Tennessee gives educator counts rather than a single ratio. In a family child care home, one educator may supervise up to seven children with no more than four under two. Two educators are required when five or more children are under two, or when more than seven children are present with the extras related and no more than four under two. Three educators are required above seven with five or more under two. A group child care home of eight to twelve needs one educator only when every child is three or older, two educators when up to nine are under three with no more than four under two, and three educators when ten or more are under three. Four or more infants and toddlers must have their own educator and space.
Every tier, every cap
Family Child Care Home
No more than 7 children in care at once Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-04-01-.20(1)(c)4., the sentence introducing the chart; the row this encodes is in the tier's ratioTable
No more than 4 under2 Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-04-01-.20(1)(c)4., the sentence introducing the chart; the row this encodes is in the tier's ratioTable
With an assistant: an additional adult is required above 7 children. No more than 12 children in care at once
Your own children: count toward these caps (under 9 years).
Group Child Care Home
No more than 15 children in care at once Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-04-01-.21(1)(b), the sentence introducing the Group Home Ratio and Group Size Chart; the row this encodes is in the tier's ratioTable
No more than 12 not school age Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-04-01-.21(1)(b), the sentence introducing the Group Home Ratio and Group Size Chart; the row this encodes is in the tier's ratioTable
No more than 0 under 3 Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-04-01-.21(1)(b), the sentence introducing the Group Home Ratio and Group Size Chart; the row this encodes is in the tier's ratioTable
With an assistant: No more than 12 not school age
Your own children: count toward these caps (under 9 years).
How Tennessee defines the age bands
Infant (six weeks through twelve months of age or until ambulation): 1.5 to 12 months
Toddler (thirteen through thirty months): 13 to 30 months
Pre School Child (at least thirty one months and has not entered kindergarten): 31 to open months
School Age Child (entered kindergarten through seventeen years); lower bound is kindergarten entry, 60 months is a placeholder only: 60 to 215 months
Under two (2) years (family and group home educator charts): 0 to 23 months
Under three (3) years of age (group home educator chart): 0 to 35 months
Mixed ages in one room
Under two and under three are the operative bands in both charts. When a group home drops to seven or fewer children in attendance, the family home chart applies.
Real questions, short answers
How many children can one Tennessee educator supervise?
Seven, with no more than four under two, in a family child care home, per the chart in 1240-04-01-.20(1)(c)4.
When does a Tennessee group home need three educators?
When ten or more children are under three, per the chart in 1240-04-01-.21(1)(b).
Can a Tennessee group home have fifteen children?
Twelve, plus up to three additional school-age children only before and after school, on holidays, snow days and in summer, per 1240-04-01-.21(1)(a)2.
Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 1240-04-01, Licensure Rules for Child Care Agencies, February 2026 revision, amendments effective through 2025 1240-04-01-.02, 1240-04-01-.20, 1240-04-01-.21
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.