Michigan MiLEAP Child Care Licensing Bureau
Michigan prints no headcount you may keep before a licence. A private home receiving 1 but fewer than 7 minor children for care of less than 24 hours a day, unattended by a parent, is a family child care home, and more than 6 up to 12 is a group child care home. Children related to an adult member of the household are outside the definition entirely. Two limits keep casual arrangements out: the definition reaches a home only where an unrelated child is cared for more than 4 weeks in a calendar year, and it excludes babysitting for another individual where annual compensation stays under 600 dollars. MCL 722.115m(2) is the sentence that requires the licence.
| Tier | Children | Age limits | Your own kids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Child Care Homefamily license | 1 to 6 |
| Count |
| Group Child Care Homegroup license | 7 to 12 |
| Count |
| Family Child Care Home with increased capacityfamily license | 1 to 7 |
| Do not count |
| Group Child Care Home with increased capacitygroup license | 7 to 14 |
| Do not count |
Age limits and totals for every tier, with row-level citations, live on the Michigan home daycare ratios page.
MCL 722.111 excludes an individual providing babysitting services for another individual, and defines that as care on behalf of the child’s parent or guardian where annual compensation does not reach 600 dollars, the figure that would oblige the parent to file a federal information return.
The definition says a family child care home includes a home in which care is given to an unrelated minor child for more than 4 weeks during a calendar year. Care that stays at or under four weeks across the year does not pull the home into the definition.
The carve-out is written around the household, not just the provider: children related to an adult member of the household are excluded from the count. That is wider than most states, which name the provider alone.
R 400.1925(2) lets a licensee ask the department for an increased capacity of 7 for a family child care home or 14 for a group child care home after meeting the rule’s criteria. The ordinary ceilings are 6 and 12.
None on a regular paid basis: the family child care home definition starts at one unrelated minor child cared for more than four weeks in a calendar year. Children related to an adult in the household are outside the definition, and babysitting under 600 dollars a year is excluded.
Children related to an adult member of the household are outside the definition of a family child care home, so caring for them does not create one.
A family child care home is a private home with 1 but fewer than 7 minor children. A group child care home is more than 6 but not more than 12. Both are private residences where the licensee lives.
Four children under 24 months per staff member, of whom no more than 2 may be under 12 months, per R 400.1927(3) for family homes and R 400.1928(4) for group homes.
MCL 722.125 makes a violation of the act a misdemeanor. The licensing bureau also holds administrative powers over applications and licences.
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.