprint or Comprehensive Records Check Determination." For anyone who lived outside…
• The Comprehensive Record Check Acknowledgement. Listed on DECAL's Application Checklist as an owner/applicant document and reproduced in the Applicant's Guide as the "Criminal Record Check Acknowledgment Form," on which the Provider attests: "To my knowledge, no person lives at or is employed at the child care facility listed below who has been convicted of, has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, or has been adjudicated delinquent for any of the above listed crimes," signed and dated, with the note "This document will be maintained in the facility's State File." Read the form's own summary of disqualifying crimes with caution — it is narrower than Rule 290-2-3-.03(f) and still…
• The notarized Affidavit for Lawful Presence Verification under O.C.G.A. § 50-36-1(e)(2), with a legible copy (front and back) of a secure and verifiable document — a US-issued passport or passport card, a US military ID, or a US-issued driver's licence. The affidavit requires the applicant to verify one of three statuses: US citizen 18 or older; legal permanent resident 18 or older; or "qualified alien or non-immigrant under the Federal Immigration and Nationality Act, 18 years of age or older, with an alien number issued by the Department of Homeland Security," with the alien number stated. Owners previously verified as US citizens complete an annual Affirmation in KOALA instead;…
• Proof of your right to use the residence: a copy of the tax assessment or tax bill if you own the home, or "a copy of a current lease agreement that states you are allowed to operate a family child care in the residence" if you do not, plus a homeowners association letter "giving permission for a Family Child Care Learning Home" where an association has jurisdiction (DECAL Application Checklist and Steps for Successful Application, May 2025). No rule in Chapter 290-2-3 requires any of these; they are DECAL application requirements.
• A signed and dated floor plan, marked "*Required w/ application" on DECAL's checklist, showing "all rooms in the home on the floor with the child care area being [lab]eled as 'Child Care Area'." A Floor Plan Template is supplied in Section 5 of the Applicant's Guide. The floor plan is how the 35-square-feet-per-child rule of Rule 290-2-3-.13(1)(a) and the basement restriction of Rule .13(1)(b) are checked before anyone drives out to the house.
• Approvals from other jurisdictions: written zoning approval from the county or city, or a letter stating no zoning approval is required, dated within the past 12 months; a current business licence or a letter stating none is required; a fire inspection where applicable, dated within the past 12 months; confirmation of city or county water and sewer (a copy of a bill), or an Environmental Health letter approving well water and septic capacity where applicable (DECAL Application Checklist). The regulation touches only the last of these — Rule 290-2-3-.13(1)(h) requires that non-municipal "Water supply and sewage disposal systems ... be approved by the proper authority having jurisdiction,"…
• Documentation of the Provider's credential or degree under Rule 290-2-3-.07(2) — CDA, TCC or TCD in Early Childhood Education, Associate degree, Georgia PSC Paraprofessional Certificate, or Bachelor's or Master's in Early Childhood Education — together with the certificate of completion of the Family Child Care Learning Home Licensure Orientation Meeting (FCCLH-LOM), documentation of the ten hours of pre-service training in the five two-hour topic areas, and current pediatric CPR and first aid cards (Rule 290-2-3-.04(2)(b); DECAL Application Checklist).
• Per child, the enrolment record required by Rule 290-2-3-.08(1): "identifying information (Child's name, birth date, Parent's name, home and business addresses, telephone numbers); name, address and telephone number of persons, including Child's physician, to contact in emergencies; and name, address, telephone numbers, relationship to Child and to Parent(s) and other identifying information of person(s) to whom the Child may be released." Kept while the child is in care and for one year afterwards.
• Per child, immunization documentation under Rule 290-2-3-.08(2): "evidence of age appropriate immunizations, or a signed affidavit certifying that the required immunizations conflict with the religious belief of the Parent or a physician statement that immunization is contraindicated. Evidence of immunizations or required documentation shall be on file for each Child upon admission to the Home or within 30 days thereafter." The rule does not name a form number; Georgia's immunization certificate is administered by the Department of Public Health, and DECAL's inspection list asks for "Immunization Records (for each child in care that is not enrolled in a school-age program)."
• Per child, written authorization to receive emergency medical treatment when the Parent is not available (Rule 290-2-3-.08(3)) — with a copy kept in the vehicle whenever children are transported (Rule 290-2-3-.11(2)(m)) — and a record of "any allergies and other known medical problems" (Rule .08(4)).
• Per child, medication documentation. Rule 290-2-3-.11(1)(d): "Except for first aid and as authorized under Georgia law, personnel shall not dispense prescription or nonprescription medications to a Child without specific written authorization from the Child's physician or Parent. All medications shall be stored as authorized under Georgia law or in accordance with the prescription or label instructions and kept in places that are inaccessible to children. Each dose of medication given to a Child shall be documented showing the Child's name, name of medication, date and time given, and the name of the person giving the medication." Rule .08(5) requires those records in the child's file.…
• Per child, incident documentation: "descriptions of accidents or serious illnesses occurring while the Child is in the Family Child Care Learning Home, including date, time and condition under which it occurred and the action taken" (Rule 290-2-3-.08(6)); DECAL's version is the "Injury/Illness Report" form in the Applicant's Guide.
• Per child, parental agreements "for transportation, field trips, swimming and/or other activities away from the Home if the Child will be participating in these activities" (Rule 290-2-3-.08(7)), and, for every child under one year, the signed written feeding plan obtained from the Parent and posted in the main child care area (Rule 290-2-3-.10(3)).
• The daily arrival and departure log. Rule 290-2-3-.08(9): "The Parent or person(s) authorized by the Parent to drop off and pick up the Child will document each time the Parent or authorized person drops off and picks up the Child. The documentation shall include at least the following information: the date, the Child's name, the arrival and departure times, and the signature or initials of the Parent or authorized person and shall be made available to the Department in printed or written form upon request." Note who signs — the parent or authorized person, not the Provider — and pair it with Rule .08(10), which requires the Home to "take necessary steps to determine that any such…
• Two notarized statements that decide whether your six-child count is honest. Rule 290-2-3-.08(12): "Documentation of family relationships for related children, other than the Provider's own children, cared for in the Home shall be maintained and shall include a notarized statement by the related child's Parent(s) attesting to the relationship." Rule 290-2-3-.08(13): "Documentation of the non-pay status of related and unrelated children in care for whom no pay is received shall be maintained and shall include a notarized statement by such child's Parent(s) attesting to the non-pay status." DECAL's inspection list calls the latter the "Notarized No Compensation Forms."
• The written notice of the absence of liability insurance and the parent's signed acknowledgment, kept in the child's file (Rule 290-2-3-.08(11)), with the corresponding half-inch-letter posting under Rule 290-2-3-.11(2)(n). DECAL supplies both the "Notice of No Liability Insurance" and the "No Liability Acknowledgement," the latter reciting: "I understand I am being informed in writing by signing this acknowledgment that this child care facility does not carry liability insurance sufficient to protect my children in the event of an injury, etc."
• The home's written policies and procedures (Rule 290-2-3-.08(8)) and the written emergency plan (Rule 290-2-3-.11(2)(a)) — both drafting exercises rather than fill-in forms, with content lists set out in the prelicensing steps above. DECAL provides an "Emergency Procedures Form" and emergency procedure examples in the Applicant's Guide as a starting template.
• Personnel documentation for every Staff member, including the Provider. Rule 290-2-3-.07(4) requires a personnel file kept "for the duration of the term of employment plus one (1) calendar year" containing name, date of birth, social security number, current address and telephone number, "employment history for the past ten years," evidence of education and qualifying work experience, "evidence of required program orientation including date and signature of person providing the orientation," evidence of all required training with "title of training, date of training, trainer's signature, location of training and number of clock hours obtained," and "a statement completed by the staff…
• Drill and training records: dates and times of monthly fire drills and of tornado and other emergency drills every six months, retained two years (Rule 290-2-3-.11(2)(c)); training documentation in the personnel file and/or the Georgia Professional Development System showing "the title of the training courses, the dates, and the number of hours of the courses, and the names of the trainers or sponsoring organizations" (Rule 290-2-3-.07(10)); and current CPR and first aid evidence maintained on the premises (Rule 290-2-3-.07(8)(a)). DECAL's inspection list also asks for pet vaccination records — the rule behind them is Rule 290-2-3-.11(1)(n), "Pets in the Home shall be vaccinated in…
• If you ever need relief from a rule: a waiver or variance petition "filed on forms provided by the Department" under Rule 290-2-3-.16, which distinguishes a variance (strict application "would cause undue hardship," with "adequate standards affording protection for the health, safety and care of the children" met in lieu of the rule), a waiver (the rule's purpose "is met through equivalent standards affording equivalent protection"), and an experimental variance or waiver for "new and innovative approaches to delivery of services." And if the Department moves against you: a written statement submitted "within ten (10) days of the receipt of notice of the Departmental intent to impose an…

What's specific about getting licensed in Georgia

Georgia doesn't call it "family day care" — the license category is a Family Child Care Learning Home, regulated by DECAL (Bright from the Start) under Rule 290-2-3, and that specific name plus rule number is worth anchoring the page on. What really distinguishes Georgia is the head-count math: one provider can legally run up to 6 children under 13, but the state layers age-based sub-caps (more than 3 under 12 months, 6 under age 3, or 8 under age 5 forces a second adult), your own related children don't count toward the six, and you may add just 2 older children for two one-hour periods a day with DECAL approval. That age-tiered solo-provider ceiling, paired with a flat $50 annual fee, is the fingerprint that sets Georgia apart from neighboring states.

How long it takes and what it costs in Georgia

Timeline: Georgia's rule (290-2-3) doesn't promise a fixed number of days, so plan for a few weeks to a few months rather than a set deadline. The sequence is: complete DECAL's licensure orientation, submit a complete application package, clear a fingerprint-based Comprehensive Records Check, then pass an on-site pre-licensing inspection before your license is issued. The two things that stretch the timeline most are how fast your background-check results come back and how quickly the pre-licensing visit gets scheduled, so start both early.

Cost: The Family Child Care Learning Home license carries a $50.00 annual fee under Rule 290-2-3, and DECAL can add a late fee of up to $250 if it isn't paid within 30 days of the due date. Beyond that flat fee, budget for the real out-of-pocket items the rules require but don't price: a fingerprint-based background check (Comprehensive Records Check), pediatric CPR and first-aid certification, and your ongoing training. Georgia requires 10 clock hours of training each year after your first year (no more than 2 of those hours in business topics), which can often be taken free through the state's professional development registry, though college or vocational courses cost more. I don't have official dollar figures for the fingerprint check or certification classes, as those are set by outside vendors, not the rule.

Source: Sources officielles consultées pour Georgia :

https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/290-2-3

https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/290

https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/290-2

https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/290:

https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/591

https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/591-1

https://gov.georgia.gov/document/2025-signed-legislation/hb-175/download

https://gov.georgia.gov/executive-action/legislation/signed-legislation/2026

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