What certifications do you need to open a daycare?

Last updated 2026-07-09

What certifications do you need to open a daycare?

The honest answer depends on your state, your setting (home versus center), and how many children you plan to serve. What does not change: every state requires a license or registration before you can legally take money to watch children. ^[1] On top of that, the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) rules that most states tie to subsidy eligibility push for a floor of health-and-safety training covering CPR, first aid, safe sleep, and child abuse prevention. ^[2]

Think of it in four layers.

1. State license or registration (mandatory everywhere) 2. Health and safety certifications, especially CPR and first aid (required in most states, and required under CCDF for subsidy reimbursement) 3. Education or credentials for directors and lead teachers, like the CDA or an associate's degree in early childhood education (required in roughly half of states for centers, less common for small family child care homes) 4. Local permits, zoning approvals, and fire or health inspections (not certifications, but you cannot open without them)

The sections below break each layer down so you know what to get, in what order, and what it costs.

What is a state childcare license and do you always need one?

Yes, with narrow exceptions. Every state licenses or registers child care providers, and operating without that approval is a criminal offense in most jurisdictions. ^[1] The license is the foundation. Everything else, CPR cards, CDA credentials, health permits, sits on top of it.

The difference between a license and a registration matters. A license usually means the state inspected your facility before you opened. A registration is lighter, often used for small family child care homes watching fewer than four or five children. Some states exempt providers who care only for relatives, but that exemption does not let you advertise to the public or accept subsidy payments. ^[3]

To get your license you will generally need to:

• Submit an application and pay a fee (fees run from about $25 in some states to several hundred dollars for a center)
• Pass a pre-licensing inspection for fire safety, sanitation, and space-per-child requirements
• Show proof of all health and safety certifications your state requires at the time of application
• Clear background checks for yourself and every adult in the home or on staff

Child Care Aware of America tracks these requirements state by state. Its data puts the average annual cost of center-based infant care between roughly $8,000 and over $25,000 depending on the state, which tells you the size of the market you are entering. ^[4] Your license is what lets you capture any of that revenue legally.

Do you need CPR and first aid certification to open a daycare?

Almost certainly yes. Pediatric CPR and first aid certification is required by the vast majority of states as a condition of licensure, and the 2016 CCDF Final Rule set it as a baseline health-and-safety standard states must meet to receive federal child care funds. ^[2] The rule lists "first aid and CPR" among the required pre-service training topics. ^[2]

A few specifics worth knowing.

The certification must be pediatric, covering infants and children, more than adult CPR. The American Red Cross and American Heart Association both run valid courses, and most states accept either. ^[5]

Renewal is typically every two years. Build that into your compliance calendar from day one, or your license renewal will flag it.

Cost runs $50 to $120 per person for a blended course (online learning plus an in-person skills check). Online-only courses are cheaper, but most licensing agencies require the hands-on skills component, so confirm before you pay.

If you run a center, every staff member on the floor usually needs current CPR and first aid, more than the director. Check your state's required ratio of certified staff per classroom.

Safe sleep training (for programs serving infants), abusive head trauma prevention, and child abuse recognition and reporting are the other health-and-safety topics CCDF rules require states to address. Some states bundle these into a pre-service orientation course. Others require separate certificates. ^[2]

What is the CDA credential and do you need it to open a daycare?

The Child Development Associate (CDA) credential is issued by the Council for Professional Recognition and is the most widely recognized entry-level credential in early childhood education. ^[6] It is not federally mandated, but roughly half of states require a CDA or equivalent for at least the director or lead teacher of a licensed center. For family child care homes the bar sits lower, though it is rising.

Getting a CDA takes most people 6 to 12 months. You need:

• 120 hours of formal early childhood education training
• 480 hours of experience working with children in the age group you are seeking the credential for
• An observed assessment by a CDA Professional Development Specialist
• A professional portfolio

The application fee is $425 on the Council for Professional Recognition's published schedule. ^[6] If your state or a scholarship program subsidizes it, your out-of-pocket cost can drop to zero. Ask your state's Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency before paying full price.

Some states accept an associate's or bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a related field in place of the CDA. NAEYC, the field's main accrediting body, sets the bachelor's degree as its benchmark for center directors seeking accreditation. ^[8] If you already hold a degree, check whether it satisfies the credential requirement so you do not pay for a redundant certification.

For home daycare operators, the ChildCareComp compliance toolkit helps you map your state's education requirements against what you already hold.

What background check clearances count as certifications?

Background checks are not certifications in the credential sense, but every state treats clearance as a hard prerequisite for licensure, and some states issue a formal clearance letter you present alongside your certifications. Think of it as proof you are legally eligible to work with children.

Federal law requires states receiving CCDF funds to run three checks for all child care staff: a state criminal records check, a federal FBI fingerprint-based check, and a check of the state sex offender registry. ^[9] Many states add a child abuse and neglect registry check. A few run all four plus an interstate check if you have lived in multiple states recently.

Fingerprinting for the FBI check typically costs $25 to $60 and takes two to six weeks. Plan around it, because you cannot get your license before all adults in the home or on staff clear.

Household members in a family child care home (adults who live there but do not work in the program) are also subject to background checks in most states. ^[9] This surprises many new providers. If anyone in your household has a disqualifying record, it can block your license regardless of their role.

What education requirements do daycare directors need?

This is where state variation runs widest. A few states require nothing beyond a high school diploma for a family child care home director. Others require a bachelor's degree for the director of a licensed center. Most fall in between. ^[1]

Child Care Aware of America's 50-state comparison found that director qualification requirements for centers span from a high school diploma plus experience (the floor) to a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or child development (the ceiling). ^[4] The trend over the last decade has moved upward.

Common middle-ground requirements include:

• A CDA credential plus some college credit hours (often 12 to 18 semester hours) in early childhood education or child development
• An associate's degree in early childhood education or a related field
• A mix of formal education plus years of verified child care experience

Directors of school-age programs sometimes face different (occasionally lower) requirements than directors of infant-toddler programs. If you plan to serve multiple age groups, meet the highest applicable requirement.

Experience minimums run alongside education minimums in most states. A typical rule reads: CDA credential plus two years of experience in a licensed child care setting, or an associate's degree plus one year. Document your hours carefully. Licensing agencies sometimes ask for verification letters from former employers.

What other health and safety certifications do states commonly require?

Beyond CPR and first aid, these are the health and safety trainings that show up most often in state licensing rules.

Medication administration training. If you plan to give prescription or over-the-counter medication to children, most states require a separate training, and some require a nurse to deliver it. This one gets overlooked until a parent asks you to give an EpiPen.

Food handler's permit. If you prepare meals on site (required if you join the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program, or CACFP), most local health departments require at least one staff member per facility to hold a food handler's certificate or a food manager certification. The card costs $10 to $25 and takes a few hours online. ^[7]

Mandated reporter training. All 50 states name child care workers as mandated reporters of suspected child abuse and neglect. Most states require documented training on recognition and reporting as part of pre-service orientation or licensure. It is typically free through your state's child welfare agency website.

Safe sleep and SIDS prevention. Required under CCDF health and safety standards for providers serving infants under 12 months. ^[2] Your CCR&R usually offers it free.

Abusive head trauma prevention. Also written into CCDF and required before licensure in most states. ^[2]

Transportation safety. If you transport children, most states require added training, and some require a commercial driver's license endorsement depending on vehicle capacity.

None of these are expensive or hard to get on their own. The hard part is tracking which apply to your setting and keeping every staff member current. A spreadsheet with name, certification type, issue date, and expiration date saves real headaches at inspection time.

How long does it take to get all your certifications before opening?

Plan for 3 to 12 months from the decision to open to the day you accept your first child. The wide range comes down to how long the CDA or education requirement takes versus the much shorter CPR and food handler trainings.

Here is a rough sequence.

Step	Typical timeline	Cost range
FBI fingerprint background check	2 to 6 weeks	$25 to $60
State criminal record check	1 to 4 weeks	$10 to $30
Pediatric CPR and first aid	1 to 2 days	$50 to $120 per person
Mandated reporter training	Half a day (often free online)	$0
Safe sleep / AHT training	1 to 3 hours (often free)	$0
Food handler's permit	2 to 4 hours online	$10 to $25
CDA credential	6 to 12 months	$425 fee plus training
State license application and inspection	4 to 16 weeks after submission	$25 to several hundred

The CDA is the long pole in the tent. If your state requires it, start the 120 hours of training and the 480 hours of experience documentation on day one. Everything else can run in parallel.

If your state accepts an existing degree in place of the CDA and you already hold one, your timeline collapses to roughly 8 to 16 weeks from application to license approval, assuming you pass inspection and background checks.

Get your home daycare insurance and daycare liability insurance in place before your first child walks in. Some licensing agencies ask for proof of liability coverage as part of the application.

Does a home daycare need the same certifications as a center?

The same categories apply, but the thresholds are lower. A family child care home watching three or four children typically needs state registration or license, CPR and first aid, background checks, and basic health and safety training. ^[1] The CDA or college-level education requirement is less often mandatory for small home-based programs, though many states encourage it through tiered quality rating systems.

The gap is narrowing. Many states have added education requirements for family child care home providers over the last decade as part of QRIS (Quality Rating and Improvement System) rollouts. If you want to operate at a higher quality tier and access higher subsidy reimbursement rates, a CDA or equivalent is almost always needed regardless of setting.

The physical facility requirements differ too. You will still need a fire inspection and a home study visit, but square footage minimums are usually calculated per child rather than per classroom. Check your state's specific rules.

For a full walkthrough of the home-based path, the daycare cost article covers how startup costs differ between home and center settings.

What are the ongoing certification renewal requirements after you open?

Getting certified is not a one-time event. Most certifications expire, and a lapse shows up as a deficiency citation at your next inspection.

CPR and first aid renews every two years for most certifying bodies. ^[5] Some states require annual renewal. Put it on your calendar the day you certify.

The CDA credential renews every three years after the first credential. Renewal requires 45 hours of continuing education and a $150 renewal fee on the Council for Professional Recognition's published schedule. ^[6]

Continuing education hours for license renewal are required in most states. The typical range is 12 to 24 clock hours per year for lead staff, with some states requiring more for directors. Your state's licensed trainer network or your CCR&R agency can point you to free or low-cost approved trainings.

Background check re-screening is required every few years in some states. The FBI now lets states use its national rap back service for ongoing monitoring instead of periodic re-fingerprinting, and more states are moving to that model. ^[9]

Food handler permits typically expire every 2 to 3 years depending on your local jurisdiction.

The simplest way to stay ahead of renewals is a shared staff compliance spreadsheet with expiration dates and a 60-day advance alert. The ChildCareComp compliance toolkit tracks these across your whole team in one place. Letting one staff member's CPR lapse is exactly the kind of thing that draws a citation. It is avoidable.

What local permits and inspections are required beyond certifications?

Certifications cover your personal and staff qualifications. Permits and inspections cover the physical space. Both are required before you open.

Fire safety inspection. A fire marshal or local fire department inspector checks for working smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and clear exit paths. This is almost universal whether you run a home or a center.

Health department inspection. Many counties require a health inspection for any facility serving food to children. If you join CACFP, a health permit is standard. ^[7]

Zoning approval or conditional use permit. Home daycares count as a commercial use in a residential zone in most municipalities, which means you may need a conditional use permit or variance. This can add months and real money to your timeline. Check with your city or county zoning office before you sign a lease or pay for renovations.

Building permits. If you are building out or renovating a center, you will need standard building permits. Some states require a separate childcare facility construction review.

Fire and health inspections are generally fast (a few weeks from scheduling to clearance) and cheap. Zoning is where providers hit the most unexpected delays. Start it early.

Get the insurance right too. Daycare liability insurance and home daycare insurance are not certifications, but most licensing agencies require them and so does common sense. A slip-and-fall in your program without coverage is a business-ending event.

How do CCDF rules affect what certifications you need?

The Child Care and Development Fund is the federal block grant that funds child care subsidies for low-income families. If you want to accept subsidy payments, and most viable daycare businesses do, you must comply with your state's CCDF plan, which has to meet federal minimum health and safety standards. ^[2]

The 2016 CCDF Final Rule (45 CFR Part 98) set minimum pre-service or orientation training in these areas for all providers, including those previously exempt from state licensing: ^[2]

• Prevention and control of infectious diseases (including immunization)
• Prevention of and response to emergencies from food and allergies
• Building and physical premises safety
• Prevention of shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma
• Safe sleep practices
• First aid and CPR
• Recognition and reporting of child abuse and neglect
• Child development (for center-based and group home programs)
• Engaging families and caregivers

The rule requires states to ensure providers who receive CCDF funds "comply with all applicable state and local health and safety requirements." ^[2] That language is why your state's subsidy agency can ask for proof of CPR, safe sleep training, and criminal background checks even when state licensing does not explicitly require them for your program type. ^[11]

If you plan to accept CCDF-funded subsidies from day one, treat these federal health and safety training categories as your floor, not your ceiling.

Frequently asked questions

What certifications do I need to open a daycare?

At minimum: a state license or registration, pediatric CPR and first aid certification, background check clearance, and basic health and safety training covering safe sleep, mandated reporting, and child abuse prevention. Most states require a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or college coursework for center directors. A food handler's permit is needed if you serve meals. Expect 3 to 12 months to collect everything.

What do you need to open a daycare?

You need a state license or registration, CPR and first aid certification, background checks for all adults in the program, health and safety training, and local fire and health inspections. Centers typically also need a director with a CDA credential or early childhood degree. You will also need zoning approval, liability insurance, and a USDA food permit if you serve meals through CACFP.

Do I need a degree to open a daycare?

Not always. Many states accept a CDA credential (not a degree) for family child care homes and small centers. A few states require an associate's or bachelor's degree for center directors. Most states that require degrees do so only for the director role, not every staff member. Check your specific state's licensing rules, because the requirement varies significantly.

How much does it cost to get certified to open a daycare?

Budget $500 to $3,000 for pre-opening certifications. The CDA application fee is $425. Pediatric CPR and first aid runs $50 to $120 per person. Background checks cost $35 to $90. Safe sleep, mandated reporter, and AHT trainings are often free through your state's CCR&R. The state license fee varies from about $25 to several hundred dollars depending on your state and program size.

Is a CDA required to open a daycare?

It depends on your state and setting. Roughly half of states require a CDA or equivalent for a licensed center director. For family child care homes, the CDA is less often mandatory but widely encouraged and often required to qualify for higher QRIS tiers and subsidy reimbursement rates. The CDA takes 6 to 12 months and costs $425 in application fees plus training costs.

What background checks are needed to open a daycare?

Federal CCDF rules require three checks for all child care staff: a state criminal records check, an FBI fingerprint-based check, and a state sex offender registry check. Many states also require a child abuse and neglect registry check. Household members in a family child care home must clear as well. The full process takes 2 to 6 weeks and costs $35 to $90 per person.

Does a home daycare need the same certifications as a center?

The same categories apply, CPR, background checks, health and safety training, and a state license or registration, but the thresholds are generally lower for small family child care homes. Education requirements like the CDA are less often mandatory for home-based programs, though many states incentivize it through quality rating systems. Physical space inspections are also scaled to the home setting.

How long does it take to get certified and open a daycare?

Plan for 3 to 12 months. The CDA credential takes 6 to 12 months and is usually the longest step. Background checks take 2 to 6 weeks. CPR and first aid can be done in a day. State license processing takes 4 to 16 weeks after a complete application. If you already hold a qualifying degree, your timeline shrinks considerably, often to 8 to 16 weeks.

Do I need a food handler's permit to run a daycare?

Yes, if you prepare or serve meals on site. Most local health departments require at least one staff member per facility to hold a food handler's certificate. If you participate in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) to receive meal reimbursements, a food handler's permit or food manager certification is standard. The permit costs $10 to $25 and takes a few hours to complete online.

How often do daycare certifications need to be renewed?

CPR and first aid typically renews every two years. The CDA renews every three years for $150. Food handler permits expire every 2 to 3 years. Most states require 12 to 24 hours of continuing education annually to renew a daycare license. Some states require periodic background check re-screening. Keep a spreadsheet with every staff member's certification expiration dates and set 60-day reminders.

What health and safety certifications does CCDF require?

The 2016 CCDF Final Rule requires states to ensure providers receiving federal child care funds have training in: CPR and first aid, safe sleep, shaken baby syndrome prevention, infectious disease prevention, food allergy emergencies, child abuse recognition and reporting, building safety, and child development. These apply to all CCDF-funded providers, including some who are otherwise exempt from state licensing.

Do I need a zoning permit to open a home daycare?

Probably yes. Home daycares are considered a commercial use in a residential zone in most municipalities, so a conditional use permit or variance is commonly required. Skipping this step can result in fines or forced closure even if your state license is in order. Contact your city or county zoning office before investing in any renovations or signing a lease.

Is liability insurance required to open a daycare?

Most state licensing agencies require proof of liability insurance before issuing a license, and any lender or landlord will require it too. Beyond the requirement, operating without it is a serious financial risk. A general liability policy for a small daycare typically runs $300 to $1,500 per year depending on enrollment and location. Home daycare operators should also check whether their homeowner's policy covers business activity.

Can I open a daycare without any childcare experience?

Legally, yes in some states, particularly for small family child care homes. But most states require documented experience alongside education credentials. The CDA itself requires 480 hours of experience working with children. Running a program without prior experience is also a practical risk: child care operations have thin margins, and mistakes in health, safety, and ratios have real consequences. Consider working in a licensed program first.

Sources

1. Office of Child Care (HHS), Child Care Licensing: Every state licenses or registers child care providers; operating without approval is a legal violation.
2. 45 CFR Part 98, CCDF Final Rule (2016), Federal Register: CCDF Final Rule requires states to ensure child care providers receiving funds have pre-service training in CPR, first aid, safe sleep, shaken baby syndrome prevention, child abuse recognition, and other health and safety topics.
3. Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-186): Federal law requires states receiving CCDF funds to conduct state criminal records, FBI fingerprint, and sex offender registry checks for all child care staff; also covers exemptions for relative care.
4. Child Care Aware of America, Child Care in America: State Fact Sheets: Director qualification requirements for centers range from a high school diploma plus experience to a bachelor's degree; annual cost of center-based infant care ranges from about $8,000 to over $25,000 per year depending on state.
5. American Red Cross, Pediatric First Aid CPR AED Training: Pediatric CPR and first aid certification is valid for two years; renewal requires a blended in-person and skills check course.
6. Council for Professional Recognition, CDA Credential Requirements and Fees: CDA credential requires 120 hours of formal ECE training, 480 hours of experience, a professional portfolio, and an observed assessment; application fee is $425; renewal every three years costs $150.
7. USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP): Providers participating in CACFP to receive meal reimbursements are subject to food safety requirements including food handler certification from the local health authority.
8. National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Accreditation Standards: NAEYC accreditation sets a bachelor's degree in ECE or a related field as its benchmark for center directors; widely cited as the gold-standard credential path.
9. Office of Child Care (HHS), Background Check Requirements: Federal CCDF rules require state criminal record checks, FBI fingerprint-based checks, and state sex offender registry checks for all child care staff and household members in family child care homes; states may use FBI rap back for ongoing monitoring.
10. Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care: States must meet CCDF minimum health and safety training requirements as a condition of receiving federal child care block grant funding.