Child Care Group Home
- No more than 10 children in care at once A.R.S. § 36-897(1)
With an assistant: an additional adult is required above 5 children.
Your own children: do not count toward the unrelated caps.
Arizona DHS and DES
Arizona home daycare ratios by age
Verified September 5, 2026Arizona sets home capacity by headcount rather than an age ratio. A DHS child care group home holds no more than ten children through the age of twelve, and one adult staff member in addition to the provider or substitute must be on the premises when six or more enrolled children are present, per R9-3-301(D)(2). Capacity itself is fixed by the Department on the certificate from indoor space at thirty square feet per enrolled child and an outdoor activity area. A DES-certified family child care home provider holds up to six children from birth through twelve, of whom no more than four are in care for compensation and no more than two are younger than one unless they are siblings.
Every tier, every cap
Family Child Care Home Provider (provider in a home facility)
- No more than 4 children in care at once A.A.C. R6-5-5220(A)
- No more than 6 children in care at once A.A.C. R6-5-5220(D)
- Option 1: up to 4 children A.A.C. R6-5-5220(A)
- Option 2: up to 6 children, max 4 for compensation, max 2 des younger than age 1 A.A.C. R6-5-5220(A)
Your own children: count toward these caps.
In-Home Provider
- No more than 6 children in care at once A.A.C. R6-5-5220(B)(1)-(2)
- No more than 6 children in care at once A.A.C. R6-5-5220(B)(3)
Your own children: count toward these caps (under 13 years).
How Arizona defines the age bands
- Infant: 0 to 12 months
- One or two year old child: 12 to 36 months
- Child (younger than 13 years of age): 0 to 156 months
- Through the age of twelve years: 0 to 156 months
- Infant: 0 to 12 months
- Younger than age 1: 0 to 12 months
- Children Younger than Age 2: 0 to 24 months
- Birth through age 12: 0 to 156 months
Mixed ages in one room
The DHS chapter carries no age bands in its staffing rule. The DES rule’s only age line is under one year, two at a time.
Real questions, short answers
When does an Arizona child care group home need a second adult?
When six or more enrolled children are present, per R9-3-301(D)(2).
Is there an infant ratio in an Arizona group home?
No. The ratio tables in 9 A.A.C. 3 were repealed in 2011; capacity is set on the certificate and the six-child second-adult trigger applies.
How many children can a DES-certified home have?
Six at a time, no more than four for compensation and two under one, per R6-5-5220(A).
Keep reading
Sources for Arizona
- Arizona Revised Statutes Title 36, Chapter 7.1, Articles 1 and 4 36-881, 36-884, 36-897, 36-897.01
- 9 A.A.C. 3, Child Care Group Homes, Supp. 22-3 R9-3-101, R9-3-301, R9-3-501
- 6 A.A.C. 5, Article 52, Certification and Supervision of Family Child Care Home Providers, confirmed against DES handbook HPY-330 (08/25) R6-5-5201, R6-5-5220
DaycareRules is an informational reference about home child care licensing rules in the United States. It reprints thresholds, capacity limits, ratios and citations from state statutes and regulations, together with the date each state was last verified. Nothing on this site is legal advice, and rules change. Confirm with your state licensing agency before acting on any number printed here.