Daycare License Requirements for Rhode Island
Worker requirements
Must have a current Rhode Island certificate in early childhood education or a bachelor’s or master’s degree in early childhood education from an accredited or approved school and a minimum of three months supervised teaching experience in a licensed or approved early childhood program (which may be a student teaching experience) or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited or approved school and required course work and experience defined in Rhode Island Early Childhood Certification standards.
Provider / Child Ratio
| Age Range | Ratio For Child Care Centers |
| Infants | (1:4) |
| Toddlers | (1:6) |
| 3 years | (1:9) |
| 4 years | (1:10) |
| 5 years | (1:12) |
| School age | (1:13) |
| Mixed age group | depends on number/age of youngest child in group |
| Age Range | Ratio For Family Child Care |
| If care is provided to child under 18 months of age, care for no more than 4 children under 6 years, no more than 2 of which can be under the age of 18 months; providers may have up to 8 children if there is an approved assistant; no more than 4 may be under 18 months old. | |
Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families
Day Care Licensing Unit
101 Friendship Street
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: 401-528-3624 or 401-528-3621
Fax: 401-528-3650
Web site: http://www.dcyf.ri.gov/day_care.php
Regulation child daycare centers
http://www.dcyf.ri.gov/docs/center_regs.pdf
Regulation family child care home
http://www.dcyf.ri.gov/docs/family_child_care_home.pdf
Learn more about How To Start A Daycare
