Daycare ratios by state
Staff-to-child ratios for licensed child care centers in all 50 states and DC, by age from infants to five-year-olds, each from the state's own rule with its citation and the date we read it (31 October 2026). Pick a state for its group sizes and a calculator.
Children per adult in a child care center
| State | Infants | 12–24 mo | Twos | Threes | Fours | Fives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1:5 | 1:5 | 1:8 | 1:11 | 1:18 | 1:18 |
| Alaska | 1:5 | 1:5 | 1:6 | 1:10 | 1:10 | 1:14 |
| Arizona | 1:5 | 1:6 | 1:8 | 1:13 | 1:15 | 1:20 |
| Arkansas | 1:5 | 1:5 | 1:8 | 1:12 | 1:15 | 1:18 |
| California | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:12 | 1:12 | 1:12 | 1:12 |
| Colorado | 1:5 | 1:5 | 1:7 | 1:10 | 1:12 | 1:15 |
| Connecticut | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:5 | 1:10 | 1:10 | 1:10 |
| Delaware | 1:4 | 1:6 | 1:8 | 1:10 | 1:12 | 1:12 |
| District of Columbia | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:8 | 1:10 | — |
| Florida | 1:4 | 1:6 | 1:11 | 1:15 | 1:20 | 1:25 |
| Georgia | 1:6 | 1:8 | 1:10 | 1:15 | 1:18 | 1:20 |
| Hawaii | 1:4 | 1:5 | 1:8 | 1:12 | 1:16 | 1:20 |
| Idaho | 1:6 | 1:6 | 1:9 | 1:13 | 1:13 | 1:25 |
| Illinois | 1:4 | 1:5 | 1:8 | 1:10 | 1:10 | 1:20 |
| Indiana | 1:5 | 1:5 | 1:8 | 1:11 | 1:13 | 1:17 |
| Iowa | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:7 | 1:10 | 1:12 | 1:15 |
| Kansas | 1:3 | 1:6 | 1:7 | 1:12 | 1:12 | 1:12 |
| Kentucky | 1:5 | 1:6 | 1:10 | 1:12 | 1:14 | 1:14 |
| Louisiana | 1:5 | 1:7 | 1:10 | 1:13 | 1:15 | 1:19 |
| Maine | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:8 | 1:8 | 1:13 |
| Maryland | 1:3 | 1:3 | 1:6 | 1:10 | 1:10 | 1:15 |
| Massachusetts | 1:3 | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:10 | 1:10 | 1:10 |
| Michigan | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:10 | 1:12 | 1:12 |
| Minnesota | 1:4 | 1:7 | 1:7 | 1:10 | 1:10 | 1:10 |
| Mississippi | 1:5 | 1:9 | 1:12 | 1:14 | 1:16 | 1:20 |
| Missouri | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:8 | 1:10 | 1:10 | 1:16 |
| Montana | 1:4 | 1:6 | 1:8 | 1:10 | 1:10 | 1:10 |
| Nebraska | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:6 | 1:10 | 1:12 | 1:12 |
| Nevada | 1:4 | 1:6 | 1:9 | 1:12 | 1:13 | 1:18 |
| New Hampshire | 1:4 | 1:5 | 1:6 | 1:8 | 1:12 | 1:15 |
| New Jersey | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:6 | 1:10 | 1:12 | 1:15 |
| New Mexico | 1:6 | 1:6 | 1:10 | 1:12 | 1:12 | 1:15 |
| New York | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:5 | 1:7 | 1:8 | 1:9 |
| North Carolina | 1:5 | 1:6 | 1:10 | 1:15 | 1:20 | 1:25 |
| North Dakota | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:5 | 1:7 | 1:10 | 1:12 |
| Ohio | 1:5 | 1:6 | 1:7 | 1:12 | 1:14 | 1:14 |
| Oklahoma | 1:4 | 1:6 | 1:8 | 1:12 | 1:15 | 1:20 |
| Oregon | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:5 | 1:10 | 1:10 | 1:10 |
| Pennsylvania | 1:4 | 1:5 | 1:6 | 1:10 | 1:10 | 1:10 |
| Rhode Island | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:6 | 1:9 | 1:10 | 1:12 |
| South Carolina | 1:5 | 1:6 | 1:8 | 1:12 | 1:17 | 1:20 |
| South Dakota | 1:5 | 1:5 | 1:5 | 1:10 | 1:10 | 1:15 |
| Tennessee | 1:4 | 1:6 | 1:7 | 1:9 | 1:13 | 1:16 |
| Texas | 1:4 | 1:5 | 1:11 | 1:15 | 1:18 | 1:22 |
| Utah | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:8 | 1:12 | 1:15 | 1:20 |
| Vermont | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:5 | 1:10 | 1:10 | 1:10 |
| Virginia | 1:4 | 1:5 | 1:8 | 1:10 | 1:10 | 1:10 |
| Washington | 1:4 | 1:7 | 1:7 | 1:10 | 1:10 | 1:10 |
| West Virginia | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:8 | 1:10 | 1:12 | 1:12 |
| Wisconsin | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:7 | 1:10 | 1:13 | 1:18 |
| Wyoming | 1:4 | 1:5 | 1:8 | 1:12 | 1:12 | 1:18 |
Each state's page names its rule and where we read it. Where a state's ages split one of ours, the younger, stricter figure is shown. Family child care homes have their own rules and are not in this table. A reading of public regulations, not licensing advice: your state's licensing page and consultant have the last word.