Kentucky caps a certified family child-care home at 6 unrelated children and 10 children in total, then uses two assistant triggers instead of a ratio table: more than 4 infants, or more than 6 children under six, counting the provider's own and related children, requires an assistant present. A Type II child-care center in the licensee's residence runs 7 to 12 children including related children under the center chapters.
Every tier, every cap
Certified family child-care home
No more than 6 children in care at once 922 KAR 2:100 Section 10(4) (eff. 3-14-2024)
No more than 10 children in care at once 922 KAR 2:100 Section 10(4) (eff. 3-14-2024)
No more than 4 infant 922 KAR 2:100 Section 10(3)(a) (eff. 3-14-2024)
No more than 6 under six 922 KAR 2:100 Section 10(3)(b) (eff. 3-14-2024)
No more than 6 children in care at once 922 KAR 2:100 Section 10(2) (eff. 3-14-2024)
With an assistant: an additional adult is required above 6 children. No more than 6 children in care at once; No more than 10 children in care at once
Your own children: count toward these caps.
Type II child-care center (licensee primary residence)
No more than 12 children in care at once 922 KAR 2:090 Section 2(2)
Your own children: count toward these caps.
How Kentucky defines the age bands
Infant: 0 to 12 months
Toddler: 12 to 36 months
Preschool age: 36 to open months
Children under the age of six years (assistant threshold band): 0 to 72 months
Mixed ages in one room
Kentucky defines infant as under 12 months and toddler 12 to 36 months for certified homes; the certified-home rules set no further age rows, and the Type II ratios live in the center standards chapter.
Real questions, short answers
What is the infant limit in a Kentucky certified home?
Four infants before an assistant is required, including the provider's own or related infants, per 922 KAR 2:100 section 10(3)(a).
How many children under six can one Kentucky provider have?
Six, counting own and related children; more than six under age six requires an assistant present, per section 10(3)(b).
What ratios apply to a Type II home?
The center staff-to-child ratios in 922 KAR 2:120 apply to Type II centers; those rows are outside the home chapter and are not printed here.
KRS 199.894, 199.896 and 199.8982, effective July 15, 2026 texts KRS 199.8982(1)
922 KAR 2:100 Certification of family child-care homes, effective March 14, 2024 Section 10(3), 10(4)
922 KAR 2:090 Child-care center licensure, Type II definition Section 2(2)
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.