North Dakota
North Dakota Childcare
State Requirements



Child Care Ratios and Group Sizes

Ratios and group sizes are regulated by North Dakota state law - North Dakota child care providers must be licensed if they care for 6 or more children including their own.
Children receive higher quality care when they are in small groups and adult-to-child ratios meet recommendations or go beyond minimum licensing requirements with the addition of extra care staff.

How Many Children?
The number of children a provider can care for is determined by their license type, the size of their facility, and the ages of the children.

Family License
Can care for up to 7 children, plus 2 additional school-age children. The family provider’s own children under age 12 must be included in the total. Keep in mind:
• Either the provider can care for up to 3 children under the age of 24 months with additional children over 24 months
• OR they can care for up to 4 children under the age of 24 months when not caring for additional older children.
• Two school-age children can be added to either scenario.

Group License
Can care for up to 30 children, depending on local ordinance. The group child care provider’s own children under age 12 must be included in the total. Total number of children who can attend at any given time is based on age and:

One adult can care for children totaling 1.34 points, but ratios must be met and a group of children may not contain more than 4 children under the age of 18 months per provider. An additional qualified care provider is added for every 1.0 points. Group providers can care for children according to the above guidelines or follow the licensing guidelines for Family Child Care.

Center License
Can care for 19 or more children. The total number of children who can attend at any given time is based on age and:

One adult can care for children totaling 1.34 points, but ratios and maximum group size must also be met.

Worker Qualifications
Child Care Supervisor: Must have training and demonstrated ability to work with young children and have at least one of the following: AA in early childhood development; or CDA or similar local, state, or federal certification; or Montessori teacher certification; or HS diploma and one year experience in child care or a similar setting; or HS equivalency and one year experience in child care or a similar setting.

Provider/Child Ratio
Age Range Ratios for Center Based Care in North Dakota State
0 - 27 months (1:4) 10 max
18 - 35 months (1:5) 15 max
3 years (1:7) 20 max
4 years (1:10) 25 max
5 years (1:12) 30 max
6 - 12 years (1:20) 40 max
Age Range Point System for Child Care Groups and Centers
0 - 27 months .25 Points
18 - 35 months .20 Points
3 years .14 Points
4 years .10 points
5 years .08 points
6 - 12 years .05 Points
Age Range Ratios for Family Child Care in North Dakota State
All ages Can care for up to 7 children, plus 2 additional school-age children. The family provider’s own children under age 12 must be included in the total. Keep in mind:

• Either the provider can care for up to 3 children under the age of 24 months with additional children over 24 months
• OR they can care for up to 4 children under the age of 24 months when not caring for additional older children.
• Two school-age children can be added to either scenario.


Contact Information
Child Care Licensing Agency
North Dakota Department of Human Services
Children and Family Services
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325
State Capitol Building
Bismarck, ND 58505-0250
Phone: (701) 328-2310
Fax: (701) 328-2359

Child Care Subsidy Agency
Economic Assistance Policy Division
Child Care Assistance Program
600 East Boulevard Avenue, Department 325
Bismarck, ND 58505-0250
Phone: (701) 328-2332
Toll Free: (800) 755-2716
email: dhseap@nd.gov

Head Start - State Collaboration Office
North Dakota Department of Public Instruction
600 East Boulevard Ave Dept 201
Bismarck, ND, 58505-0440
Phone: (701) 328-2260
North Dakota Daycare Listings
Child Care Food Program Agency
State Department of Public Instruction
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismark, North Dakota 58505-0440
Phone: (701) 328-2294 or (888) 338-3663
email: program.intake@usda.gov
website: https://www.nd.gov/
State Child Care Resource & Referral Contact
North Dakota Child Care Resource & Referral Network
1616 Capitol Way
Bismarck, ND 58501
ASHLEY : 701-997-1957
CASSIE: 701-997-1950
Office of Child Support Enforcement
Child Support Enforcement Agency
Department of Human Services
1600 E Century Ave #7
Bismarck, North Dakota 58503
Phone: (701) 328-5440

Child Abuse Reporting Hotline
To report suspected child abuse in North Dakota, call (800) 245-3736.
For national child abuse information, call the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (staffed 24 hours daily with professional crisis counselors): 1-800-4-A-CHILD or 1-800-2-A-CHILD (T.D.D)


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