You asked how many children can be cared for at one time in group and family day care homes, respectively.

SUMMARY

The Department of Public Health (DPH) licenses and regulates two types of home day care businesses: group and family day care homes. The former can care for seven to 12 children. The latter have two capacity designations: a “regular” capacity limit of up to six children and a “school age” capacity of up to three more children for before- or after-school care.

The regulations contain some capacity limit exceptions for family day care providers' own school-aged children. They also allow DPH to set lower capacity limits for family day care homes based on considerations such as the home's usable space and provider qualifications.

We enclose copies of regulations governing both types of day care homes (Conn. Agencies Regs. §§ 19a-79-1a, et seq. (group day care homes) and §§ 19a-87b-1, et seq. (family day care homes)).

FAMILY DAY CARE HOMES

Family day care homes are private family homes that regularly provide between three and 12 hours of care per day for up to six children at a time (CGS § 19a-77b). During the school year, they may also have a school age capacity of up to three more children attending school full time who receive less than three hours of before- or after-school care. The provider's own school age children under age 12 count against this three-child limit.

Although family day care providers cannot exceed their regular capacities during summer vacations, regulations specify that providers' school age children do not count against their regular capacity limits during these periods (Conn. Agencies Regs. § 19a-87b-5(d)(1)(b)).

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