LICENSING REQUIREMENTS

All licensed child care programs receive a combination of announced and unannounced visits. Certified Child Care Centers and Certified Family Child Care Homes have an announced licensing visit annually. Registered Family Child Care Homes have a licensing visit biennially. In addition the announced licensing visit, all programs receive no less than one unannounced monitoring visit annually. If compliance concerns exist, the program will receive additional unannounced monitoring. The Office of Child Care also responds to complaints alleging rule violations in a program and reports of injuries requiring medical attention. Complaint visits are conducted unannounced.

Licensed Child Care and Regulated Subsidy Providers

All child care staff and any individual who may have unsupervised access to child care children e.g. adults living in the home, volunteers, maintenance staff, the owner, office staff, and regular visitors must be enrolled in the Office of Child Care’s Central Background Registry.  The background check process includes a criminal background check through the Oregon State Police, a record check through Department of Human Services Child Protective Services and the fingerprint based criminal background check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

For more information or to apply for enrollment in the Office of Child Care’s Central Background Registry click the button below:

Registered Family Child Care Overview

Interested in becoming a registered family child care provider? See below for general characteristics:

• The child care business is in the provider’s own home. A license is limited to one provider per household.
• A maximum number of 10 children are allowed in care at any one time. Of those 10 children, six children may be preschool age or younger, two of the six preschool children may be under 24 months of age. The provider’s own children are included in the number of children in care.
• Prior to a license being issued, changing to a new home address, reopening a license after a lapse in time, or renewing a license every two years, the provider must satisfactorily complete an on-site health and safety review conducted by the Office of Child Care.
• The provider, all other residents of the home, substitute caregivers, and frequent visitors 18 years of age or older must be enrolled in the Office of Child Care’s Central Background Registry.

Contact your local Child Care Resource & Referral agency to attend the Introduction to Registered Family Child Care (IRF) to receive more information and to start your application process.

Certified Family Child Care Overview

Interested in becoming a certified family child care provider? See below for general characteristics:

• The child care business is in a single family home, usually the provider’s own home. License is limited to one provider per household. The provider may hire additional staff.
• A maximum number of 12 children (16 children with prior approval by the Office of Child Care) are allowed in care at any one time. The provider’s own children are included in the determination of caregiver/child ratio and group size.
• An environmental health specialist, as well as a licensing specialist from the Office of Child Care must inspect and approve the home prior to a license being issued. Both specialists must conduct an annual inspection before a license is renewed.
• The, provider, all other residents of the home, substitute caregivers, staff, volunteers, and 18 years of age or older must be enrolled in the Office of Child Care’s Central Background Registry.

Certified Child Care Center Overview

Interested in becoming a certified center? See below for general characteristics:

• The child care business is in a facility that has met zoning, occupancy, and building code requirements; usually a commercial building.
• The maximum number of children allowed in care depends on the square footage of the building, number of qualified staff, and various other factors. The license reflects maximum number of children allowed in care at any one time.
• An environmental health specialist, the local fire department, as well as a licensing specialist from the Office of Child Care must inspect and approve the facility prior to a license being issued. All three inspections must be conducted annually before a license is renewed.
• The director, child care staff, volunteers, or any individual who may have unsupervised contact with child care children during operation hours that are 18 years of age or older must be enrolled in the Office of Child Care’s Central Background Registry.

 

Aide II Rule Change Proposed for Certified Child Care Centers 

After receiving feedback from providers, the Early Learning Division (ELD) will be moving to allow Aide IIs to have increased supervision in Certified Child Care Centers as a permanent rule change. ELD will recommend the Early Learning Council adopt the rule at its June 29, 2022 meeting.   

 ELD anticipates this change will assist providers in retaining staff and allow for greater flexibility within programs. 

OAR 300-0110(3) states, “An Aide II may support teachers in caring for children but may not be left alone with a group of children, except when: 

(a) Supervising a group of children for no more than 60 minutes at a time, not to exceed more than 120 minutes of Aide II supervision per day, provided staff-to-child ratios are maintained, and there is another staff who is teacher, head teacher, or director qualified present at the facility. An Aide II may supervise an Aide I for no more than 60 minutes at a time.” 

If you have questions, please contact your licensing specialist or email us at ProviderContact@ode.oregon.gov. 

 Licensed Child Care Forms & Resources