Tennessee daycare ratios by age
Tennessee's child care center rule (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-04-01-.22(1)(c)1 (Chart 1)) sets the staff-to-child ratios below: one adult for every 9 three-year-olds, in groups of no more than 18. Read on 2026-10-31; your licensing consultant has the last word.
Tennessee 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 6 | 12 |
| Two-year-olds | 1 to 7 | 14 |
| Three-year-olds | 1 to 9 | 18 |
| Four-year-olds | 1 to 13 | 24 |
| Five-year-olds (not yet in school) | 1 to 16 | 24 |
How many adults does my room need in Tennessee?
Type how many children of each age are in the room.
What the rule says
secondary, not verified on the state page (official TN DHS/SOS copies returned 403; read a verbatim third-party copy of the agency rules PDF): Chart 1 single-age: 6 wk-15 mo 1:4 group 8; 12-30 mo 1:6 group 12; 2 yrs 1:7 group 14; 3 yrs 1:9 group 18; 4 yrs 1:13 group 24; 5 yrs 1:16 group 24; school-age 1:20 no max (Chart 2 combined groupings not used). Rule text read from a verbatim copy of the TN DHS rules PDF (Feb 2026 revised; .22 amended eff. 2025-11-20) hosted on a third-party site because Justia/TN SOS returned 403.
Rule: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-04-01-.22(1)(c)1 (Chart 1). Read on 2026-10-31 at s3.amazonaws.com (a copy of the agency's own document; the state's pages refused our reader). 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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