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Home Daycare License Requirements in Vermont (2026)

Opening a home daycare in Vermont means getting a family child care home license from the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF), Child Development Division (CDD). 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 Vermont

THE PHYSICAL PLACE AND THE PERSON ARE DEFINED SEPARATELY, AND BOTH DEFINITIONS MATTER. Rule 2.2.19: "'Family Child Care Home,' referred to as the 'FCCH' in these rules, means the residence of a person approved to provide developmentally appropriate care, education, protection, and supervision designed to ensure wholesome growth and educational experiences for children outside of their own homes for periods of less than twenty-four (24) hours per day. This is the physical location where care is provided." Rule 2.2.20: "'Family Child Care Provider,' referred to as the 'FCCP' in these rules, means the person who has been approved to operate a registered or licensed FCCH, is responsible for the operation of that FCCH and considered legally responsible for compliance with these regulations. The FCCP approves or develops the FCCH's program and curriculum and supervises staff." Rule 2.1.1 repeats the service definition and adds the residence requirement in mandatory form: "A Family Child Care Home provides developmentally appropriate care, education, protection, and supervision that are designed to ensure wholesome growth and educational experiences for children outside of their own homes for periods of less than twenty-four (24) hours per day. A Family Child Care Home shall be operated in the residence occupied by the Family Child Care Provider (FCCP)."

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 Vermont

THERE IS NO SINGLE VERMONT NUMBER; THERE ARE TWO REGIMES, AND ONE OF THEM PUTS THE NUMBER ON YOUR CERTIFICATE. Rule 2.2.3 defines the term: "'Capacity' means the total number of children allowed to be present at any one (1) time as approved on the license." The chapeau that opens the capacity rules (printed immediately under the heading '6.2 Building Healthy Relationships') states the four variables: "Capacity and Staffing: The capacity shall be determined by the type of license held, the ages of the children living in or present at the FCCH, the presence of one (1) or more Family Child Care Assistants, and the amount of usable space for child care in the FCCH," followed by two navigation notes — "Section 6.2.1 of these regulations refers exclusively to capacity and staffing in a registered FCCH" and "Section 6.2.2 of these regulations refers exclusively to capacity and staffing of a licensed FCCH." (A drafting oddity worth knowing before you go looking: the rulebook's table of contents lists 6.2 only as 'Building Healthy Relationships' and contains no entry for capacity at all, so searching the contents page for 'capacity' finds nothing. The fourth variable — 'the amount of usable space' — connects to rule 2.2.27, "'Licensed Space' means the indoor and outdoor space approved by the Division as useable space where children may be present.") REGISTERED FCCH — TEN, OR TWELVE IN SUMMER, AND NOTHING ELSE.

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

Adult-to-child ratios

VERMONT DOES NOT PUBLISH ADULT-TO-CHILD RATIOS AS RATIOS. It publishes five capacity-and-staffing CHARTS — two for registered homes (Option 1: Year Round Care; Option 2: Summer Vacation) and three for licensed homes (with one, two or three staff) — and the row you occupy is determined by the age mix in the room at that instant. Rules 6.2.1.5 and 6.2.2.4 both require the staffing "described in the chart below for ages of children, maximum group size, and staff/child ratios AT ANY TIME OF DAY," so compliance is instantaneous, not averaged over the session. REGISTERED FCCH, OPTION 1 (YEAR ROUND CARE). Columns: Total Staff | Total Children | Under 24 months | 2-5 years | School age.

The ONE-STAFF rows, in the order printed: 3 total = 3 under-24-months + 0 + 0; 6-10 total = 2 under-24 + 4 aged 2-5 + 0-4 school age; 5-10 = 2 + 3 + 0-5; 4-10 = 2 + 2 + 0-6; 3-10 = 2 + 1 + 0-7; 2-10 = 2 + 0 + 0-8; 6-10 = 1 + 5 + 0-4; 5-10 = 1 + 4 + 0-5; 4-10 = 1 + 3 + 0-6; 3-10 = 1 + 2 + 0-7; 2-10 = 1 + 1 + 0-8; 1-10 = 1 + 0 + 0-9; 6-10 = 0 + 6 + 0-4; 5-10 = 0 + 5 + 0-5; 4-10 = 0 + 4 + 0-6; 3-10 = 0 + 3 + 0-7; 2-10 = 0 + 2 + 0-8; 1-10 = 0 + 1 + 0-9; 1-10 = 0 + 0 + 1-10. The TWO-STAFF rows: 5-6 total = 5-6 under-24-months + 0 + 0; 6-10 = 4 + 2 + 0-4; 5-10 = 4 + 1 + 0-5; 4-10 = 4 + 0 + 0-6; 6-10 = 3 + 3 + 0-4; 5-10 = 3 + 2 + 0-5; 4-10 = 3 + 1 + 0-6; 4-10 = 3 + 0 + 1-7. Read as ratios, the chart says this: ONE adult may never have more than TWO children under twenty-four months when the group is mixed, may have THREE if the entire group is under twenty-four months, and may reach the ten-child ceiling only by loading school-agers; a SECOND adult raises the under-24-months allowance to FOUR in a mixed group and to FIVE OR SIX when the whole group is under twenty-four months, but never raises the total above ten.

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

Training you must complete before licensure

WHAT MUST BE DONE BEFORE THE FIRST CHILD ARRIVES — FIVE SEPARATE ITEMS, NOT ONE. CDD's own 'FCCH Chart of Deadline Dates' organises them by deadline, and the rules supply the text. (1) ORIENTATION TRAINING — rule 7.1.3: "The FCCP shall complete an orientation training session approved by the Division prior to beginning care for children. The FCCP shall ensure staff complete an orientation training session approved by the Division prior to being left alone with children. Trainees shall complete the orientation training within one (1) month of their first date of working with children." The rule then enumerates EXACTLY TWENTY-FOUR required contents, which is worth listing because Vermont's list is unusually specific about abuse prevention and about the licensing regime itself: "Basic knowledge of child growth and development; Routine and emergency health protection of children including health related exclusions; Safety and sanitation requirements including handling and storage of hazardous materials and disposal of bio contaminants; Positive behavior management; Supervision of children; Child accident and injury procedures including building and physical premises safety; Safe sleep practices; Administration of medication requirements; Emergency and evacuation requirements; Nutrition and food safety including prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions; Recordkeeping; Transportation and child passenger safety; Release of children; Respectful engagement of families; Preventing, recognizing, and reporting child abuse and neglect, including information about the signs and symptoms of sexual abuse, sexual violence, grooming processes, recognizing the dangers of child sexual abuse, and other predatory behaviors of sex offenders;

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

Ongoing (annual) training

FIFTEEN CLOCK HOURS FOR STAFF, FOUR FOR SUBSTITUTES SINCE 1 OCTOBER 2024 — AND THE SECOND HALF OF THAT SENTENCE IS THE CORRECTION. The printed rule 7.4.4 in the April 2022 rulebook reads: "All staff, with the exception of substitutes, shall complete fifteen (15) clock hours of annual professional development activities as required in the rule 7.4.2 of these regulations." Deputy Commissioner McLaughlin's memorandum of 09/24/2024, effective 10/01/2024, amends that rule and prints the amended text: "All staff, with the exception of substitutes, shall complete fifteen (15) clock hours of annual professional development activities as required in the rule 7.4.2 of these regulations. SUBSTITUTES SHALL COMPLETE FOUR (4) HOURS OF ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES IN ADDITION TO ANY REQUIREMENTS FOR INFANT/CHILD CPR CERTIFICATION (OR RECERTIFICATION) AND FIRST AID TRAINING." The memorandum explains why, and the reasoning is worth reading because it shows how CDD stretches the rulebook: "Federal law requires child care providers, including caregivers, teachers and directors, to receive ongoing professional development and health and safety training.

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

Background checks

THE VERMONT CHECK IS FOUR DATABASES PLUS FBI FINGERPRINTS PLUS AN OUT-OF-STATE REGISTRY SWEEP, AND IT REACHES EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE FROM AGE SIXTEEN. AT INITIAL LICENSURE — rule 2.3.7.3.1: "The prospective FCCP shall submit a Records Check Authorization form to the Division with the initial application and shall submit to fingerprinting at a location designated by the Division after having received the Fingerprinting Authorization Certificate by the Division." Rule 2.3.7.3.2: "The prospective FCCP shall ensure that any persons, sixteen (16) years of age or older, who reside in the FCCH submit a Records Check Authorization form to the Division." Rule 2.3.7.3.3: "The prospective FCCP shall ensure that persons residing in the home, who will be paid to assist with the care and education of children or who will be left alone with children shall also submit to fingerprinting at a location designated by the Division after having received the Fingerprinting Authorization Certificate by the Division." Note the asymmetry the rule creates and that CDD's practice appears to widen: the RULE fingerprints the applicant and those residents who are paid or left alone with children, but CDD's 'Vermont Child Care Licensing Application: Resource Guide' (Revised 11/15/2024) tells applicants: "The proposed FCCP and FCCH household members who are 18 years old or older must complete a fingerprint supported background clearance before the Division can issue a license. A fingerprint-supported clearance includes the process of submitting to fingerprinting and the process of providing additional information for out of state child abuse and neglect registry checks.

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

The application, step by step

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

1. STEP 0 — CONFIRM YOU ARE REGULATED, AND CHOOSE THE TIER. You need CDD approval the moment you care for children from more than two families other than your own: rule 1.1, "A person providing care for children from more than two (2) families other than their own must be registered or licensed in accord with these regulations," and 33 V.S.A. § 3502(b)(1), which exempts only "a person providing care for children of not more than two families other than that of the person providing the care." Then choose: a REGISTERED FCCH (capacity 10, or 12 in summer; provider qualification may be completed within twelve months of initial licensure under rule 7.3.1) or a LICENSED FCCH (capacity written on…
2. STEP 1 — SUBMIT THE PRELIMINARY APPLICATION IN BFIS (this is not yet the application). Per CDD's 'Vermont Child Care Licensing Application: Resource Guide — Registered Family Child Care Homes' (Revised 11/15/2024): "The application process has three (3) steps: 1. Preliminary application: submit an online initial request to become a registered family child care home (FCCH) in the Bright Futures Information System (BFIS). This is not an application. This provides basic information to allow the assigned Child Care Business Technician to reach out to gather more information and provide further details. 2. Registered Family Care Home Application: collect the required documents needed to submit…
3. STEP 2 — START THE BACKGROUND CLEARANCES IMMEDIATELY, BECAUSE THEY GATE EVERYTHING ELSE. Submit your own Record Check Authorization Form, the Family Child Care Home Census List of everyone living in the home, and a Record Check Authorization Form for every household member aged sixteen or older (rules 2.3.7.2 and 2.3.7.3.2). Submit to fingerprinting at a Division-designated location only AFTER the Division issues your Fingerprinting Authorization Certificate, and take the certificate with you (rule 2.3.7.3.1; Guidance Manual). Expect out-of-state child abuse and neglect registry checks for every state you or an adult household member has lived in during the past five years. The Resource…
4. STEP 3 — MEET AND DOCUMENT THE PROVIDER QUALIFICATION THROUGH NORTHERN LIGHTS AT CCV. Rule 2.3.7.4: "Prior to initial licensure the prospective FCCP shall provide written documentation of education, training and experience in his/her BFIS Quality and Credential Account." Send Northern Lights at CCV: "1. A completed Verification Cover Sheet. 2. A detailed resume which clearly outlines minimum required work experience, including describing the ages of children served, whether your work was full or part time, whether it was in a group or individual care setting, and the specific starting and ending dates for each employment experience. 3. Documentation of meeting educational requirements…
5. STEP 4 — COMPLETE THE TRAINING STACK. (a) The CDD-approved Vermont Orientation, which CDD delivers as two parts — the Online Mandated Reporter Training plus the Better Kid Care Vermont Orientation Training (or a self-run orientation meeting CDD's template) — covering the twenty-four topics enumerated in rule 7.1.3, before beginning care for children. (b) Pediatric first aid and infant/child CPR before licensure, remaining currently certified (rule 7.1.2.1); staff within three months of starting work per the Commissioner's memorandum of 07/30/2019, effective 09/30/2019, and per CDD's Due Dates Checklist. (c) Medication administration training before administering any medication (rule 5.6.2;…
6. STEP 5 — RUN THE BUILDING AND WATER TESTS, WHICH HAVE THE LONGEST LEAD TIMES. Heating system: "The FCCH heating system shall be inspected by a qualified person and found to be properly installed and operational. Evidence of a satisfactory inspection, WITHIN THE SIX (6) MONTHS PRIOR TO INITIAL APPLICATION, shall be supplied to the Division" (rule 2.3.7.7; at renewal the window is 730 days, rule 2.3.9.5.2). Lead paint: if the home was built before 1978 and has not been certified lead-free, comply with 18 V.S.A. chapter 38 before licensure and document that Essential Maintenance Practices have been performed (rule 2.3.7.5) — note that CDD and the Department of Health now call this the…
7. STEP 6 — ASSEMBLE THE REMAINING DOCUMENTS. Certificate of liability insurance "of a reasonable amount," plus transportation insurance covering property damage, bodily injury and liability if you will transport children (rule 2.3.7.6). Compliance with the Vermont Division of Fire Safety and the Americans with Disabilities Act (rule 2.3.7.8; the FCCH FAQ explains this is worked out case by case with your licensing field specialist and "Common examples include things like accessibility to the home and safe exit routes for an emergency evacuation"). Certification that you are in good standing on Vermont taxes under 32 V.S.A. § 3113 (rule 2.3.7.13) and on child support under 15 V.S.A. § 795…
8. STEP 7 — SUBMIT THE ONLINE APPLICATION IN BFIS. Rule 2.3.7.1: "Forms: A prospective FCCP shall apply for a license on forms provided and in a manner prescribed by the Division." Rule 2.3.7.2: "The prospective FCCP shall provide a list of all persons residing in the home; the list shall include at a minimum name, gender, date of birth, social security number, and the relationship to the prospective FCCP of each person." The BFIS screens, per the Resource Guide, capture liability and transportation insurance, water test results, heating inspection, the floors of the home to be used for care and two identified exits, tax standing status and date, and child support obligation status and date;…
9. STEP 8 — CDD COMPLETENESS REVIEW. "The CCBT will review all documents for completeness. If missing items are identified, you will be notified via a 'Missing Items Letter' within your BFIS Child Care Program Account... Your online application process will be considered complete when: Your application is completed in BFIS; Background clearance approval letters have been issued for your proposed FCCP and FCCH household members who are 16 years old or older; FCCP and/or staff are determined to have met qualifications for their respective positions."
10. STEP 9 — THE PRE-REGISTRATION SITE VISIT, WHICH IS NOW A PUBLIC DOCUMENT. "After your online application process has been completed, your CCBT will inform your CDD licensor that you are ready for your preregistration visit. Your licensor will contact you within three to four business days to schedule a final visit to your FCCH within two weeks. During the licensor's visit, they will assess your FCCH's compliance with Child Care Licensing Regulations. Within five business days of this visit, your licensor will issue a site visit report. Any required action identified during this visit is required to be completed or addressed before you receive your license." Since 1 October 2024, under the…
11. STEP 10 — ISSUANCE. Rule 2.3.2.1: "To qualify for a license, or a license renewal, a prospective FCCP or FCCP shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Division that the FCCH is in full or substantial compliance with these regulations." A FULL licence "is effective for three (3) years from the date of issuance" unless modified to provisional, revoked, surrendered or suspended (rule 2.3.6.1.2) — note that this displaces the statutory default in 33 V.S.A. § 151(1) that "Licenses and registration shall be for a term of one year from issuance unless otherwise prescribed by rule." A PROVISIONAL licence may issue where there is no serious risk to children and, among other triggers, "An…
12. STEP 11 — DAY ONE OBLIGATIONS. Post the licence and a copy of the current FCCH Licensing Regulations where clearly visible to parents, staff and visitors (rule 2.3.3); post the written evacuation diagram on every level used by children (rule 3.6.2.1); post the emergency telephone list and child-specific emergency contacts near the telephone or in a location known to all staff (rule 5.10.1.13.2); post dated menus where parents can see them (rule 5.11.1.3). Operate only within the terms on the certificate (rule 2.3.10.4) and remember rule 2.3.10.5: "The FCCP shall be responsible for compliance with all applicable state and federal laws even when they are more stringent than the rules in this…
13. STEP 12 — THE ANNUAL AND THREE-YEAR CYCLES. Every 365 days by your licence anniversary (rule 2.3.8.2, notice sixty days ahead under rule 2.3.8.1): professional development hours and IPDP updates (rule 2.3.8.4 with rule 7.4), continuous insurance evidence on site (rule 2.3.8.6), lead Inspect-Repair-Cleaning documentation for pre-1978 homes (rule 2.3.8.5), annual flush-sample lead water testing if the initial result equalled or exceeded acceptable limits (rule 2.3.8.7), monthly evacuation drills with one during rest or nap time each year (rules 3.6.2.2, 3.6.2.3), the Vermont Child Care Immunization Report filed with the Department of Health by December 31 (rule 5.1.4, 18 V.S.A. §§…

What you must post on your walls

• THE LICENCE ITSELF AND A COPY OF THE RULEBOOK — rule 2.3.3: "The FCCP shall post a current license to operate a FCCH and a copy of the current FCCH Licensing Regulations in the home where it is clearly visible to parents, staff and visitors. A null and void or out-of-date license shall be immediately removed." CDD's Guidance Manual Appendix III ('Required Postings') gives the duration as 'At all times'. What must appear on the posted licence is itself prescribed by rule 2.3.10.1: "Status of the license: full or provisional; Effective date of the license; Expiration date of the license; The applicable type of regulated service for which authorization to operate has been granted; Terms…
• FOR LICENSED (not registered) HOMES, THE POSTED LICENCE ALSO CARRIES THE CAPACITY AND AGES — rule 2.3.10.1.1: "The official posted license of licensed programs shall also contain the following: The maximum number of children who may be served at one (1) time; and The ages of the children who may be served."
• SITE VISIT REPORTS, NOTICES OF VIOLATION AND NOTICES OF REGULATORY ACTION, FOR AT LEAST FIFTEEN DAYS — rule 2.8.1: "The FCCP shall post as directed, site visit reports, notices of violations, or notices of regulatory action for no fewer than fifteen (15) days following receipt by the FCCP in a place where the information is clearly visible to parents." The statute imposes the same duty independently and without a stated duration — 33 V.S.A. § 151(7): "Whenever the Department determines that a licensed child care facility or registered family child care home has violated a health or safety rule, the facility or home shall post the Department's notice of violation in a conspicuous place in…
• A WRITTEN EVACUATION DIAGRAM ON EVERY LEVEL USED BY CHILDREN — rule 3.6.2.1: "The FCCP shall have a written evacuation diagram with evacuation routes posted on each level of the home that is used by the children." Appendix III: 'On each level of the home used by children — At all times'. The related drills are not postings but are inspected: monthly evacuation drills completed in under three minutes (rule 3.6.2.2) and at least one drill every 365 days conducted while children are sleeping or resting (rule 3.6.2.3).
• THE EMERGENCY TELEPHONE LIST AND CHILD-SPECIFIC EMERGENCY CONTACTS — rule 5.10.1.13.2, itemised in Guidance Manual Appendix III as: "List of the following phone numbers: 911, Police, Fire, Ambulance/Rescue Squad, Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222), CDD, Vermont Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-649-5285), Directions to your home," together with "Child specific information: Parent contacts, Emergency contacts, and Doctor contact information," posted "Near telephone(s), OR In a known location by all staff — At all times." This posting was missing from the prior entry entirely.
• DATED MENUS WHERE PARENTS CAN SEE THEM — rule 5.11.1.3: "The FCCP shall ensure that menus are planned in advance, dated, and posted so that they are clearly visible to parents. Any changes to the posted menu shall be noted. Menus of meals and snacks for the preceding six (6) weeks shall be kept on file."
• LICENSED FCCH ONLY — THE DIAPER CHANGING PROCEDURE AT EACH CHANGING AREA — rule 5.2.3.13: "A licensed FCCP shall post the diaper changing procedure at each diaper changing area." (Every FCCH must HAVE a written diaper changing procedure accessible to staff under rule 5.2.3.12; only licensed homes must post it.)
• LICENSED FCCH ONLY — THE WRITTEN DAILY SCHEDULE — rule 6.1.3.2: "The licensed FCCP shall ensure that a written schedule is developed and is posted where it is clearly visible to parents, staff, and for children as appropriate. The schedule shall show blocks of time usually assigned to different types of activities in the daily and weekly routine." Appendix III itemises the content: individual, small group and full group play and learning; child-directed and provider-directed activities; active and quiet play; rest or quiet time; and indoor and outdoor play.
• NOT A POSTING BUT ROUTINELY CONFUSED WITH ONE: the written Emergency Response Plan itself need not be posted, but rule 3.6.1.2 requires that "all staff are trained on the Emergency Response Plan and are aware of where to find the written plan in the FCCH," rule 3.6.1.3 requires it to be reviewed and updated at least once every 365 days, and rule 3.6.1.4 requires parents to be aware of it, "particularly where children would be taken if evacuated from the FCCH." Likewise, the twenty-four-hour Child Abuse Hotline must be something the provider, staff and partner staff "be informed of and have ready access to" (rule 3.2.1) — and Appendix III converts that into the posted phone list above.

Enrollment forms for each child

• CHILD CARE PROGRAM RECORD CHECK AUTHORIZATION FORM (single-site) — the operative background-check instrument for the applicant, every household member aged sixteen or older, every staff member, partner staff and non-parent volunteers present more than five times in 365 days. CDD publishes it at outside.vermont.gov as 'CDD-updated-single-site-form1.1.pdf' with the revision stamp 'Revised 03/05/2026' (the most recently revised Vermont child care form found in this research), and also as an online JotForm at vermont.jotformgov.com/252505696986070. It collects certificate number and programme name, town, programme telephone, position start date, legal and maiden names, date of birth, gender,…
• RECORD CHECK AUTHORIZATION FORM — MULTI-SITE CHILD CARE PROGRAMS ('CDD-updated-multi-site-form.pdf') — used when an individual works at or is regularly present at more than one CDD-licensed programme. The Guidance Manual explains the strict formatting: it "allows four CDD licensed programs to be listed. If more space is needed, the individual is required to complete another Multi-Site Licensed Programs form. If the individual writes additional licensed program information on the back of the Multi-Site Licensed Programs form (or adds information anywhere else on the front of the form other than the 4 lines provided), the form will be returned," and "Only one position title can be listed for…
• FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME CENSUS LIST ('CC-FH-Census-List.pdf', 'Revised 8/24/2022') — the rule 2.3.7.2 list of everyone living in the home. It asks, for each resident, last/first/middle name, gender, date of birth, Social Security number and relationship to the applicant ('List yourself first'), and carries the warning "FORMS THAT ARE INCOMPLETE OR CANNOT BE READ EASILY WILL BE REJECTED." It is also the vehicle CDD uses to learn about residents UNDER sixteen, who need no record check but must be disclosed. Its bolded legal citation — "per 33 V.S.A. § 309" — is to a statute repealed by 2013, No. 131 (Adj. Sess.), § 14, effective May 20, 2014.
• FINGERPRINTING AUTHORIZATION CERTIFICATE — issued BY the Division to the individual, not filled in by the applicant; its mandatory contents are prescribed by rule 2.3.7.3.6 and the individual must physically carry it to the fingerprinting appointment. Fingerprint results are accepted only when sent to CDD directly by the Vermont Crime Information Center.
• THE BFIS APPLICATION ITSELF — there is no downloadable paper licence application: rule 2.3.7.1 requires application "on forms provided and in a manner prescribed by the Division," and the Division prescribes BFIS. The sequence is the preliminary request ('Become a Provider' → 'Apply Online to Become a Registered Home Provider'), then the 'Registered Family Child Care Home Application' screens inside the provider's BFIS account. Renewal is likewise through BFIS (rule 2.3.9.1).
• NORTHERN LIGHTS VERIFICATION COVER SHEET — the transmittal that carries your resume, diplomas, transcripts, CDA credential or Agency of Education teaching licence to Northern Lights at CCV so they can be verified into your BFIS Quality and Credential Account (2024 Resource Guide, step 2; rules 2.3.7.4 and 3.3.7.3).
• CERTIFICATE OF LIABILITY INSURANCE issued by your insurer, plus evidence of transportation insurance if you will transport children (rule 2.3.7.6; kept on site continuously under rule 2.3.8.6).
• HEATING SYSTEM INSPECTION DOCUMENTATION — "a copy of your invoice is sufficient" per the Resource Guide — dated within six months before the initial application (rule 2.3.7.7) and within 730 days at renewal (rule 2.3.9.5.2).
• LEAD DOCUMENTATION FOR PRE-1978 HOMES — the Inspect, Repair and Cleaning (IRC) assessment, formerly and still called Essential Maintenance Practices (EMP) in rule 2.3.7.5, performed by a certified individual who files a Compliance Statement with the Vermont Department of Health; the applicant forwards the confirmation e-mail to their CCBT and re-does it every 365 days (rule 2.3.8.5). CDD's 2024 Resource Guide acronym table records the rename: 'IRC (formerly EMP) — Inspection, Repair, and Cleaning (formerly Essential Maintenance Practices)'.
• DRINKING WATER TEST RESULTS — the first-draw lead test under 18 V.S.A. chapter 24A and the Department of Health's Tap Inventory Management System, plus bacterial (total coliform) and chemical screening for arsenic, uranium, nitrite, manganese, nitrate and fluoride where the home is on a private well or spring, all analysed by a Vermont-certified Drinking Water Laboratory under 18 V.S.A. § 501b (rules 2.3.7.10 to 2.3.7.12; annual flush sample under rule 2.3.8.7 if initial results were elevated; six-year chemical retest under rules 2.3.9.5.3 and 2.3.9.5.4). Water and wastewater PERMITS are additionally required of prospective LICENSED homes where DEC requires them (rule 2.3.7.9).
• IRS FORM W-9 — not a licensing rule requirement but required by CDD before payments: "The W-9 Form is used for tax purposes, to receive CCFAP payments, and/or receive grant funding," with formatting rules so strict that digital signatures are rejected (2024 Resource Guide).
• WRITTEN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR PARENTS AND STAFF (the parent handbook, and a staff handbook if you employ anyone) under rule 4.7, and the WRITTEN EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN under rule 3.6.1.1 — both to be sent to the CCBT thirty days before licensure per the Resource Guide. CDD publishes optional templates: 'FCCH Parent Handbook Checklist (Sample)' and 'FCCH Staff Handbook Checklist (Sample)'.
• CHILD CARE GENERAL HEALTH EXAMINATION FORM ('CC-General-Health-Examination-Form.docx') — the vehicle for rule 5.1.2's requirement that "Within forty-five (45) days of enrollment the FCCP shall obtain documentation of the child's age appropriate well care exam from the parent."
• VERMONT CHILD CARE IMMUNIZATION REPORT — rule 5.1.4: "The FCCP shall submit a Vermont Child Care Immunization Report at least once every 365 days to the Vermont Department of Health, Immunization Office as required by 18 V.S.A. §§ 1120 - 1129." CDD's Due Dates Checklist fixes the deadline: 'Filed by December 31st'. Children's files must also hold the Department of Health immunization-in-progress form or exemption form where applicable (rule 5.1.3), and since 1 October 2024 a six-month immunization grace period applies to children experiencing homelessness and children in foster care.
• CDD SAMPLE AND COMPLIANCE FORMS THAT ARE NOT APPLICATION FORMS BUT ARE WHAT INSPECTORS ASK FOR: 'Family Child Care Home Due Date Checklist' (FCCH-Due-Dates-Checklist.pdf), 'Health and Safety Monitoring Checklist, Family Child Care Homes', 'Staff Background Clearance Checklist (Sample)', 'Staff File Checklist (Sample)', 'Child's File Checklist (Sample)', 'Evacuation Drill Record (Sample)', 'Medication Permission Form (Sample)', 'Non-Prescription Medication Permission Form (Sample)', 'Medication Administration Log (Sample)', 'First Aid Supply Checklist (Sample)' and 'Pesticide Record (Sample)' — all published on CDD's Forms for Providers page and read there on 2026-08-25.
• NO APPLICATION OR LICENSING FEE WAS FOUND. A full-text search of the April 2022 rulebook for 'fee' returns no licensing fee provision, and neither the 2024 Resource Guide nor the licensing pages mention one; the only fee rule in the statutes runs the other way — 33 V.S.A. § 3516 forbids a provider from charging application or waitlist fees to a family whose child qualifies for the Child Care Financial Assistance Program. This is an absence of evidence rather than an express statutory exemption; see verify_flag.

What's specific about getting licensed in Vermont

Vermont is one of the few states with a genuine TWO-TIER home-based license — 'Registered' and 'Licensed' Family Child Care Home — living inside a single rulebook, and the trap is assuming 'Registered' means informal or low-bar. It does not: even a registered home requires fingerprint clearance, CDD-approved Orientation Training, current pediatric first aid/CPR, a real provider credential (Career Ladder Level 1 or the Fundamentals course), a heating-system inspection, and lead-law compliance. The Registered tier caps at 10 children (12 in summer) with essentially one provider; to legally serve more you must upgrade to the Licensed tier, which demands a higher provider qualification (Career Ladder Level 2/3A or a CDA plus experience) AND paid Family Child Care Assistants. Everything routes through the BFIS portal and the Northern Lights Career Development Center for credential verification, so a home cannot be licensed until the provider's BFIS Quality & Credential Account documents the qualification.

How long it takes and what it costs in Vermont

Timeline: Plan roughly 2–4 months. The gating items are completing Orientation Training + first aid/CPR, meeting your tier's provider qualification (verified in your BFIS account), and clearing the fingerprint background check — the Division is allowed up to 45 days to process once the Vermont Crime Information Center has all documentation (§ 2.3.7.3.7) — plus scheduling the on-site inspection and assembling heating/fire/lead/insurance/water documentation. A Provisional License may be issued while you finish coming into compliance; a Full License is valid for 3 years (§ 2.3.6.1.2). Renew through BFIS before it expires — a renewal application received within about 15 days of the expiration date may not be processed in time to keep you continuously licensed (§ 2.3.9.3).

Cost: No application/licensing fee is set in the regulation itself — confirm the current fee (if any) with CDD/BFIS. Real out-of-pocket items to budget: the fingerprint-based background check fee (paid to the state's fingerprint vendor — amount varies, confirm with CDD / Vermont Crime Information Center); a pediatric first aid + infant/child CPR course (market rate, roughly $50–$120 through a local provider); the 'Fundamentals for Early Childhood Professionals' course or Career Ladder credential (frequently free or scholarship-funded via Northern Lights / Community College of Vermont); liability insurance; a heating-system inspection; drinking-water/lead testing for homes on private water; and, for pre-1978 homes, lead Essential Maintenance Practices. Exact dollar figures vary — confirm with CDD.

Source: Sources officielles consultées pour Vermont :

https://outside.vermont.gov/dept/DCF/Shared%20Documents/CDD/Licensing/CC-Family-Regs.pdf

https://dcf.vermont.gov/cdd/laws-rules/licensing

https://outside.vermont.gov/dept/DCF/Shared%20Documents/CDD/Licensing/Memo-FCCP-Rule-Changes-9.24.2024.pdf

https://dcf.vermont.gov/cdd-blog/changes-child-care-licensing-rules-effective-october-1-2024

https://outside.vermont.gov/dept/DCF/Shared%20Documents/CDD/Licensing/Oct2024-Town-Hall.pdf

https://outside.vermont.gov/dept/DCF/Shared%20Documents/CDD/Licensing/First-Aid-CPR.pdf

http://web.archive.org/web/20251031192145/https://outside.vermont.gov/dept/DCF/Shared%20Documents/CDD/Licensin

https://outside.vermont.gov/dept/DCF/Shared%20Documents/CDD/Act76/Memo-Rule-Variance.pdf

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