Kentucky CHFS Division of Child Care
Kentucky draws the line at three: a provider caring for three or fewer unrelated children may apply for certification but does not have to. From four to six unrelated children the home must hold a certificate of operation as a certified family child-care home, which allows up to 10 children in total once related children are counted, per KRS 199.8982 and 922 KAR 2:100. Seven to twelve children in the licensee's own residence takes a Type II child-care center license instead.
| Tier | Children | Age limits | Your own kids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified family child-care homecert fcch | 4 to 10 |
| Count |
| Type II child-care center (licensee primary residence)license center | 7 to 12 |
| Count |
Age limits and totals for every tier, with row-level citations, live on the Kentucky home daycare ratios page.
The family child-care home definition excludes the provider's children, siblings, stepchildren, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and children in the provider's legal custody from the unrelated count, per KRS 199.894(5) and 922 KAR 2:100 section 1.
A certified home may care for 4 related children in addition to 6 unrelated ones, for a maximum of 10 at one time, and the assistant thresholds count the provider's own and related children.
An assistant must be present when the provider cares for more than 4 infants, or more than 6 children under age six, in both cases including the provider's own or related children, per 922 KAR 2:100 section 10(3).
KRS 199.896 and 199.8982 carry a July 15, 2026 effective date, and a two-year pilot exempts homes outside a military installation that serve only DoD-eligible children under a DoD certificate through June 30, 2028.
Three or fewer children unrelated to you. Certification becomes mandatory when a provider cares for four to six unrelated children, per KRS 199.8982(1)(a).
Not toward the four-unrelated trigger, but yes toward the 10-child total and the assistant thresholds, which expressly include the provider's own or related children.
Up to 4 infants before an assistant must be present, counting the provider's own or related infants, per 922 KAR 2:100 section 10(3)(a).
A Type II child-care center license, defined as the licensee's primary residence in which child care is regularly provided for 7 but not more than 12 children including related children, per 922 KAR 2:090 section 2(2).
Yes at three or fewer unrelated children: the statute says such a provider may apply for certification at the provider's discretion.
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.