Minnesota
Minnesota Childcare
State Requirements



Worker Qualifications
Staff qualifications: The center must have a director and the appropriate number of staff qualified as teachers, assistant teachers, and aides based on staff ratio and distribution requirements. Within each age category, the first staff needed to meet the staff to child ratio must be a teacher; the second staff must be at least aide qualified; the third staff must be at least assistant teacher qualified; and the fourth staff must be at least aide qualified.

Teacher: Must be at least 18 and meet one of nine possible combined credential, education and experience requirements, such as a high school diploma with 4,160 hours experience as an assistant teacher and 24 quarter credits in a child care-related field.

Assistant teacher: Must work under the supervision of a teacher, must be at least 18, and meet one of the nine possible combined credential, education and experience requirements, such as a high school diploma with 2,080 hours experience as an aide or intern and 12 quarter credits. 

Aide: Carries out the child care program activities under the supervision of a teacher or assistant teacher. Must be at least 16; if under 18 must be directly supervised by a teacher or assistant teacher at all times except with sleeping children or assisting with toileting and diapering. 

Volunteers: If included in the staff ratio, must meet the requirements for the assigned staff position. Volunteers who have direct contact or access to children must be supervised by director, teacher or assistant teacher.

Staff orientation and in-service training: The applicant must ensure that every staff person and volunteer who will have direct contact with children, is given orientation training before starting assigned duties. At least one staff person trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid must be present in the center at all times when children are in care. The applicant must ensure that an annual in-service training plan is developed and implemented as required.

Child age groups:

    • Infant - Age 6 weeks but less than 16 months old
    • Toddler - Age 16 months but less than 33 months old
    • Preschooler - Age 33 months but has not yet attended the first day of kindergarten
    • School age - Is at least of sufficient age to have attended the first day of kindergarten, or is eligible to enter kindergarten within the next four months, but is younger than 13 years of age.

Staff ratios and group size: The applicant must meet the minimally acceptable staff to child ratios and the maximum group size within the following age categories:

Provider /Child Ratio
Age Range Ratios for Center Based Care in Minnesota State
Infants (1:4)
Toddlers (1:7)
Preschool (1:10)
School-age (1:15)
Mixed age group ratio for youngest child in group
Age Range Ratios for Family Child Care in Minnesota State
Minnesota has seven classes of Family Child Care, each with different ratios and requirements. The two categories shown here are for reference only. For more detailed information, contact the state licensing agency listed below.

Child/Adult Ratio

  Age Restrictions  
Licensed Capacity Adults Total children
under school age
Total infants and toddlers
10 1 6 Of the total children under school age, a combined total of no more than 3 shall be infants and toddlers. Of this total, no more than 2 shall be infants.
B. Specialized Infant and Toddler Family Day Care:
(1) 5 1 3 No more than 3 shall be infants.
(2) 6 1 4 No more than 3 shall be infants.
C. Group Family Day Care:  
10 1 8 Of the total children under school age, a combined total of no more than 3 shall be infants and toddlers. Of this total, no more than 2 shall be infants.
(2) 12 1 10 Of the total children under school age, a combined total of no more than 2 shall be infants and toddlers. Of this total, no more than 1 shall be an infant.
(3) 14 2 10 Of the total children under school age, a combined total of no more than 4 shall be infants and toddlers. Of this total, no more than 3 shall be infants.
A helper may be used in place of a second adult caregiver when there is no more than 1 infant or toddler present.
D. Specialized Infant and Toddler Group Family Day Care:
9 2 7 Of the total children, no more than 4 shall be infants
Both caregivers shall be adults.
License fees
Application fee for initial license: An applicant for an initial license or certification issued by the Licensing Division must submit a $500 application fee with each new application. The application fee is not prorated, is nonrefundable, and is in lieu of the annual license or certification fee that expires on Dec. 31. The Licensing Division will not process an application before the application fee is paid.

Annual license fee (See Minnesota Statutes 2003, Section 245A.10 – amended by Laws of Minnesota 2005, Chapter 4, Special Session, Article 3, section 4 and article 5, section 6):

All other programs with a licensed capacity are required to pay an annual nonrefundable license or certification fee based on the following schedule:

Licensed capacity - Fee
One to 24 people - $400
25 to 49 people - $600
50 to 74 people - $800
75 to 99 people - $1,000
100 to 124 people - $1,200
125 to 149 people - $1,400
150 to 174 people - $1,600
175 to 199 people - $1,800
200 to 224 people - $2,000
225 or more people - $2,500

A day training and habilitation program serving people with developmental disabilities or related conditions is assessed a license fee based on the schedule above unless the license holder serves more than 50 percent of the same persons at two or more locations in the community. When a day training and habilitation program serves more than 50 percent of the same people in two or more locations in a community, the day training and habilitation program is required to pay a license fee based on the licensed capacity of the largest facility and the other facility or facilities are charged a license fee based on a licensed capacity of a residential program serving one to 24 people.

A program without a stated licensed capacity is required to pay a license fee of $400.

A program licensed to provide residential-based habilitation services under the home and community-based waiver for persons with developmental disabilities shall pay an annual license fee that includes a base rate of $250 plus $38 times the number of clients served on the first day of August of the current license year. State-operated programs are exempt from the license fee under this paragraph.

A mental health center or mental health clinic requesting certification for purposes of insurance and subscriber contract reimbursement under Minnesota Rules, parts 9520.0750 to 9520.0870 is required to pay a certification fee of $1,000 per year. If the mental health center or mental health clinic provides services at a primary location with satellite facilities, the satellite facilities are certified with the primary location without an additional charge.

The commissioner cannot issue a license or certification until the license or certification fee is paid.


Contact Information
Child Care Licensing Agency
Minnesota Department of Human Services
Division of Licensing
444 Lafayette Road North
St. Paul, MN 55155-3842
Phone: (651) 431-6500
Fax: (651) 431-7673
Minnesota Daycare Listings
Child Care Subsidy Agency
Minnesota Department of Human Services
Child Care Assistance Program
P.O. Box 64951
St. Paul, MN 55164-0951
Phone: (651) 431-3809
Fax: (651) 431-7368
Head Start - State Collaboration Office
Early Learning Services
Minnesota Department of Education
1500 Highway 36 West
Roseville, MN, 55113-4266
Phone: (651) 582-8463
Fax: (651) 582-8494
Child Care Food Program Agency
Grants Coordination and School Support
Michigan Department of Education
Post Office Box 30008
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Phone: (517) 373-4013
Fax: (517) 373-4022
State Child Care Resource & Referral Contact
Minnesota CCR&R Network
380 Lafayette Road, Suite 103
St. Paul, MN 55107
Phone: (651) 290-9704
Toll Free: (888) 291-9811
Fax: (651) 290-9785

Office of Child Support Enforcement
Office of Child Support Enforcement
Department of Human Services
444 Lafayette Road, 4th floor
St Paul, Minnesota 55155-3846
Phone: (651) 296-4085
Fax: (651) 297-4450

Child Abuse Reporting Hotline
To report suspected child abuse in Minnesota, call county law enforcement office or any county Department of Human Services.
For national child abuse information, call Childhelp®, 800-4-A-CHILD (800-422-4453), or your local CPS agency.
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