How to Start a Licensed Family Child Care Home in Missouri: Requirements Checklist
Opening a child care program in a home includes more steps than setting aside a playroom and enrolling a few children.
The state regulates family child care homes to establish requirements for the provider, household, physical setting, staff, records, training, and health and safety practices.
If you plan to open a licensed family child care home in Missouri, the process starts before you submit the application. The steps below outline what prospective providers need to know before opening.
Quick Reference: Missouri Family Child Care Home Requirements
| Stage | Key Requirements |
|---|---|
| Before Applying | Complete licensing orientation; review 5 CSR 25-400; determine capacity, ages served, and staffing needs |
| Provider & Staff | Complete background checks; obtain eligibility clearance; complete required training and medical documentation; obtain MOPD ID |
| Home Preparation | Set up indoor and outdoor areas; meet fire and sanitation standards; prepare emergency and safe-sleep plans when applicable |
| Required Documents | Prepare home and outdoor diagrams, parent policies, daily schedule, equipment list, emergency plan, and required child and staff records |
| Licensing Process | Submit the application; complete required inspections; correct deficiencies; receive the license |
| After Opening | Track training, attendance, child records, background checks, drills, staff-to-child ratios, and ongoing inspections |
Step 1: Complete Missouri’s Licensing Orientation
The first step for someone interested in opening a licensed family child care home is Missouri’s Child Care Licensing Orientation. The orientation is free and available online or through a Child Care Compliance office. The online version takes about an hour.
The orientation gives prospective providers an overview of the licensing process before they invest time and money into preparing the home.
After completing it, review the steps to becoming licensed for a family child care home.
Before moving forward, confirm:
- The type of child care license needed
- The number and ages of children planned for enrollment
- Whether the proposed home can meet physical and safety requirements
- Who will live in the home
- Who will work or assist with child care
- Which screenings, training, and documentation will be required
Step 2: Review the Rules That Apply to Family Child Care Homes
Missouri’s family child care requirements are contained in 5 CSR 25-400, Licensing Rules for Family Child Care Homes. DESE maintains the current regulation along with related child care rules and laws.
The regulations cover provider and staff qualifications, child capacity and supervision, health and safety, facility and equipment standards, sanitation, fire safety, child records, staff training, policies, and emergency planning.
Step 3: Complete the Required Background Checks
Missouri requires background screening for the provider and other individuals who fall within its definition of child care staff.
This can include people who work for the provider, certain volunteers, people with unsupervised access to children, and individuals age 18 or older who live in a family child care home.
Missouri’s comprehensive background check includes:
- Fingerprinting
- A sex offender registry search
- Family Care Safety Registry screening
The screening must be completed, and an eligibility determination must be on file before a covered individual can begin working or be present at the facility in the circumstances covered by the rules. Eligibility determinations are generally valid for five years.
Important Update: Fingerprinting Costs
From July 1, 2026, Missouri DESE no longer covers the cost of fingerprinting as part of the comprehensive background check process. Applicants should therefore account for the fingerprinting expense when planning the startup budget.
If someone has lived outside Missouri during the previous five years, additional state-specific checks may be required.
Step 4: Determine Your Capacity and Staffing
A family child care home can serve up to 10 children, but the maximum number present at one time depends on the number of caregivers and the children’s ages.
This matters particularly when infants or toddlers are enrolled. Missouri’s ratio requirements place additional limits on the number of children under age 2 a given number of caregivers can care for.
For example, the current rules allow different combinations of children and caregivers depending on the group size and the number of children under age 2.
| Caregivers | Total Children | Maximum Children Under Age 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Up to 4 | 4 |
| 1 | 5–6 | 3 |
| 1 | 7–10 | 2 |
| 2 | Up to 8 | 8 |
| 2 | Up to 10 | 4 |
The important point is that a license allowing care for up to 10 children does not mean one caregiver can automatically supervise 10 children of any age combination.
Step 5: Complete the Required Training
Licensing does not end with the provider’s initial preparation. Missouri requires annual professional development for licensed child care professionals.
Providers must complete at least 12 clock hours of approved training each calendar year. Assistants who work or volunteer more than five hours per week are also subject to the annual training requirement.
Training can address subjects such as:
- Child development
- Health and safety
- Developmentally appropriate practices
- Family partnerships
- Curriculum
- Professionalism
Missouri also uses a Missouri Professional Development Identification number, or MOPD ID, to track early childhood professional development.
If the home will care for infants under 12 months, additional safe-sleep requirements apply. Providers, assistants, and certain volunteers must complete department-approved safe-sleep training, and the home must maintain a written safe-sleep policy.
Step 6: Submit the Missouri Child Care License Application
Once the home, documentation, and required screenings are being addressed, the applicant can move through the formal licensing process.
Missouri DESE provides the Application for License to Operate a Child Care Facility through its Office of Childhood forms page.
The application is only one part of the process. The provider must also meet applicable licensing requirements and complete required inspections and documentation.
Step 7: Prepare for Licensing Inspections
Inspection is not a single event that happens once and disappears after approval. Missouri’s current inspection process calls for licensed facilities to receive at least one annual fire-safety inspection and one annual environmental-sanitation inspection.
The initial inspection only keeps you compliant. Providers also need to keep the home ready for future inspections and compliance visits. Our Missouri child care licensing inspection checklist covers this in detail, including records, supervision, and safety areas to check before an inspection.
Ready to Get Started?
A family child care home becomes a working child care program when the space, routines, and responsibilities are designed around the children who will be there each day.
For anyone planning to open a Licensed Family Child Care Home in Missouri, guidance and resources can help providers get started. A well-organized start makes it easier to maintain consistent care, respond to changing needs, and stay prepared as the program grows.
FAQ
1. How do I start a licensed family child care home in Missouri?
Complete Missouri’s free Child Care Licensing Orientation first. Then review the family child care rules in 5 CSR 25-400, complete background checks for yourself and other covered adults, plan your capacity and staffing, finish the required training, submit the license application to DESE, and pass the licensing inspections.
2. How many children can a family child care home care for in Missouri?
A licensed family child care home can serve up to 10 children. How many can be present at one time depends on the number of caregivers and the children’s ages. Missouri limits how many children under age 2 each caregiver can care for, so one caregiver cannot supervise 10 children of any age mix.
3. What background checks are required for a family child care home in Missouri?
The provider and covered child care staff need a comprehensive background check: fingerprinting, a sex offender registry search, and Family Care Safety Registry screening. This includes household members age 18 or older. An eligibility determination must be on file before they begin, and it is generally valid for five years.
4. Who pays for fingerprinting for a Missouri child care background check?
Starting July 1, 2026, Missouri DESE no longer covers the cost of fingerprinting in the comprehensive background check process. Applicants should include the fingerprinting fee in their startup budget. Anyone who has lived outside Missouri in the past five years may also need additional state checks.
5. How much training do Missouri family child care providers need each year?
Licensed providers must complete at least 12 clock hours of approved training each calendar year. Assistants who work or volunteer more than five hours a week must also meet the annual training requirement. Missouri tracks this training through each person’s Missouri Professional Development Identification (MOPD ID) number.
