Connecticut Office of Early Childhood
Connecticut sets no license-free headcount. Regularly recurring care in a private home other than the child's own, for 3 to 12 hours in a day, is family child care and needs an Office of Early Childhood license from the first unrelated child, per Conn. Gen. Stat. 19a-87b(a). The outs are written as situations, not numbers: care by listed relatives, informal arrangements among neighbors, and care under three hours a day. A licensed family child care home takes 6 children not yet in school plus 3 school-age children, or 9 children of any age when an approved assistant works alongside the provider, and a separate group child care home license covers 7 to 12.
| Tier | Children | Age limits | Your own kids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Child Care Homefcch license | up to 9 |
| Count |
| Large family child care home endorsement (FY2026 to FY2029 pilot)fcch license | up to 12 |
| Count |
| Group Child Care Homegcch license | 7 to 12 |
| See rule |
Age limits and totals for every tier, with row-level citations, live on the Connecticut home daycare ratios page.
The statute excludes arrangements among relatives limited to grandparent, great-grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle. The regulation says a person caring for children who are not their grandchildren, great-grandchildren, foster children, nieces, nephews, siblings, sons or daughters must be licensed. A cousin's child is unrelated under both.
Family child care is defined as care for not less than three or more than twelve hours in a twenty-four-hour period on a regularly recurring basis. A standing two-hour after-school arrangement sits below the definition; a full-day one sits inside it.
A lone provider may care for no more than 2 children under 18 months, counting the provider’s own; with an approved assistant present the under-18-month cap rises to 6. The two routes to nine do not combine. Conn. Gen. Stat. 19a-77(a)(3) writes the three school-age children for providers working without an assistant, so a provider with an assistant holds 9 of any age and adds nothing on top.
Public Act 25-82 lets the commissioner issue a large family child care home endorsement to licensees licensed before June 30, 2025, allowing up to 12 children with an additional approved assistant above 9. At most 30 endorsements a year, expiring June 30, 2029.
None in regular paid care of three or more hours a day: the license attaches from the first unrelated child, per Conn. Gen. Stat. 19a-87b(a). Relatives on the statutory list and informal neighbor arrangements are outside the definition.
The regulation at 19a-87b-3(b) lists nieces and nephews among the children whose care does not require a license, alongside grandchildren, foster children, siblings and the provider's own children.
Six children not in school full time, including the provider’s own, plus up to three additional school-age children during the school year. With an approved assistant instead, the home holds nine children of any age. Conn. Gen. Stat. 19a-77(a)(3) attaches the school-age addition to the no-assistant group, so the two do not stack past nine.
Two children under 18 months, including the provider's own, when working alone. With an approved assistant or substitute present the home may have up to six under 18 months.
The statute sets a civil penalty of up to 100 dollars per day for maintaining a family child care home without a current and valid license, alongside the commissioner's enforcement powers.
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.