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Home Daycare License Requirements in Louisiana (2026)

Opening a home daycare in Louisiana means getting a family child care home license from the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE), Division of Early Childhood. 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.

In brief — Louisiana

Licensing agency: Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE), Division of Early Childhood
Program / rule: There is no family child care licence in Louisiana. What exists for six or fewer children is REGISTRATION under Part X-C of Title 17, cited at R.S. 17:407.61 as the 'Family Child Care Provider and In-Home Provider Registration Law', plus an optional layer of CCAP CERTIFICATION under BESE Bulletin 139, codified at LAC Title 28, Part CLXV (not Part CLXVII, and not a part still to be identified). Registration is not universal. R.S. 17:407.63(A) provides that all family child care providers and in-home providers 'who either directly or indirectly receive state or federal funds related to the care provided shall be registered', Subsection B exempts providers who receive no such funds and individuals who provide care only for related family members, and Subsection C requires registration 'prior to directly or indirectly receiving any state or federal funds'. The trigger is therefore public money, in either of two forms: Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) payments, or the U.S. Child and Adult Care Food Program, both named in R.S. 17:407.64(A). A purely private home operation for six or fewer children, taking only parent fees, is outside the scheme and the LDOE family child care page says only that such providers are 'encouraged to register'. Operating unregistered when registration is required is an offence: R.S. 17:407.69(A) sets a fine of not less than twenty-five nor more than one hundred dollars, each day of service being a separate offence, and Subsection B lets the department seek injunctive relief. CCAP certification is the second, distinct step; LAC 28:CLXV.301.A provides that no CCAP payments may be made to a provider until the provider is certified, and §303.A lists the five certifiable types: type III early learning centers, family child care providers, in-home child care providers, school child care centers, military child care centers. Above six children the file changes regime entirely: 7 or more children is an early learning centre requiring a licence under R.S. 17:407.31 et seq. and Bulletin 137 (LAC 28:CLXI).
Maximum group size: Group size and capacity are the same number in Louisiana, which is unusual and worth stating plainly to applicants who arrive expecting a two-number system. LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.15 is titled 'Group Size' and provides that 'A provider may care for a maximum of six children'; §309.A.2 states the same six as a certification condition; §309.A.16 sets the ratio at 6:1. There is no smaller sub-group requirement, no rule that infants must be separated from preschoolers, no cap on how many children under two may be in the single group, and no square-footage-per-child standard in Bulletin 139 that would bind below six. The physical constraint, such as it is, comes from outside the education rules: the Office of State Fire Marshal must inspect and approve the residence under R.S. 17:407.64(B), and its family child day care standards cover means of egress, smoke detection, extinguishers, heating equipment, window and burglar-bar restrictions, electrical and plumbing systems, sanitation and food storage. A home that cannot satisfy those standards will not be approved for six regardless of what the ratio rule permits. For a licensed early learning centre the group-size question is likewise answered by ratio rather than by a separate group cap: the LDOE ratio sheet for LAC 28:CLXI.1711.C lists only child-to-staff figures by age.
CPR & first aid: Yes — required before licensure
Last verified: 2026-08-24

Who needs a license — home types in Louisiana

Two definitions of 'family child care provider' are in force and they do not say the same thing. The statute, R.S. 17:407.62(5), as amended by Acts 2022 No. 374 and No. 585, defines it as 'an individual who provides child care services for fewer than twenty-four hours per day per child, as the sole caregiver, for six or fewer children, in a private residence.' The regulation, LAC 28:CLXV.103, defines it as 'one or more individuals who provides child care services for fewer than 24 hours per day per child, unless care in excess of 24 hours is due to the nature of the parent's work, for six or fewer children, in a private residence other than the child's residence.' Statute says sole caregiver; the rule and the CCAP 16D provider agreement, clause 2, contemplate a primary provider plus secondary providers who 'must meet all of the same requirements that are mandated of the primary provider'. Plan for the stricter reading and expect the LDOE to apply the rule. The counterpart category is the in-home child care provider, defined identically in both texts as an individual who provides care in the child's own home (R.S. 17:407.62(6); LAC 28:CLXV.103), a person who under CCAP 16D clause 19 may not live at the same residence as the children or share the head of household's mailing address.

The LDOE home-based page states the boundary in one line: 'If the provider cares for up to 6 children in the provider's home, it is considered a family child care provider. If the care is being given in the child's home the provider is an in-home provider.' Louisiana has no small-versus-large family home tiering, no group family home, no assistant-driven capacity increase. There is one lane at six, and above it a different rule book. 'Relative' is defined narrowly and only for the registration exemption: R.S. 17:407.62(8) makes 'relative' or 'related' mean 'the child, grandchild, niece, or nephew of the primary child care provider'. A cousin or a friend's child is not a relative for this purpose. Note also that Bulletin 137's own definition of early learning centre at LAC 28:CLXI.103 expressly excludes 'Montessori schools, camps, and registered family day care homes', which is why a registered home is not licensed and a licensed centre is not registered.

How many children you can care for in Louisiana

Six children, and the fight is always about who counts. The regulation is spare: LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.2 requires the provider to 'Care for no more than six children who are under age 13, or children with special needs who are under age 18', and §309.A.15 repeats it as a group-size rule, 'A provider may care for a maximum of six children.' The statute, R.S. 17:407.62(5), says 'six or fewer children, in a private residence'. Neither of those two texts, read alone, tells you whether your own children occupy seats. The CCAP 16D Family Child Care Provider Agreement does, in clause 8, and its wording is the operative one for any provider taking CCAP money: 'Providers is prohibited by regulation from keeping no more than a total of 6 children, including the Providers' own children, in the location where care is provided under age 13, or age 13 through 17, if special needs regardless of relationship to the Providers.' Read past the double negative: a total of six, own children included, relationship irrelevant. So a provider with two children of her own under 13 has four paid seats, not six. Two consequences follow that surprise applicants.

First, adding a secondary provider does not raise the ceiling; the six is a property of the location, not of the staff count, and §309.A.16 sets the ratio at 6:1 rather than 12:2. Second, your own children consume capacity but generate no revenue, because LAC 28:CLXV.319.A provides that a certified provider 'may not receive CCAP payments for the provider's own children or other children residing in the provider's home', the only exception being foster children in the caregiver's custody (§319.A.1). The age boundary is 13, not 12: 'child' in Bulletin 139 §103 means 'a person who has not yet reached the age 13, or a person with special needs who has not yet reached age 18', while the registration statute uses a broader definition, 'a person who has not reached the age of eighteen years' (R.S. 17:407.62(1)). The seventh child is not an overage, it is a change of legal category. LAC 28:CLXI.103 defines a child day care centre, in accordance with R.S. 17:407.33(3), as any place providing 'care, supervision, and guidance of seven or more children, not including those related to the caregiver, unaccompanied by parent or legal custodian, on a regular basis for at least 12 1/2 hours in a continuous 7-day week', and LAC 28:CLXI.301.A requires that 'All early learning centers shall be licensed prior to beginning operations in Louisiana.'

The penalty for stepping over without a licence is not a warning letter: LAC 28:CLXI.305.A provides that 'Whoever operates any early learning center without a valid license shall be fined by the Licensing Division not less than $1,000 per day for each day of such offense', the Licensing Division must sue for an injunction (§305.B), and the department publishes the names of enjoined individuals in a statewide registry on its website (§305.D). Compare the unregistered-home penalty of $25 to $100 a day at R.S. 17:407.69(A) and the asymmetry is obvious: growing past six is forty times more expensive than never registering.

Adult-to-child ratios

Louisiana writes a single flat ratio for family child care and no age bands at all. LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.16 reads, in full, 'Child-to-Staff Ratios. The maximum child-to-staff ratio shall be 6:1.' The preceding paragraph, §309.A.15, reads 'Group Size. A provider may care for a maximum of six children.' Those two lines together are the whole quantitative regime. There is no infant sub-limit, no reduced count for children under one, no separate figure for mixed ages, and no formula that lets two adults double the number. Do not read the absence of age bands as an absence of a ratio rule: the 6:1 is written down, and it collapses onto the capacity cap, which means one qualified adult is legally sufficient for six children of any ages, including six infants. What Louisiana substitutes for age banding is a supervision standard with teeth. LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.14 requires that 'Children shall be supervised at all times in the home, on the property, on field trips, on non-vehicular excursions, and during all water activities and water play activities.'

The CCAP 16D agreement, clause 6, expands the same duty into operational rules that inspectors apply: children shall not be left alone in any room, outdoors, or in vehicles 'even momentarily, without staff present' (6.a); a staff person shall be assigned to specific children 'whose names and whereabouts that staff person shall know and with whom the staff person shall be physically present', and staff 'shall be able to state how many children are in their care at all times' (6.b); individuals who do not serve a purpose related to the care of children or who hinder supervision shall not be present at the residence (6.c); staff duties including cooking, housekeeping or administrative functions 'shall not interfere with the supervision of children' (6.e); a child age four and older may go to and return from the restroom without staff, younger children need a staff member in proximity who can see them (6.f); when children are in the yard the staff member must be able to summon another staff member without leaving the children unsupervised (6.g); and staff 'shall actively supervise children engaged in all water activities' (6.i).

Sleep is where the ratio silence is compensated by prescriptive rules. LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.17 requires one infant per crib, all infants on their backs, a physician's written authorisation for any other sleeping position with written notice of that position posted on or near the crib, 'Back to Sleep' signs posted in the room where infants sleep, a safety-approved crib assigned to and available for each infant, no sleeping in playpens or cribs with mesh sides, no toys or soft or loose bedding in the crib, no bibs worn while asleep, nothing over the head or face of an infant, and a physician's written authorisation, stating the permitted duration, before a child sleeps in a car seat or similar device. If you cross into licensed-centre territory the arithmetic changes completely. The LDOE ratio sheet reproducing LAC 28:CLXI.1711.C gives minimum child-to-staff ratios for centres of: infants under 1 year 5:1; 1 year 7:1; 2 years 10:1; 3 years 13:1; 4 years 15:1; 5 years 19:1; 6 years and up 23:1. A home-based operator moving from six children to seven therefore does not gain a looser rule, she gains a licence, a fee, an annual unannounced inspection, and staff-qualification standards.

Training you must complete before licensure

The pre-service package was rewritten in 2025 and is materially longer than the version most third-party guides still describe. LAC 28:CLXV.323.B, promulgated at LR 51:527 (April 2025), requires the provider to 'Complete four hours of CCAP pre-service orientation training; the LDOE Key Orientation Training Modules 1, 2, and 3; infant, child, and adult CPR; pediatric first aid; and DCFS online Mandated Reporter training prior to initial certification, maintain documentation verifying completion of the training, and submit the documentation with the application for certification to the LDOE.' Five distinct items, all before certification. The Key Orientation Training Modules are defined in Bulletin 139 §103: Module 1 covers early childhood professionalism, health and safety, licensing and hazards; Module 2 covers child development, early learning and development standards and learning activities; Module 3 covers teacher-child interaction, child guidance and classroom management.

The four-hour pre-service orientation must itself cover fifteen listed subjects (§323.B.1-15): general emergency preparedness including natural and man-caused disasters; professionalism; health and safety including daily observations, supervision regulations, daily attendance, child-to-staff ratios, improper and prohibited discipline, prevention of shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma and child maltreatment, food safety, choking risks, and recognition and reporting of child abuse and neglect; administration of medication consistent with standards for parental consent; prevention and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions; appropriate precautions in transporting children if applicable; public health policies including prevention and control of infectious diseases and immunization information; handling and storage of hazardous materials and appropriate disposal of bio-contaminants; pediatric first aid and CPR; prevention of SIDS and use of safe sleep practices; outdoor play practices; environmental safety; building and physical premises safety including identification of and protection from hazards, bodies of water and vehicular traffic; child release procedures; and critical incident procedures. A sixth credential sits alongside these.

LAC 28:CLXV.323.E requires the provider to 'Provide documentation of current medication administration training', renewed every two years (§323.E.1), taught either through the LDOE self-paced online course or in person by a licensed pharmacist, nurse, physician, physician's assistant, paramedic or EMT on the LDOE registry of approved trainers. The LDOE home-based page lists it among the documents required at registration as 'Certificate of Completion of Medication Administration training by a Child Care Health Consultant'. Anyone still repeating that medication administration is merely a topic inside the annual hours and not a separate certificate is working from a pre-2025 text. The CPR certification must be infant, child and adult (§323.B; CCAP 16D clause 11, which also requires that 'Both the front and back of the CPR card must be copied and must show a certification date and the end date or renewal date'); first aid must be pediatric (§323.B; CCAP 16D clause 10). Secondary providers are not exempt: CCAP 16D clause 16 requires a secondary provider to take the Pre-Service Orientation 'prior to employment with the primary provider', and clause 2 states that secondary providers 'must meet all of the same requirements that are mandated of the primary provider'.

Ongoing (annual) training

Twelve clock hours a year, plus three things that sit outside the twelve. LAC 28:CLXV.323.C.1 requires the provider to 'Annually complete 12 clock hours of training in safety and health topics and job-related subject areas approved by the LDOE', completed with LDOE-approved trainers, and lists eleven illustrative topics introduced by 'may include, but is not limited to': child development; child guidance; child abuse prevention; emergency preparation; learning activities; health and safety; shaken baby prevention; CPR; pediatric first aid; management or administrative education; or college credit hours in child care, child development and/or early childhood. Note the drafting: this is a permissive list, not the closed nine-topic CCDF checklist reproduced in clause 17 of the CCAP 16D agreement (Rev. 08/18). Both texts are live, the agreement is contractually binding on CCAP providers, and the safe course is to cover the nine agreement topics inside the twelve rule hours. Outside the twelve: first, §323.C.2 requires the provider to 'Annually complete the DCFS online Mandated Reporter Training', separately from the hours.

Second, §323.C.7 states that 'The three hours of training by LDOE-approved trainer on infectious diseases, health and safety, and/or food service preparation required in LAC 51:XXI.301 shall not count towards the annual training requirements', and specifies that if taught in person it must be delivered by a licensed nurse, physician, physician's assistant, social worker or nutritionist on the LDOE registry. Third, medication administration training is on a two-year, not annual, cycle (§323.E.1). What DOES count toward the twelve is set out at §323.C.6: 'Pre-service orientation training, infant/child/adult CPR, pediatric first aid training, and medication administration training may count as annual training requirements in the certification period in which the training is completed' — so in a renewal year where CPR, first aid and medication administration all fall due, a substantial share of the twelve is already earned. Currency of CPR and pediatric first aid is a standing obligation, not a one-off: §323.C.3 and C.4 require documentation of current certification in each. Documentation of all required trainings must be maintained on site, in hard copy or electronic form, and made available for inspection on request (§323.C.5). The CCAP 16D agreement, clause 17, adds the reporting rhythm: 'At midpoint and renewal you will be required to submit verifications of these trainings to the Department', and the CCAP 16PDCI checklist marks the 12-hour verification 'REQUIRED UPON RENEWAL ONLY'.

Background checks

A fingerprint-based Child Care Criminal Background Check with a departmental determination of eligibility for child care purposes, for a circle of people much wider than the provider. LAC 28:CLXV.310.C.1 requires a family child care provider to obtain a CCCBC-based determination for: the provider; all adults employed in the home or on the property of the home where care is provided; all adults living in the residence where care is provided; and 'any other person in the home or on the premises when one or more children in care are present, who is not a household designee for a child in care at the home.' That last clause is the one applicants miss — it is not limited to adults and it captures visitors. Components are specified at §310.A.2: a fingerprint-based search of the Louisiana criminal history record; a fingerprint-based search of the federal criminal history record; a request to DCFS to search the state central registry of child abuse and neglect; a search of the Louisiana sex offender and child predator registry; a search of the national sex offender registry under 45 CFR 98.43(b)(2); and name-based searches of the criminal history record, offender registry and child abuse registry of each state where the person resided in the past five years.

Grounds for ineligibility are at §310.B.1: refusing to consent; knowingly making a materially false or incomplete statement; conviction of or plea to any crime listed in R.S. 15:587.1(C) or an equivalent out-of-state offence; or being registered or required to be registered on any state or the national sex offender registry. A person is also ineligible if DCFS notifies the department that the person is recorded on the state central registry as a perpetrator for a substantiated finding of child abuse or neglect (§310.B.2). Timing: a new determination is required before the provider is certified as a CCAP provider, before the person is present at the home or premises when children in care are present, and 'not less than once during a five-year period' (§310.D.1). Portability exists but is narrow (§310.D.2): an existing eligible determination obtained by another in-state provider within the past five years may be reused if the person is still employed by an in-state provider or has been separated for fewer than 180 consecutive days. Fees are non-refundable and paid through the LDOE electronic payment system; §310.F.2 sets a $15 departmental processing fee on top of the fees the department collects on behalf of DCFS, the state bureau, the FBI, the NCIC and other states.

Appeals go only to accuracy or completeness, must be filed within 45 calendar days of the notice of ineligibility, and the person 'shall remain ineligible during the appeals process' (§310.G.2, G.3.a). All requests are entered at https://cccbcldoe.la.gov. Separately and annually, §309.A.7 requires the provider to check the Louisiana sex offender and child predator registry for every person who must hold a CCCBC determination. Note that §310 was last amended at LR 52:29 (January 2026), following Act 409 of the 2025 Regular Session.

The application, step by step

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

Decide first whether you are in scope at all. R.S. 17:407.63(A) requires registration only of family child care providers and in-home providers 'who either directly or indirectly receive state or federal funds related to the care provided'; Subsection B exempts those who receive no such funds and individuals caring only for related family members, 'relative' being limited by R.S. 17:407.62(8) to the child, grandchild, niece or nephew of the primary provider. Taking CCAP or Child and Adult Care Food Program money makes registration mandatory, and §407.63(C) requires it BEFORE the first dollar.
Confirm you fit the six-child lane rather than the licence lane. LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.2 caps you at six children under 13 (under 18 if special needs) and CCAP 16D clause 8 counts your own children inside that six. Seven or more children on a regular basis for at least 12 1/2 hours in a continuous 7-day week is a child day care centre under LAC 28:CLXI.103 and R.S. 17:407.33(3), which must be licensed before beginning operations (LAC 28:CLXI.301.A).
Meet the personal preconditions: be at least 18 (LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.1) and hold a government-issued photo ID and Social Security card, copies of which §305.A.5 requires for the person signing the provider agreement and which the LDOE home-based page lists among the registration uploads.
Complete the full pre-service training package required by LAC 28:CLXV.323.B before certification: four hours of CCAP pre-service orientation covering the fifteen listed subjects, LDOE Key Orientation Training Modules 1, 2 and 3, infant/child/adult CPR, pediatric first aid, and the DCFS online Mandated Reporter training. Keep the documentation and submit it with the application.
Complete medication administration training and obtain the certificate. LAC 28:CLXV.323.E requires documentation of current medication administration training, renewed every two years (§323.E.1); the LDOE home-based page lists 'Certificate of Completion of Medication Administration training by a Child Care Health Consultant' among the documents required for registration. This is a separate credential, not a topic folded into the annual hours.
Request a Child Care Criminal Background Check at https://cccbcldoe.la.gov for yourself, every adult living in the residence, every adult employed in the home or on the property, and any other person present when children are in care who is not a household designee (LAC 28:CLXV.310.C.1). Each must reach 'eligible for child care purposes' status before certification and before being present with children in care (§310.D.1).
Apply to the Office of State Fire Marshal for inspection and approval of the residence. R.S. 17:407.64(B)(1) requires every registered family child care provider to be inspected and approved by the office; §407.64(B)(2) provides that office personnel conduct all initial inspections of new and relocated family child care providers and that the office inspects all other family child care providers triennially. The Fire Marshal's family child day care page states a $30 inspection fee payable by money order with the application.
Write the emergency preparedness disaster plan required by LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.11: 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; procedures for all adults living or working in the residence or on the property; posting of emergency numbers and the residence's address and phone; and annual review for accuracy.
Put the operating documents in place before the inspection, not after: a working telephone capable of incoming and outgoing calls available at all times in the residence (§309.A.3); first aid supplies maintained in the residence (§309.A.12); a written copy of all health-related policies covering accidents, allergic reactions, fever, illness, immunizations, infection and injuries, with a copy given to each parent (§309.A.18); a written behaviour management policy meeting LAC 28:CLXV.325; and the cumulative child file described at §309.A.21.
Submit the registration application with its uploads. The LDOE family child care page directs applicants to the Family Child Care Application Instructions and to EdLink at https://ldoe.edlink.la.gov/#/, and registration questions go to ldelicensing@la.gov. The older CCAP 16PDCI checklist (Rev. 06/18) still instructs applicants to enter the application into the CAFE online system at www.louisianabelieves.com; treat EdLink as the current route and confirm with Provider Certification before filing.
Pass the LDOE inspection of the residence. The LDOE home-based page states that 'The physical inspection of the home by the LDOE will take place within 30 days of the documents being submitted', and LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.13 obliges you to allow inspection of the residence by department staff, other authorized inspection personnel and parents of children in care, during normal working hours or when children are in care.
Complete CCAP certification, which is a separate step from registration. LAC 28:CLXV.305.A requires a signed provider agreement, a current email address kept updated in the LDOE portal, participation in the department's time and attendance system with the equipment and internet access to run it, and direct deposit details in the form of a bank letter on letterhead or a voided imprinted check. The LDOE home-based page adds a completed W-9, residence verification of the physical address, a time and attendance agreement, the pre-service orientation certificate, and verification of rates charged.
Understand what certification does not buy you. LAC 28:CLXV.301.A provides that no CCAP payments may be made until the department certifies the provider, and §319.A bars payment for the provider's own children or other children residing in the provider's home, except foster children in the caregiver's custody (§319.A.1).
Keep the notification duties running from day one. LAC 28:CLXV.305.A.7 requires written notice to Provider Certification and updates in the LDOE portal for: a change in contact information within 10 calendar days; a temporary closure of more than five but fewer than 30 calendar days within one day; a permanent closure of 30 or more days within seven calendar days; a change of location before the change; and, for family child care and in-home providers specifically, changes in residential household composition before the change.
If you intend to serve seven or more children, abandon this route. Apply to the Licensing Division for a type I, II or III early learning centre licence under Bulletin 137; LAC 28:CLXI.307 ties the type to the funding source, and only a type III centre may be certified for CCAP (LAC 28:CLXV.307.A; §317.A.1 makes type I and type II centres categorically ineligible for CCAP certification). Operating a centre without a licence draws a fine of not less than $1,000 per day (LAC 28:CLXI.305.A).

What you must post on your walls

Emergency telephone numbers - fire and police, hospitals and Louisiana Poison Control - posted in a visibly accessible area (LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.11.c; CCAP 16D clause 18.c)
The physical address and phone number of the residence in which care is provided, posted together with those emergency numbers (LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.11.c)
'Back to Sleep' signs posted in the room where infants sleep (LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.17.e)
Written notice of any physician-authorised non-supine sleeping position, posted on or near that infant's crib (LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.17.b.ii)
Information on food allergies and special diets of children, posted in the food preparation area, with care taken that individual children's names are not in public view unless the parent has signed and dated an authorisation to display them (LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.21.d.iii)
Kept on site rather than posted, but produced on demand at every inspection: documentation verifying completion of all required trainings, in hard copy or electronic form (LAC 28:CLXV.323.C.5), and documentation of current medication administration training (§323.E.2)
Kept on site: the written emergency preparedness disaster plan, reviewed annually for accuracy and updated as changes occur, including the procedures for all adults living or working in the residence or on the property (LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.11.b and d)
Given to parents rather than posted, and enforced the same way: a copy of all written health-related policies, covering accidents, allergic reactions, fever, illness, immunizations, infection and injuries (LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.18)
Not a posting but a standing right that operates like one: the residence shall be open to inspection by department staff, other authorized inspection personnel and the parents of children in care, during normal working hours or whenever children are in care (LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.13; R.S. 17:407.65(B))
For a licensed early learning centre rather than a registered home, the licence itself must be displayed in a prominent place at the centre (LAC 28:CLXI.311.A)

Enrollment forms for each child

Family Child Care Provider registration application, filed through EdLink at https://ldoe.edlink.la.gov/#/ with the Family Child Care Application Instructions - the entry point to the registration required by R.S. 17:407.63 (LDOE Family Child Care (FCC) Providers page)
CCAP 16PDCI, 'Family Child Care Provider Certification & Renewal Checklist' (Rev. 06/18) - the department's own item-by-item list of what must be submitted within the 30-day application processing period, used at initial certification and again at renewal
CCAP 16D, 'CCAP Family Child Care Provider Agreement' (Rev. 08/18) - the provider agreement required by LAC 28:CLXV.305.A.1; its 40 clauses are contractually binding and include the six-child cap (clause 8), CPR and first aid verification (clauses 10-11) and the training obligations (clauses 16-17)
Provider Rate Agreement - submitted with the application and re-submitted whenever rates change; CCAP 16D clause 25 requires the provider to notify the department promptly when rates change and a new Provider Rate Agreement to be signed
CCAP 14EA, 'La CCAP Provider Time and Attendance Equipment Agreement' - must be signed, dated and returned in full, per the CCAP 16PDCI checklist; the underlying duty is LAC 28:CLXV.305.A.3, participation in the department's time and attendance system
W-9 and direct deposit authorisation, with a voided imprinted check or a letter on bank letterhead showing account and routing numbers - required by LAC 28:CLXV.305.A.4 and listed on the LDOE home-based page
Child Care Criminal Background Check request, submitted through https://cccbcldoe.la.gov for the provider and every required person listed at LAC 28:CLXV.310.C.1, with the $15 departmental processing fee of §310.F.2
Office of State Fire Marshal inspection application, with the $30 fee payable by money order, and the resulting current Fire Marshal report - required by R.S. 17:407.64(B) and by LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.5, 'Provide written verification of current State Fire Marshal approval for the residence where care is being provided'
'Family Home and In-Home Child Care Emergency Checklist' and the 'CCAP Provider Emergency Preparedness Plan Template' - the LDOE forms behind the written emergency preparedness disaster plan required by LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.11 (listed under Emergency Preparedness Forms on the LDOE home-based page)
Pre-service Orientation certificate, Key Orientation Training Modules 1, 2 and 3 certificates, CPR and Pediatric First Aid certificates, DCFS online Mandated Reporter training certificate, and the Medication Administration training certificate - the six documents demanded by LAC 28:CLXV.323.B and §323.E, submitted with the application for certification
Child's Information Form, plus the written authorisation for emergency medical treatment and the written child-release authorisation - the components of the cumulative file required per child by LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.21 (LDOE Family Home and In-Home Registration Forms list)
Daily Attendance Log for Children - required by LAC 28:CLXV.309.A.8, showing first and last name, arrival and departure times, date, and the first and last name of the person or entity to whom the child is released, and used to sign a child in and out if the child leaves and returns during the day
Medication Authorization, As Needed Medication Authorization, Emergency Medication Authorization and Medication Procedure Authorization - the parental written authorisations required before any medication or special medical procedure, which must state drug name and strength, dates, route, dosage, frequency, time and schedule, and must not simply say 'as indicated on bottle' (LAC 28:CLXV.323.D.2)
Critical/Reportable Incident Form, with its Guidance and Supplement, and the Field Trip Authorization and Field Trip Transportation Log - the LDOE forms supporting the critical incident procedures covered in pre-service orientation (LAC 28:CLXV.323.B.15) and the transportation log required by §309.A.9.f

What's specific about getting licensed in Louisiana

Louisiana is a state where the thing this product's buyer imagines — a 'licensed home daycare' — does not legally exist. If you care for 6 or fewer children in your home, the state offers no license at all; you are a 'Family Child Care Provider' and the only credential available is a CCAP certification/registration with the Department of Education, which exists solely so you can be paid for subsidized (Child Care Assistance Program) children. The licensing line is drawn at 7 children: at 7+ your home becomes an 'early learning center' and falls under the full Bulletin 137 center regime (commercial Fire Marshal standards, Type I/II/III license). So the real Louisiana decision is a fork, not a form: stay at ≤6 as an unlicensed/registered family provider, or jump to a fully licensed center — there is no small-vs-large family-home ladder in between.

Common mistakes when getting licensed in Louisiana

There is no 'licensed home daycare' to get

For 6 or fewer children Louisiana issues no license — only a CCAP provider certification. You cannot truthfully advertise as a 'state-licensed home daycare.' If being licensed matters to your marketing or to private-pay parents, you must scale to 7+ children and license the home as an Early Learning Center under Bulletin 137, a much heavier standard (commercial Fire Marshal standards, Type I/II/III).

Your own children count toward the cap of 6

The 6-child limit includes the provider's own children under age 13 (or 13–17 if special needs), regardless of relationship (CCAP 16D §8). A provider with three young children of their own can legally take only three additional children. Adding a helper/secondary provider does not raise the home ceiling above 6 (§33).

Registration is meaningless unless you take CCAP subsidy families

The Family Child Care certification is a payment agreement with LDOE's Child Care Assistance Program. If you only serve private-pay families at 6 or fewer children, there is effectively nothing to 'register' and no license to hold. The entire certification apparatus (Provider Agreement, rate forms, TOTS time-and-attendance equipment) exists to receive state subsidy dollars.

Every adult in the house must clear a background check first

The fingerprint-based CCCBC 'Eligible for Child Care Purposes' clearance is required before certification not just for you but for your spouse, adult children, roommates, and anyone employed at or on the property (§13). One ineligible adult in the home blocks the whole certification, and clearances must be in hand before you open.

How long it takes and what it costs in Louisiana

Timeline: Plan roughly 2–3 months. The gating prerequisites — Pre-Service Orientation, Pediatric First Aid + Infant/Child/Adult CPR, fingerprint CCCBC clearance for every adult, the signed Emergency Preparedness Checklist, and the Office of State Fire Marshal home inspection — typically take about 4–8 weeks to assemble. Once the CCAP application is submitted in CAFÉ/EdLink, LDOE works a ~30-day processing window and conducts an on-site inspection before issuing certification. Scaling instead to a 7+ child licensed Early Learning Center takes considerably longer.

Cost: No state license/application fee applies to the Family Child Care (CCAP) certification — it is a registration, not a paid license. Real out-of-pocket costs are the training and screening: a combined Pediatric First Aid + CPR course is typically about $70–$120; the Pre-Service Orientation is offered free online by LDOE. The fingerprint-based Child Care Criminal Background Check carries a per-adult fee — confirm the current amount with LDOE / the state background-check vendor rather than relying on a guessed figure. The Office of State Fire Marshal inspection fee, if any, varies — confirm with the Office of State Fire Marshal.

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Louisiana home daycare licensing — FAQ

How many children can I care for in a Louisiana home daycare?

What are the adult-to-child ratios for a home daycare in Louisiana?

What training do I need to run a home daycare in Louisiana?

Before you can be licensed: The pre-service package was rewritten in 2025 and is materially longer than the version most third-party guides still describe. LAC 28:CLXV.323.B, promulgated at LR 51:527 (April 2025), requires the provider to 'Complete four hours of CCAP pre-service orientation training; the LDOE Key Orientation Training Modules 1, 2, and 3; infant, child, and adult CPR; pediatric first aid; and DCFS online Mandated Reporter training prior to initial certification, maintain documentation verifying completion of the training, and submit the documentation with the application for certification to the LDOE.' Five distinct items, all before certification. The Key Orientation Training Modules are defined in Bulletin 139 §103: Module 1 covers early childhood professionalism, health and safety, licensing and hazards; Module 2 covers child development, early learning and development standards and learning activities; Module 3 covers teacher-child interaction, child guidance and classroom management.

Ongoing training: Twelve clock hours a year, plus three things that sit outside the twelve. LAC 28:CLXV.323.C.1 requires the provider to 'Annually complete 12 clock hours of training in safety and health topics and job-related subject areas approved by the LDOE', completed with LDOE-approved trainers, and lists eleven illustrative topics introduced by 'may include, but is not limited to': child development; child guidance; child abuse prevention; emergency preparation; learning activities; health and safety; shaken baby prevention; CPR; pediatric first aid; management or administrative education; or college credit hours in child care, child development and/or early childhood. Note the drafting: this is a permissive list, not the closed nine-topic CCDF checklist reproduced in clause 17 of the CCAP 16D agreement (Rev. 08/18). Both texts are live, the agreement is contractually binding on CCAP providers, and the safe course is to cover the nine agreement topics inside the twelve rule hours. Outside the twelve: first, §323.C.2 requires the provider to 'Annually complete the DCFS online Mandated Reporter Training', separately from the hours.

What background checks does Louisiana require?

Is this legal advice?

No. DaycareLicensePrep gives general information based on each state's published child-care licensing rules, dated to when we last verified them, and is not a guarantee of licensure. Always confirm with your state's licensing agency before applying.

Louisiana changes its rules — we'll tell you

Getting licensed takes months, and states revise these numbers. Leave your email and we'll write to you when Louisiana's requirements change. Nothing else, ever — and you can unsubscribe from any message.

Source: Textes primaires effectivement lus le 24 aout 2026. (1) LAC Titre 28, Partie CLXV - BESE Bulletin 139, Louisiana Child Care and Development Fund Programs, texte officiel de la Louisiana Division of Administration, Office of the State Register, telecharge en .docx et lu integralement : https://doa.la.gov/media/043btqeh/28v165.docx .

Sections lues verbatim : §101, §103, §301-§311, §317-§325, §503, §507. HISTORICAL NOTES les plus recentes : §309 et §323 a LR 51:525 et 51:527 (avril 2025), §310 a LR 52:29 (janvier 2026). (2) Louisiana Revised Statutes, Titre 17, Partie X-C, Family Child Care Provider and In-Home Provider Registration Law, sur legis.la.gov : R.S. 17:407.61 (https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=920034), 407.62 (d=920035), 407.63 (d=920036), 407.64 (d=920037), 407.65 (d=920038), 407.69 (d=920042). (3) BESE, Notice of Intent, amendements 2025-2026 aux Bulletins 137 et 139 (Acts 409 et 351 de 2025) : https://bese.louisiana.gov/docs/default-source/rulemaking-docket/osr-b137-and-b139.pdf . (4) Bulletin 137 (LAC 28:CLXI) - avis d'intention BESE 2021 publie par le Secretaire d'Etat, pour §103 (definition de child day care center renvoyant a R.S. 17:407.33(3)) : https://sbp.sos.la.gov/rules/2021-06%20BESE%20Louisiana%20Early%20Learning%20Center%20Licensing%20Regulations.pdf ;

et compilation LAC April 2016 pour Chapitre 3 (§301, §303, §305, §307, §309, §311, §313, §315, §319) : https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/sites/default/files/LA%20Child%20Care%20Center.pdf . L'edition janvier 2026 (https://licensingregulations.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/licensing_regulation/LA_CENTER_JAN_2026.pdf) renvoie 403 et n'a PAS pu etre lue. (5) LDOE, Home-Based Child Care Centers : https://doe.louisiana.gov/early-childhood/home-based-child-care-centers (liste des pieces d'enregistrement et de certification, delai d'inspection de 30 jours, catalogue des formulaires). (6) LDOE, Family Child Care (FCC) Providers : https://doe.louisiana.gov/early-childhood/publicly-funded-providers/family-child-care-(fcc)-providers (candidature via EdLink https://ldoe.edlink.la.gov/#/, KinderConnect, Academic Approval). (7) LDOE, CCAP Providers : https://doe.louisiana.gov/early-childhood/publicly-funded-providers/ccap-providers (portail CAFE, mention des deux inspections annuelles annoncee/inopinee). (8) LDOE, Child Care Facility Licensing Information : https://doe.louisiana.gov/early-childhood/child-care-facility-licensing (7 enfants et plus, inspections a intervalle n'excedant pas un an et sans preavis, 225-342-9905). (9) CCAP 16PDCI, Family Child Care Provider Certification & Renewal Checklist (Rev. 06/18) et CCAP 16D, CCAP Family Child Care Provider Agreement (Rev. 08/18), PDF unique de 298 Ko toujours servi en HTTP 200 : https://doe.louisiana.gov/docs/default-source/child-care-providers/family-child-care-provider-certification-and-renewal-packet.pdf?sfvrsn=9 , lu integralement (clauses 1 a 40). (10) LDOE, Child-to-Staff Minimum Ratios, reproduction de LAC 28:CLXI.1711.C : https://doe.louisiana.gov/docs/default-source/early-childhood/child-to-staff-ratio.pdf . (11) LDOE, Becoming an In-Home Child Care or Family Child Care Provider (document d'urgence aout-novembre 2021) : https://doe.louisiana.gov/docs/default-source/child-care-providers/steps-for-in-home-and-family-home-provider-registration-and-certification.pdf . (12) Office of State Fire Marshal, Family Child In-Home Daycare : https://www.lasfm.org/licensing/family-child-in-home-daycare/ (frais de 30 $, R.S. 40:1563.2, portee de l'inspection). (13) https://cccbcldoe.la.gov .

Verified 2026-08-24. General information, not legal advice and not a guarantee of licensure — confirm with your state’s licensing agency before applying.