Maine daycare ratios by age
Maine's child care center rule (10-148 C.M.R. ch. 32, §7(C)(2)(b)) sets the staff-to-child ratios below: one adult for every 8 three-year-olds, in groups of no more than 24. Read on 2026-10-31; your licensing consultant has the last word.
Maine child care center ratios and group sizes
| Age | Children per adult | Largest group |
|---|---|---|
| Infants (under 12 months) | 1 to 4 | 8 |
| Toddlers (12 to 24 months) | 1 to 4 | 12 |
| Two-year-olds | 1 to 4 | 12 |
| Three-year-olds | 1 to 8 | 24 |
| Four-year-olds | 1 to 8 | 24 |
| Five-year-olds (not yet in school) | 1 to 13 | not set by age |
How many adults does my room need in Maine?
Type how many children of each age are in the room.
What the rule says
Facilities serving 13 or more children: 6 wk-1 yr 1:4 group 8; 1-2.5 yr 1:4 group 12 or 1:5 group 10; 2.5-3.5 yr 1:7 group 21; 3-under 5 yr 1:8 group 24 or 1:10 group 20; 5 yr (school age)-12 yr 1:13 group n/a. Nursery school programs separately 1:12 group 30. (mapped: two options per row recorded as the first listed pair, pairing inferred from cell order, no explanatory note in rule; twos straddle 1-2.5 and 2.5-3.5 evenly, took the younger band; fives = the '5 years (School age)' row, no group size)
Rule: 10-148 C.M.R. ch. 32, §7(C)(2)(b). Read on 2026-10-31 at law.cornell.edu. Where the rule's ages split one of ours, the younger, stricter figure is shown. This is the rule for licensed centers; family child care homes, school-age care and mixed-age groups have their own rules. A reading of public regulations, not licensing advice.
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