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Vermont DCF Child Development Division

Vermont home daycare ratios by age

Verified September 5, 2026

Vermont publishes five capacity charts, two for the registered home and three for the licensed home by number of staff, and each row ties the count under twenty-four months to the count aged two to five, the count of school age, and a total. A registered provider alone may have three under two with no other children, or two under two in a group of up to ten. With a Family Child Care Assistant, six under two alone or four under two in a group of ten. A licensed home follows the same shape: with one staff member three under two alone or two under two among six, and with three staff up to twelve children with four under two. The provider must be present and counted in ratio at least sixty percent of operating hours.

Every tier, every cap

Registered Family Child Care Home

  • Option 1: up to 10 children CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.1.2
  • Option 2: up to 12 children CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.1.2

Your own children: count toward these caps.

Licensed Family Child Care Home

  • Option 1: up to 3 children, max 3 under 24 months, max 0 age 2, max 0 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 2: up to 6 children, max 2 under 24 months, max 4 age 2, max 0 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 3: up to 6 children, max 2 under 24 months, max 3 age 2, max 1 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 4: up to 6 children, max 2 under 24 months, max 2 age 2, max 2 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 5: up to 6 children, max 2 under 24 months, max 1 age 2, max 3 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 6: up to 6 children, max 2 under 24 months, max 0 age 2, max 4 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 7: up to 6 children, max 1 under 24 months, max 5 age 2, max 0 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 8: up to 6 children, max 1 under 24 months, max 4 age 2, max 1 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 9: up to 6 children, max 1 under 24 months, max 3 age 2, max 2 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 10: up to 6 children, max 1 under 24 months, max 2 age 2, max 3 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 11: up to 6 children, max 1 under 24 months, max 1 age 2, max 4 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 12: up to 6 children, max 1 under 24 months, max 0 age 2, max 5 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 13: up to 6 children, max 0 under 24 months, max 6 age 2, max 0 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 14: up to 6 children, max 0 under 24 months, max 5 age 2, max 1 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 15: up to 6 children, max 0 under 24 months, max 4 age 2, max 2 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 16: up to 6 children, max 0 under 24 months, max 3 age 2, max 3 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 17: up to 6 children, max 0 under 24 months, max 2 age 2, max 4 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 18: up to 6 children, max 0 under 24 months, max 1 age 2, max 5 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"
  • Option 19: up to 8 children, max 0 under 24 months, max 0 age 2, max 8 age 3 to 12 CVR 13-171-005 rule 6.2.2.4, chart "Licensed FCCH: Capacity with one (1) staff"

With an assistant: an additional adult is required above 8 children.

Your own children: count toward these caps.

How Vermont defines the age bands

  • Under 24 months (capacity chart column, registered and licensed FCCH): 0 to 24 months
  • 2 5 years (registered FCCH capacity chart column): 24 to 72 months
  • 2 years (licensed FCCH capacity chart column): 24 to 36 months
  • 3 12 years (licensed FCCH capacity chart column): 36 to 156 months
  • School age (registered FCCH capacity chart column; defined term): 60 to open months
  • Infant (defined term): 1.5 to 13 months
  • Toddler (defined term): 13 to 36 months
  • Pre kindergartener (defined term): 36 to open months
  • Child (defined term; outer age range served by a FCCH): 1.5 to 156 months

Mixed ages in one room

Under twenty-four months is the column every chart turns on. Own children under two count in that column in a registered home even when they are outside the total.

Real questions, short answers

How many children under two can a Vermont registered home have?

Two in a mixed group of up to ten with the provider alone, four with an assistant, and three or six respectively when no older children are present, per the Rule 6.2.1.5 charts.

When does a Vermont licensed home need more staff?

Above six children, and whenever the under-two count exceeds the row for the staff present. Twelve children with four under two requires three staff under the Rule 6.2.2.4 chart.

Does Vermont have a summer capacity?

Yes. Option two lets a registered home reach twelve by adding school-age children to the original six during summer vacation, per Rules 6.2.1.2 and 6.2.1.7.

Keep reading

Sources for Vermont

  • 33 V.S.A. chapter 35, Child Care, Vermont Statutes Online 3502, 3511
  • Licensing Regulations for Registered and Licensed Family Child Care Homes, CVR 13-171-005, effective April 17, 2022, with the DCF memo of September 24, 2024 1.1, 2.2.26, 6.2.1, 6.2.2

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.