Kansas licenses one home tier and sizes it with two tables in K.A.R. 28-4-114(e). With no infants under 12 months, one provider may care for up to 8 children between 12 months and 5 years plus limited school-age slots toward the 12-child ceiling; each infant row shrinks the group. The provider's own children under 10 count toward every total.
Every tier, every cap
Family child care home (also 'day care home' or 'group day care home')
No more than 12 children in care at once K.A.R. 28-4-113(i) (amended Aug. 2, 2024)
No more than 12 children in care at once K.A.R. 28-4-114(h)(2)-(3) (amended Aug. 2, 2024)
Option 1: up to 10 children, max 0 u12, max 2 y5 10 K.A.R. 28-4-114(e)(1), the sentence introducing the maximum group size tables; the row this encodes is in the tier's ratioTable
Option 2: up to 10 children, max 1 u12, max 3 y5 10 K.A.R. 28-4-114(e)(1), the sentence introducing the maximum group size tables; the row this encodes is in the tier's ratioTable
Option 3: up to 9 children, max 2 u12, max 2 y5 10 K.A.R. 28-4-114(e)(1), the sentence introducing the maximum group size tables; the row this encodes is in the tier's ratioTable
Option 4: up to 8 children, max 3 u12, max 2 y5 10 K.A.R. 28-4-114(e)(1), the sentence introducing the maximum group size tables; the row this encodes is in the tier's ratioTable
Option 5: up to 10 children, max 0 u12, max 0 m12 30 K.A.R. 28-4-114(e)(1), the sentence introducing the maximum group size tables; the row this encodes is in the tier's ratioTable
Option 6: up to 11 children, max 0 u12, max 0 m12 30, max 0 m30 36 K.A.R. 28-4-114(e)(1), the sentence introducing the maximum group size tables; the row this encodes is in the tier's ratioTable
Option 7: up to 12 children, max 0 u12, max 0 m12 30, max 0 m30 36, max 0 m36 60 K.A.R. 28-4-114(e)(1), the sentence introducing the maximum group size tables; the row this encodes is in the tier's ratioTable
With an assistant: No more than 12 children in care at once
Your own children: count toward these caps (under 10 years).
How Kansas defines the age bands
Children under 12 months: 0 to 12 months
At least 12 months but under 2.5 years (sub band of '12 months but under 5 years'): 12 to 30 months
At least 2.5 years but under 3 years (sub band of '12 months but under 5 years'): 30 to 36 months
At least 3 years but under 5 years (sub band of '12 months but under 5 years'): 36 to 60 months
At least 5 years but under 10 years: 60 to 120 months
At least 10 years but under 16 years (counted in group size only if care for this age group as a whole exceeds five hours a week): 120 to 192 months
Mixed ages in one room
Kansas bands run under 12 months, 12 to 30 months, 30 to 36 months, 3 to 5 years, 5 to 10 years and 10 to 16 years; the tables are read row by row for the exact infant and toddler count present.
Real questions, short answers
How many infants can a Kansas home have?
The Table I and Table II rows in K.A.R. 28-4-114(e) reduce the allowable group as children under 12 months join; the exact number depends on the mix present, and the ceiling of 12 never moves.
Do the provider's own children count in Kansas?
Yes, own children under 10 count toward the totals in the capacity tables.
Is there an assistant rule in Kansas homes?
The tables set group sizes for the licensee; the regulation's staffing provisions in 28-4-114 govern when additional caregivers are needed for the larger rows.
K.S.A. 65-501 and 65-503, as amended by L. 2025, ch. 118, effective July 1, 2025 65-501, 65-503(e)
K.A.R. 28-4-113 and 28-4-114, amended August 2, 2024, KDHE regulation book August 2024 28-4-113, 28-4-114(e)
KOEC/KDHE policy sheet CCL 008 Licensing Child Care in Kansas, revised October 2025 CCL 008
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.