Reviewed November 2026 OAC 5180:2-12-18, Appendix A, effective October 2021 · view rule OAC 5180:2-12-18, Appendix A (PDF) OAC 5180:2-13-18, effective July 2026 · view rule OAC 5180:2-13-18
Ohio's child care centers and Type A and Type B family child care homes are licensed by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) under Revised Code Chapter 5104 and Administrative Code Chapters 5180:2-12 (centers) and 5180:2-13 (homes), renumbered from the old ODJFS 5101 rules in January 2025. A 2025 law raised Type B homes to seven children and Type A homes to 8-14, and a July 1, 2026 rule update dropped staff and child medical statements and added point values for violations. Every inspection report is posted on Ohio Child Care Search.
Licensing agency: Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY), Division of Regulatory Compliance; county job and family services agencies inspect family child care homes · public license lookup
Inspection findings public? Yes, the state publishes licensing inspection results.
License types
- Child care center (7 or more children, not in a residence) — OAC Chapter 5180:2-12; ORC Chapter 5104
- Type A family child care home (8 to 14 children) — OAC Chapter 5180:2-13; ORC 5104.01(XX)
- Type B family child care home (1 to 7 children) — OAC Chapter 5180:2-13; ORC 5104.01(YY)
- School-based preschool program — OAC Chapter 5180:2-20, rule 5180-37-04; ORC 3301.52-3301.59
- School-based school-age program — OAC Chapter 5180:2-19
- In-home aide (publicly funded care in the child's home) — OAC Chapter 5180:2-14
- Approved child day camp — OAC Chapter 5180:2-18
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Recent and upcoming changes
Ohio moved child care licensing to the new Department of Children and Youth (DCY) and renumbered every rule. On top of that, a 2025 budget law raised family child care home sizes, and on July 1, 2026 DCY finished a five-year review of the center and home rules. If your binder still says ODJFS, 5101:2-12 or JFS form numbers, it is out of date.
New regulator and new rule numbers
House Bill 33 (135th General Assembly) created the Ohio Department of Children and Youth. The Revised Code now gives the director of children and youth the licensing job (ORC 5104.02; the House Bill 33 amendment took effect October 3, 2023, and the current version April 9, 2025), and DCY says its rules were renumbered from 5101 to 5180 on January 2, 2025. Center rules are now Chapter 5180:2-12, family child care home rules 5180:2-13, and in-home aide rules 5180:2-14. School-based preschool and school-age programs, which used to be licensed by the Ohio Department of Education, are also DCY programs now (Chapters 5180:2-20 and 5180:2-19).
Bigger family child care homes
The state budget law raised the cap for a Type B home from six to seven children (no more than three under age 2) and changed a Type A home from 7-12 children to 8-14. A Type A home needs a second adult whenever more than three children under 2, or more than seven children in all, are present. The Revised Code page shows this version of § 5104.01 in effect from September 30, 2025, and DCY amended its home rules on November 2, 2025 and again on July 1, 2026 (OAC 5180:2-13-18).
Staff medical statements dropped; TB screening and vaccine records instead
From July 1, 2026, centers and family child care homes no longer collect a medical statement for each employee. Employees in both settings turn in measles-mumps-rubella and Tdap records, or a medical or conscience exemption, within 30 days of starting. Centers also collect a signed TB screening self-attestation from each employee before the first day, with a TB test only for someone who lived in a high-burden country and arrived in the U.S. within the past five years.
SafePass tip: SafePass staff profiles store certifications and documents with expiration dates, so training cards, immunization records and education documents are in one place for the licensing specialist. SafePass does not update the Ohio Professional Registry (OPR) for you.
Children's annual medical statement dropped
The yearly child medical statement is gone. Children still need an immunization record within 30 days of starting (updated at least every 13 months), an enrollment form reviewed every year (DCY's new DCY 01234 or your own equivalent form), and a health care plan for any chronic condition (DCY 01236 or equivalent). Child records are kept 12 months after they were signed or updated.
Point values for violations
Each moderate-risk violation now carries 3 points and each serious-risk violation 6 points. Points add up over the year and can lead to licensing action or a lower Step Up To Quality rating. A serious-risk finding can lead to denial, revocation, a reduced or removed quality rating, or loss of funding.
Other July 2026 changes
General-use trampolines, ball pits and inflatable bounce equipment are banned (a personal therapy trampoline up to 48 inches is allowed with direct supervision). Meals now follow five food groups (a meal includes all five, breakfast three, a snack two), milk is offered based on parent preference, and screens must be off at meals. Changes in the Ohio Professional Registry now have to be made within 10 business days instead of five. Parent handbooks must now include a written security plan, a social media policy and a policy on emergency medicines and devices.
Rules review course for new home providers
A family child care provider or Type A administrator named on a license on or after July 1, 2026 must finish DCY's rules review course within a year and every five years after that. Center administrators already had to take it within six months of appointment, with a refresher every five years (OAC 5180:2-12-07).
Who needs a license, and from whom
The Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) licenses child care centers and Type A and Type B family child care homes under Revised Code Chapter 5104. County job and family services agencies carry out much of the inspection work for family child care homes. On this page, the "Group child care homes" filter means Ohio's Type A homes and "Family child care homes" means Type B homes; rules in Chapter 5180:2-13 apply to both.
Child care center: 7 or more children outside a home
Any place that is not the permanent residence of the licensee or administrator where care is provided for seven or more children at one time is a child care center and needs a DCY license. Head Start programs are licensed as centers.
Type A family child care home: 8 to 14 children
Care in the administrator's permanent residence for 8 to 14 children at one time, or 4 to 14 if four or more are under 2. A second adult must be present when more than three children under 2, or more than seven children in all, are there. A Type A home must be licensed (ORC 5104.02(A)). Children under 6 who are related to the licensee, administrator or an employee and are on the premises are counted.
Type B family child care home: 1 to 7 children
Care in the provider's permanent residence for one to seven children at one time, with no more than three under 2. The provider's own children and other related children under 6 who are present count toward the seven. The Revised Code requires a license for centers and Type A homes; a Type B home needs a DCY license to take publicly funded child care (ORC 5104.32).
Programs exempt from licensing
Exempt programs include care that runs two consecutive weeks or less and no more than six weeks a year; child care at a place of worship while parents attend services; lessons and activities (sports, music, tutoring) a child attends no more than 8 hours a week; programs where a parent stays on the premises and care is no more than 2.5 hours a day; programs regulated by other state departments; certain park district and municipal recreation programs for children 5 and older; and home education learning pods. Preschool and school-age programs run by schools are licensed separately under ORC 3301.52 to 3301.59.
Applying for a center license
The owner completes an Ohio Professional Registry profile and DCY's pre-licensing training (taken within the past five years), files online in the Ohio statewide licensing system with a $50 fee, and requests background checks. Before a license is issued the center needs a certificate of occupancy (programs in school buildings serving only children 2½ and older are exempt), a fire inspection, a food service license or exemption, a labeled site plan of indoor and outdoor space, and qualified administrators. The license must be visible to parents at all times. A new administrator must be added within 60 days.
Provisional, then continuous license
A new center or home gets a provisional license, valid for at least 12 months and until a continuous license is issued. If it shows compliance during the provisional period, DCY issues a continuous (non-expiring) license. A license is valid only for the named owner, administrator and address, so a change of owner or an unrequested move ends it.
Staff-to-child ratios
Ohio's center ratios are in a table attached to OAC 5180:2-12-18 (Appendix A), which centers must post. Family child care homes use a simpler rule: seven children per caregiver, with no more than three under age 2.
Center ratios and maximum group sizes
Young infants (birth to 12 months) 1:5, or 2:12 with two staff in the same room, group of 12. Older infants (12 to 18 months) 1:6, group of 12. Young toddlers (18 months to 2½ years) 1:7, group of 14. Older toddlers (2½ to 3) 1:8, group of 16. Young preschoolers (3 years) 1:12, group of 24. Older preschoolers (4 and older, not yet kindergarten-eligible) 1:14, group of 28. Young school-agers (kindergarten-eligible to under 11) 1:18, group of 36. Older school-agers (11 to under 15) 1:20, group of 40. Staff busy with duties that keep them from supervising do not count in ratio.
SafePass tip: SafePass shows a live count for each room: children checked in against staff clocked in, with an alert to directors when a room goes over ratio. Set each room's ratio to Ohio's number for that room's age group. SafePass's built-in defaults (infants 1:4, toddlers 1:6, two-year-olds 1:8, school-age 1:15) are tighter than Ohio's for most age bands, so with the defaults SafePass would flag rooms Ohio considers in ratio. SafePass does not check group size, the youngest-child rule for mixed groups, nap-time ratio doubling, or the second-adult-in-building rule.
Mixed ages and the second adult
When age groups are combined, the ratio for the youngest child applies, including when a child visits the next older group to transition. One child 2½ or older may be permanently placed in the next older group without changing that group's ratio. All ages may be combined when there are 12 or fewer children in the whole center. There must be at least one other employee or staff member in the building whenever seven or more children are present.
Nap-time ratio
The ratio may be doubled for no more than two hours at nap time, and only if every child in the group is on a cot or mat, no infants are in the group, and enough staff are in the building to restore the normal ratio.
Family child care home ratios
Each caregiver may care for no more than seven children at a time, and no more than three of them under age 2. A Type A home may have up to 14 children (with a second caregiver), and a Type B home up to seven. Count all children under 6 who are present, including the provider's own children and residents; unrelated children 6 to 14; and foster children, who count as related children. Ratios apply on field trips and routine trips too.
SafePass tip: SafePass Kiosk check-ins give a running count of who is in care, by child and age. Add your own young children as enrolled children if you want them in the count. SafePass does not check Ohio's under-2 limit for you.
School-based preschool ratios
Preschools run by school districts and other school-based programs follow a similar table: under 12 months 1:5 or 2:12 (group of 12); 12 to 18 months 1:6 (12); 18 to 30 months 1:7 (14); 30 months to 3 years 1:8 (16); 3-year-olds 1:12 (24); 4- and 5-year-olds not in kindergarten 1:14 (28).
Group size and capacity
Group sizes come from the same appendix as the ratios. License capacity is the most children allowed at one time.
Permanent groups and shared space
Each child is assigned to a permanent group within the maximum group size, chosen with the parent. Group-size limits don't apply during nap, meals and snacks, outdoor play, trips or special occasions. Groups of children 2½ and older may share an undivided space if ratio holds and the space allows at least 35 square feet per child. The center may never exceed its license capacity; children on routine trips to and from home don't count, but children on other trips do.
Space per child
At least 35 square feet of usable indoor floor space per child (bathrooms, halls and storage don't count, with exceptions for centers licensed since before September 1986) and at least 60 square feet of outdoor play space per child using it at one time. Rooms for children under 2½ must be approved by DCY before use.
Administrator and staff qualifications
Ohio sets education options for center administrators and minimum ages and schooling for staff. Everyone needs a profile and an employment record in the Ohio Professional Registry (OPR).
Center administrator
A high school diploma plus one of twelve options, for example an associate degree in early childhood or a related field, a prekindergarten associate license, an Ohio administrator credential, four early childhood college courses or a CDA plus two years of experience, or career pathways level 3. Someone promoted from within with two years' experience may serve for one year while finishing an option. The administrator takes DCY's rules review course within six months and a refresher every five years, and is on site at least half the center's weekly hours or 40 hours, whichever is less. A designated staff member is in charge whenever the administrator is away.
SafePass tip: SafePass staff profiles store certifications and documents with expiration dates, so training cards, immunization records and education documents are in one place for the licensing specialist. SafePass does not update the Ohio Professional Registry (OPR) for you.
Child care staff members
Staff who care for children must be at least 16 and have a high school education, or be a high school junior or senior enrolled in an early childhood career-tech, CDA or college-credit program. Proof of education is due by the first day. Each staff member completes DCY's center staff orientation within 30 days and may count in ratio, but may not be left alone with children, until it is done. Staff under 18 have extra limits on being alone with children.
Family child care provider
The provider must be at least 18, live in the home, meet the education or training requirements in Appendix B to the rule (and, for Type B homes licensed after April 1, 2003, have a high school education), and not hold another job during child care hours. The provider is on site at least 75% of operating hours. Providers either carry liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 in aggregate or give each parent a signed statement that they don't (DCY 01933).
Whistleblower protection
An employer may not fire, demote, suspend or otherwise retaliate against staff for a good-faith complaint to DCY, for taking part in a licensing proceeding, or for refusing to do something that violates the child care rules.
Background checks
DCY makes the eligibility decision. Requests go through the Ohio Professional Registry, and fingerprints go to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).
What is checked, for whom, and when
Owners, administrators, employees and staff (including substitutes and staff under 18) need BCI and FBI fingerprint checks, the national and state sex offender registries, and Ohio's child welfare system (SACWIS) records. DCY also asks every other state the person lived in during the past five years. Checks are done at application, before the first day of work, and every five years. Volunteers and visitors who are never counted in ratio or left alone with children don't need one.
SafePass tip: SafePass stores each staff member's background check date and flags checks more than five years old on the Compliance page, which lines up with Ohio's five-year renewal. It does not request checks in the OPR, submit fingerprints or track DCY 01176 approvals.
No contact before preliminary approval
Until DCY sends preliminary approval, a new hire may not do assigned duties, be near children or have access to them. With preliminary approval but no DCY 01176 on file, the person must be supervised at all times by someone who has one. Only staff with a DCY 01176 on file (or in the OPR) may be alone with children. Someone found ineligible must not be hired, or must be let go immediately.
Family child care homes: residents too
Providers, employees, staff and every adult who lives in the home need the same checks. A household member who turns 18, or an adult who moves in, must complete a check within 10 business days. Residents under 18, visitors and volunteers must never be left alone with children.
Who is disqualified
A conviction for an offense listed in ORC 109.572(A)(5) disqualifies a person unless they meet the rehabilitation standards in the rule's appendix (sealed records still count; a pardon or set-aside conviction does not). So does being on a sex offender registry, or being named in SACWIS as the perpetrator in a substantiated abuse or neglect case in the past 10 years.
Training, CPR and first aid
Health trainings (first aid, CPR, communicable disease, child abuse prevention) are separate from the six hours of yearly professional development. Ohio's training year is the July-to-June state fiscal year.
Health trainings in centers
All staff complete first aid and age-appropriate CPR within 90 days of hire, and child abuse and neglect recognition and prevention within 60 days. At least one person trained in first aid and CPR, and one in management of communicable disease, must be in each building at all hours. CPR must include an in-person component.
SafePass tip: SafePass tracks each staff certification's expiration date. Staff get a reminder 30 days out, and directors are alerted when one expires.
Six hours a year
Administrators and staff complete at least six clock hours of professional development each fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). Online training counts, but the health trainings don't. Staff hired between January and June start the following fiscal year. Substitutes need it only if they work more than 90 days in a year.
SafePass tip: SafePass keeps dated training records in each staff profile, so you can total each person's hours for the July-to-June fiscal year. It does not pull training from the OPR.
Family child care training
Providers need current first aid, CPR, communicable disease and child abuse prevention training before licensing. Staff complete them within 90 days and before being left alone with children. Providers and staff also complete six hours of professional development each fiscal year.
SafePass tip: SafePass tracks each staff certification's expiration date. Staff get a reminder 30 days out, and directors are alerted when one expires.
Supervision, health and safety
Unattended children and supervision lapses are the most common serious findings in Ohio inspections.
What supervision means
No child is left unsupervised. Staff must know each child's needs, keep situational awareness at all times (mirrors and cameras can help but can't replace direct observation), stay near enough to prevent harm, and be able to summon another adult. Staff must have a working phone that can call out and receive calls, with a backup method such as text or a second phone. Staff stay outdoors with children during outdoor play.
SafePass tip: SafePass shows staff a live list of children checked in to each room, so a caregiver can confirm names and headcount at a glance.
Supervision in homes
Children must be within sight or hearing of the provider or staff at all times, with the same situational awareness and backup-phone requirements as centers. School-age children may use the on-site play yard without an adult if they stay within sight and hearing and other conditions are met.
Incident reports and serious incidents
An incident report (DCY 01299) goes to the parent the same day for any illness or injury needing first aid, a bump or blow to the head, emergency transport, or an unusual event such as a child leaving unattended. Keep copies for a year. Serious incidents, including any injury needing medical treatment and anything that would be a serious-risk violation, must be reported to DCY in the Ohio statewide licensing system by the next business day.
SafePass tip: SafePass incident reports record what happened, the action taken and first aid, notify the parent, and capture the parent's e-signature. You still report serious incidents to DCY in the Ohio statewide licensing system yourself.
Reporting abuse and neglect
Owners, administrators and staff who suspect a child has been abused or neglected must report immediately to the county public children services agency (or police). A report to DCY doesn't replace it.
Illness and communicable disease
A child with symptoms on DCY's list is isolated and sent home. The DCY 08087 communicable disease chart is posted. Parents are told by the end of the next business day when their child was exposed, and diseases that are reportable to the health department are also reported to DCY.
SafePass tip: SafePass can run an optional health check at check-in (temperature and symptoms) and notifies directors and parents when a child doesn't pass.
Parents may visit at any time
A custodial parent, custodian or guardian of an enrolled child has unlimited access to the center during operating hours to see their child, evaluate the care or inspect the premises, subject to any parenting-time order the center has been given. Visitors tell the administrator when they arrive.
Facility, furniture, equipment and hazards
Ohio's rules say furniture and equipment must be sturdy, safe and in good condition, but they do not specifically require anchoring furniture to the wall. Safety gates in homes must be firmly anchored.
Furniture and equipment
Furniture, equipment and materials must be sturdy, safe, easy to clean and in good condition; anything broken or hazardous is removed right away. Air conditioners, fans and space heaters are out of reach or guarded, and heaters need written fire or building department approval. Indoor climbers and slides need shock-absorbing surfacing, with mats at least 1½ inches thick under climbers over 3 feet. General-use trampolines, ball pits and inflatables are banned.
Hazards, chemicals and weapons
Children are protected from stoves, water, window-blind and electrical cords, lead, asbestos, traffic and staff belongings. Cleaning products and chemicals are stored out of reach in labeled original containers; outlets in reach have covers; no mercury thermometers or aerosol sprays where children are; lawn mowers and tools are inaccessible. Weapons are locked away out of sight (with narrow exceptions for concealed-carry license holders, military and police) and the deadly-weapons sign is posted. Indoor temperature is at least 65°F, with air movement above 85°F.
Outdoor play space and fall zones
The play yard is fenced or otherwise enclosed so children can't leave and hazards can't get in, with latched (never locked) gates, and is checked daily for trash and hazards. Shade or sun protection is provided, and infants under 6 months are kept out of direct sun. Equipment is anchored or stable, with shock-absorbing surfacing and a fall zone of at least 6 feet (3 feet for equipment used only by children 6 to 23 months). Pools and ponds are fenced off.
Home safety
Gates used in the home must be firmly anchored, gates at the top of stairs must be wall-mounted, and accordion gates are banned. Weapons and ammunition (including air rifles) are locked away out of sight. Type B homes need a UL-listed carbon monoxide detector in the basement and on each level used for care. Pot handles face inward.
Pools at family child care homes
A pool on the premises must be fenced or otherwise blocked off so children in care can't get to the water; a locked house door isn't enough. Letting children in care use a pool at the home is a serious-risk violation.
Emergency plans, drills and fire safety
Centers and homes keep a written emergency preparedness and response plan (EPRP) and run three kinds of drills.
Drills and postings
Fire drills every month at varying times; weather emergency drills every month from March through September; and lockdown drills every quarter, all documented on site. Emergency numbers (including poison control, children services and the local emergency management agency) and a weather and fire plan with evacuation routes are posted in each room children use.
SafePass tip: SafePass's checked-in list shows who is in care right now, and parent messaging can reach every family at once during a relocation or reunification. SafePass does not log drills, so record them separately.
Emergency preparedness and response plan
A written plan covers medical and dental emergencies, severe weather, lockdowns and threats of violence, evacuation and relocation, outbreaks, and loss of power, water or heat. It names a safe relocation site, says how children (including infants and children with special needs) will be accounted for and reunited with parents, how parents will be reached if phones and internet are down, and what to do during transport. Staff are trained on it every year and it is updated yearly.
SafePass tip: SafePass's checked-in list shows who is in care right now, and parent messaging can reach every family at once during a relocation or reunification. SafePass does not log drills, so record them separately.
First aid kits
One complete kit per 75 children, plus one on each floor and in each building, kept unlocked and out of children's reach, and taken on trips. Minimum contents include bandages, gauze, tape, an instant ice pack, non-latex gloves and a working digital thermometer.
Building and fire inspections
Centers need a certificate of occupancy and a written fire inspection from the state fire marshal or local fire inspector at application, when moving, before using any newly added space, and at least every 12 months after that, and must follow any limits the inspector sets. Centers serving only school-age children in a public or chartered school building are exempt.
Medication
Ohio rewrote its medication rules in July 2026 for readability; DCY says the requirements themselves did not change.
Permission, instructions and logs
Written parent permission is needed for prescription and over-the-counter medicine, samples, medical foods, and topical products (not lip balm, or hand sanitizer for children over 2). Prescription drugs, medical foods and aspirin products also need instructions from a physician, dentist, PA or APRN, unless the pharmacy label gives the child's name, dose and directions. The child must have had the first dose at home. Each dose is logged right away with the drug, dose, date, time and staff signature. Permission lasts as stated, up to 12 months. Medicines are stored in original containers out of reach.
SafePass tip: SafePass collects the parent's signed medication request electronically. Staff approve it, and each dose is logged with the time, amount and staff name, with a notification to the parent. Prescriber instructions and the health care plan still need to be on file.
Health care plans for chronic conditions
A child with a chronic condition that needs monitoring, ongoing medication, medical procedures or avoidance of foods or activities needs a health care plan (DCY 01236 or equivalent, or a doctor's instructions) on file by the first day. A staff member trained on the plan must be on site, including on field trips, whenever the child is present. This was the most-cited moderate-risk violation at Ohio centers in 2024-25.
Immunizations and health records
Children's vaccines follow ORC 5104.014. Since July 2026 Ohio no longer requires a yearly child medical statement.
Children's immunization records
A dated immunization record is due within 30 days of a child's first day and is updated at least every 13 months (children in kindergarten and above are exempt). Required vaccines cover chickenpox, diphtheria, Hib, hepatitis A and B, influenza (when seasonal vaccine is available), measles, mumps, pertussis, pneumococcal disease, polio, rotavirus, rubella and tetanus. Exemptions: a physician, PA or APRN statement (in progress, contraindicated or not age-appropriate) or a parent's statement of conscience, including religious reasons.
SafePass tip: SafePass lets parents upload vaccine records. Staff verify them, and the dashboard lists overdue and due-soon doses, with an exemption field.
Enrollment form
An enrollment form (DCY 01234 or an equivalent form) is on file by the first day, reviewed with the parent at least once a year with initials and date, kept where it can be grabbed in an evacuation, and sent along if the child is taken for emergency care.
SafePass tip: SafePass registration packets collect guardians, emergency contacts, authorized pickups, physician and allergy information, with a parent signature. Have the parent review it every year and keep a copy you can take in an evacuation.
Staff TB screening and vaccines
Before the first day every employee signs a TB screening statement; a two-step skin test or blood test is required only if they lived in a country with a high TB burden and arrived in the U.S. within five years. Within 30 days they provide MMR and Tdap records or an exemption.
SafePass tip: SafePass staff profiles store certifications and documents with expiration dates, so training cards, immunization records and education documents are in one place for the licensing specialist. SafePass does not update the Ohio Professional Registry (OPR) for you.
Food and nutrition
Ohio's July 2026 rules moved to five food groups and dropped the old meal-pattern appendices.
Meals, snacks and menus
Meals include all five food groups (protein, grain, fruit, vegetable, dairy), breakfast three, and snacks two. Food is offered at least every four hours and follows a dated weekly menu posted for parents, with substitutions noted. Juice counts toward fruit or vegetable only if 100% juice. Water is freely available, with individual bottles labeled. Medical foods or cutting out a food group need a physician's instructions. No TV or screens during meals.
SafePass tip: SafePass weekly menus and meal logs show parents what was served and how much their child ate. Keep the posted paper menu too: Ohio requires it to be visible to parents.
Infant feeding and daily reports
Infants are held or sit up for bottles, never with a propped bottle, and are fed according to written instructions from the parent. Centers give parents a daily written record of each infant's food intake, sleep, diaper changes and activities.
SafePass tip: SafePass meal and nap logs give parents food intake and sleep times each day; check that your daily report also covers diaper changes and activities.
Safe sleep
Infant sleep rules are nearly identical for centers and homes, except that homes may use playpens.
Infant sleep in centers
Each infant sleeps in their own labeled crib meeting federal crib standards (a certificate of compliance for cribs made before June 28, 2011), on their back unless a physician signs a sleep position waiver (DCY 01235, valid one year). No bumpers, blankets (for infants under 12 months), bibs or items that block the view; a sleeper or wearable blanket is fine, and only infants who can't roll may be swaddled in a wearable swaddle. Infants don't sleep in swings, car seats or bassinets. Cribs are 2 feet apart or separated by see-through, cleanable dividers. Stacked cribs are banned.
SafePass tip: SafePass nap logs record when each child went down and woke up, and parents see them. SafePass does not run timed sleep-check logs.
Nap areas, cots and moving out of the crib
Nap areas stay lit enough to see every child, and exits stay clear. Children rest on cots (3 to 18 inches high) or mats (at least 1 inch thick). A child leaves the crib when able to climb out or at 35 inches tall, and may use a cot from 12 months with parent permission.
Sleep in family child care homes
Homes may use cribs or playpens for infants and assign beds, couches, cots or mats to older children. The same back-to-sleep, no-blanket and no-swing rules apply, with the sleep position waiver on file when a doctor directs otherwise.
SafePass tip: SafePass nap logs record when each child went down and woke up, and parents see them. SafePass does not run timed sleep-check logs.
Discipline and behavior management
Using a prohibited technique is among the most-cited moderate-risk findings, and serious-risk when it leads to substantiated abuse or neglect.
Allowed and prohibited techniques
Allowed: clear limits, redirection, positive alternatives, modeling, praise, problem-solving, a protective hug, and separation of no more than one minute per year of age (never for infants). Prohibited: corporal punishment, shaking, restraints of any kind (prone restraint expressly banned), locking or confining children (including in cribs or high chairs), humiliating, threatening or frightening children, profanity, derogatory remarks about a child's family or culture, punishing for not eating or sleeping or for toileting accidents, withholding food, water, rest or toilet use, group punishment, and letting children discipline other children.
Behavior plans and expulsions
A specific behavior management plan for a child is written, consistent with the rules, and signed by the parent before it is used. An expulsion for behavior must be reported to DCY in the Ohio statewide licensing system.
Records and postings
Most Ohio violations are paperwork. Keep these on site or verified in the Ohio Professional Registry.
Policies, parent information and OPR
The administrator keeps written policies (Appendix B: enrollment, security, arrival and departure, supervision, guidance, illness, medication, emergencies, transportation, sleep, social media and more) and gives them to parents and staff, along with DCY's "Center Parent Information" sheet (Appendix C). Every staff member's employment record must be in the OPR by the first day, and changes are made within 10 business days. Employment records not verified in the OPR are kept three years after the person leaves.
Child records
Child records are confidential but open to DCY. Records and medication permissions are kept 12 months from the date they were signed or updated, even after the child leaves.
Attendance, sign-in and release of children
Ohio requires arrival and departure times to the minute, and a tracking list that moves with each group.
Center attendance records
For each child: name, birth date, assigned group, weekly schedule, and arrival and departure times in hours and minutes, including program transportation. The state's automated child care (subsidy attendance) system can't be used for this. Records stay at the center and are kept one year. Each group also carries a tracking list with each child's name and birth date, updated as children come and go, including outdoors and in evacuations. Attendance problems are among the most-cited low-risk violations in homes.
SafePass tip: SafePass Kiosk records each check-in and check-out to the minute with who dropped off or picked up, and exports attendance reports as PDF. Ohio's center rule asks for "written documentation" kept at the center, while the July 2026 family child care rule allows "written or electronic" records, so ask your licensing specialist whether an electronic record meets the rule for your program. The state's own subsidy attendance system can't be used for this record. SafePass does not produce the group tracking sheet with each child's birth date that must travel with the group.
Home attendance records
The same items, in dated written or electronic form, kept at the home for one year, plus a group tracking list.
SafePass tip: SafePass Kiosk records each check-in and check-out to the minute with who dropped off or picked up, and exports attendance reports as PDF. Ohio's home rule allows electronic records. Keep the group tracking list with birth dates separately.
Release to authorized people only
Children are released only to a parent or someone the parent has approved. School-age children may walk to school, home or another activity only with written parent permission naming the place, arrangements, times and dates.
SafePass tip: At check-out, SafePass shows staff the child's guardians and authorized pickups, with photos, and records who picked the child up.
Transportation and field trips
Ohio has detailed trip and vehicle rules, including a check that no child is left on the vehicle.
Trips and walks
Signed parent permission for field and routine trips (kept a year), an ID tag on each child with the center's name and phone number, enrollment forms and health plans, first aid supplies, a phone, and someone trained in CPR, first aid and communicable disease. Ratios apply. An extra adult is needed in the vehicle with five or more children including an infant, or seven or more without infants. Check the vehicle after every trip to make sure no child is left on it.
SafePass tip: SafePass doesn't keep vehicle or transport logs. Use the attendance list to count children on and off the vehicle and keep a separate trip and vehicle-check record.
Drivers and vehicles
Drivers are at least 18, licensed for the vehicle, complete DCY's transportation training, don't use a phone while driving, follow Ohio's child restraint law, and keep children under 12 out of the front seat. Emergency exit drills are practiced monthly in months the vehicle is used. Vehicles get weekly staff checks and an annual safety inspection by an ASE-certified mechanic, an FMCSA inspector or the State Highway Patrol.
Transportation for homes
Family child care homes follow a parallel rule: signed parent permission for trips (kept a year), ratios at the destination, drivers at least 18 and licensed, and a check after every trip that no child has been left on the vehicle.
Inspections and enforcement
Ohio inspects centers at least once a year and family child care homes twice a year, and posts every inspection report online.
Inspection schedule
Centers get an inspection before the provisional license, two during the provisional year, and at least one each state fiscal year after that, plus complaint investigations; at least one is unannounced. The program must let inspectors into every area children use, review records and interview staff, parents and others.
SafePass tip: SafePass keeps attendance, incident, medication and staff records with dates and times, and exports attendance reports as PDF for a licensing specialist.
Home inspection schedule
Family child care homes get an inspection before licensing, two during the provisional year, and then at least one in each half of the state fiscal year, at least one unannounced. County agency staff and DCY may inspect.
Risk levels, corrective action and telling parents
Findings are rated moderate risk (3 points) or serious risk (6 points); others are low risk. The program submits a corrective action plan in the Ohio statewide licensing system by the deadline in the report. For a serious-risk finding, the program must notify every enrolled family in writing or electronically within 15 business days, pointing them to DCY's website, and send DCY a copy.
Revocation and suspension
DCY may deny or revoke for rule violations, ineligible owners, missing documents, refusing entry or false statements. An owner whose license is revoked, or whose application is denied, can't be licensed again for five years. DCY can suspend immediately after a child's death or serious injury, an accepted abuse or neglect report or criminal charge involving the owner or staff who haven't been removed, or a serious risk to children; the center then stops care and tells parents. When DCY intends to revoke, the center notifies families and posts the notice within 48 hours.
Operating without a license
DCY investigates unlicensed centers and Type A homes and refers them to the Attorney General or local prosecutor. Caring for more children than a Type B home may serve without a center or Type A license is a criminal offense with fines of $100 to $500 per extra child.
Disputing a finding and appeals
Ohio has a quick internal review for inspection findings and a formal hearing for license actions.
Request a review of a finding
A center or home may ask DCY to review a non-compliance finding in the Ohio statewide licensing system within 10 business days of getting the inspection report. There is an optional initial review with a DCY representative, then a committee review, whose decision is final. Inspection results can be viewed on DCY's child care search, and anyone may request a program's full licensing record in writing.
Adjudication hearings
Denial of a license, revocation, a capacity different from what was requested, denial of a continuous license and suspension can be appealed through a hearing under ORC Chapter 119, and then to court under ORC 119.12. Administrative closures (for example, an expired temporary closure or a change of owner) don't carry hearing rights.
Appealing a background check decision
A person found ineligible may file a DCY 01178 request for review within 14 business days of the DCY 01177 notice. They may not be on site while the review is pending.
Most common citations
Period: State fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025), licensed child care centers
How it was counted: Official DCY aggregate counts, not our own download. Ohio publishes inspection reports one program at a time on its Child Care Search and has no bulk violation file (we found no child care dataset on the state open data portal, and DCY's program list has no inspection fields). The annual report lists each finding by description and risk level, not by rule number, so 'rule' is empty; the rule named in each fix is our own matching. We combined DCY's center tables (top 5 serious, top 10 moderate, top 10 low-risk findings) and ranked the listed findings by count. The top 10 is complete because every finding that didn't make DCY's tables is below the smallest listed low-risk count (705), which is below our tenth item (911). Share is each count divided by all 39,100 violations cited at centers that year (267 serious, 5,254 moderate, 33,579 low risk) across 10,634 center inspections. Caveats: the period predates the July 1, 2026 rule changes and the September 2025 family child care law; two of the top findings (staff and child medical statements) are no longer required. For family child care homes the same report shows the top findings were enrollment forms (1,597 at Type B homes; 388 at Type A homes), child medical statements, Ohio Professional Registry records, emergency plans and attendance records, and the top moderate-risk finding in both was background checks. The report's inspections-by-setting table is misaligned with its text; we used the figures in the text.
| Topic | Citations | Share of citations | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health trainings (first aid, CPR, communicable disease or child abuse prevention) not completed as required (low risk) | 2,371 | 6.1% | Track each hire's first aid/CPR (90 days) and child abuse (60 days) deadlines and keep one trained person in every building all day (OAC 5180:2-12-10). |
| Child enrollment and health information form missing, incomplete or not updated annually (low risk) | 2,247 | 5.8% | Check every file for a complete enrollment form by the first day, and have parents review, initial and date it every year (OAC 5180:2-12-15(A)). |
| Staff medical statements missing or late (low risk) | 2,012 | 5.1% | No longer required for centers since July 1, 2026. Collect the TB screening attestation before day one and MMR and Tdap records within 30 days instead (OAC 5180:2-12-08). |
| Child medical statements missing or not updated every 13 months (low risk) | 1,276 | 3.3% | No longer required for centers since July 1, 2026. Keep each child's immunization record current within 13 months instead (OAC 5180:2-12-15(B)). |
| Medical/physical care plan missing, incomplete or not followed, or no trained staff present (moderate risk) | 1,220 | 3.1% | List every child with a chronic condition, keep a plan on file from day one, and schedule so a trained staff member is always present, including on trips (OAC 5180:2-12-15(D)). |
| Employment records in the Ohio Professional Registry not created or maintained (low risk) | 1,167 | 3% | Create each person's OPR employment record before the first day and update roles, schedules and end dates within 10 business days (OAC 5180:2-12-07(C)). |
| Children not protected from an item or condition that threatened their health or safety (low risk) | 1,136 | 2.9% | Do a daily walk-through at child height for cords, staff bags, small objects, slippery floors and open doors (OAC 5180:2-12-12(B)). |
| Staff did not complete six hours of professional development per year, or documentation incomplete (low risk) | 1,113 | 2.9% | Total each person's hours before June 30, the end of Ohio's training year, and keep certificates or OPR verification (OAC 5180:2-12-10(B)). |
| Staff orientation training not completed, or staff left alone with children before finishing it (low risk) | 921 | 2.4% | Assign DCY's staff orientation in week one, finish within 30 days, and don't leave new staff alone with children until it's done (OAC 5180:2-12-08(E)). |
| Background checks not requested or renewed on time, or person working without preliminary approval (moderate risk) | 911 | 2.3% | No duties near children until preliminary approval arrives; diary the five-year renewal for every staff member (OAC 5180:2-12-09). |
Frequently asked questions
Who licenses daycares in Ohio?
The Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY), which took over child care licensing from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and school-based preschool licensing from the Department of Education. Rules were renumbered to Chapter 5180 on January 2, 2025: centers are OAC 5180:2-12 and family child care homes OAC 5180:2-13, under ORC Chapter 5104.
What are the staff-to-child ratios for Ohio child care centers?
Under OAC 5180:2-12-18, Appendix A: infants under 12 months 1:5 (or 2:12), group of 12; 12-18 months 1:6 (12); 18 months to 2½ years 1:7 (14); 2½ to 3 years 1:8 (16); 3 years 1:12 (24); 4 and older not yet in kindergarten 1:14 (28); school-age to 11 years 1:18 (36); 11 to 14 years 1:20 (40). Combined groups use the ratio for the youngest child.
How many children can I watch in my home without a license in Ohio?
A home caring for 8 or more children at one time, or for 4 or more children under age 2, is a Type A home and must be licensed. A Type B home can care for up to seven children, no more than three under 2, counting your own children under 6. The Revised Code requires licenses for centers and Type A homes; a Type B home needs a DCY license to receive publicly funded child care. (ORC 5104.01, 5104.02, 5104.32)
What changed in Ohio's child care rules in 2026?
On July 1, 2026, DCY's five-year review took effect for center and family child care rules: staff and child medical statements were dropped (replaced by TB screening and vaccine records for staff), violations now carry points (3 moderate, 6 serious), trampolines and bounce houses are banned, meals follow five food groups, and OPR updates are due within 10 business days. Separately, House Bill 96 raised Type B homes to seven children and Type A homes to 8-14 from September 30, 2025.
How many training hours do Ohio child care staff need?
Six clock hours of professional development every July-to-June fiscal year, plus first aid and CPR within 90 days of hire and child abuse prevention within 60 days. Center staff also complete DCY's orientation within 30 days. (OAC 5180:2-12-08, 5180:2-12-10)
What background checks do Ohio daycare workers need?
BCI and FBI fingerprint checks, the state and national sex offender registries, and Ohio's child welfare records (SACWIS), plus checks in any state lived in during the past five years. They are done before the first day and every five years, and no one may be near children before DCY's preliminary approval. In family child care homes every adult resident is checked too. (OAC 5180:2-12-09, 5180:2-13-09)
How often are Ohio daycares inspected?
Centers at least once each state fiscal year (after an inspection before licensing and two during the provisional year), and family child care homes at least once in each half of the fiscal year. At least one inspection is unannounced, and complaints are investigated. DCY completed 19,983 inspections in fiscal 2025. (OAC 5180:2-12-03, 5180:2-13-03)
What are the most common daycare violations in Ohio?
In fiscal 2025 the most-cited center findings were incomplete health trainings (2,371), enrollment forms (2,247), staff medical statements (2,012), child medical statements (1,276) and health care plans for children with chronic conditions (1,220, the top moderate-risk finding). The most common serious-risk finding was a child left unattended (150). Staff and child medical statements stopped being required on July 1, 2026, so those two no longer apply. (DCY SFY25 annual licensing report)
Where can I look up an Ohio daycare's inspection reports?
On Ohio Child Care Search (childcaresearch.ohio.gov), which posts each program's inspection reports and corrective action status. Anyone may also request a program's licensing record from DCY in writing. (OAC 5180:2-12-03(H))
Do Ohio daycares have to tell parents about serious violations?
Yes. When DCY finds a serious-risk non-compliance, the center or home must notify every enrolled family in writing or electronically within 15 business days (five business days after a review that upholds it) and point them to DCY's website. (ORC 5104.043; OAC 5180:2-12-03(E))
Sources
- Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 5180:2-12, Licensing of Child Care Centers (codes.ohio.gov; rule pages linked from each rule) (accessed November 8, 2026)
- Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 5180:2-13, Licensing Family Care Homes (accessed November 8, 2026)
- Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 5180:2-20, School Based Preschool Program (accessed November 8, 2026)
- Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 5180:2-19, School Based School-Age Program (accessed November 8, 2026)
- Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5104, Child Care (accessed November 8, 2026)
- Appendix A to rule 5101:2-12-18 (now 5180:2-12-18), Staff/Child Ratios, Age Grouping and Maximum Group Size (accessed November 8, 2026)
- DCY Transmittal Letter No. 48, Five-Year Review of Child Care Center Rules (June 18, 2026) (accessed November 8, 2026)
- DCY Transmittal Letter No. 49, Five-Year Review of Family Child Care Rules (June 18, 2026) (accessed November 8, 2026)
- DCY Transmittal Letter No. 77, Five-Year Review of School-Based Preschool Program Rules (June 18, 2026) (accessed November 8, 2026)
- DCY Field Guide for Child Care Centers (July 2026) (accessed November 8, 2026)
- DCY, Early Care and Education Licensing SFY25 Annual Report (December 2025) (accessed November 8, 2026)
- Ohio Legislative Service Commission, H.B. 96 (136th G.A.) Final Analysis, Department of Children and Youth (accessed November 8, 2026)
- Ohio Child Care Search (DCY program and inspection lookup) (accessed November 8, 2026)
- Ohio Department of Children and Youth (blocks automated access; not verified by us, linked from Ohio Child Care Search and cited in Appendix C to OAC 5180:2-12-07) (accessed November 8, 2026)
Educational information, not legal advice. Rules change and inspectors apply them to your specific program. Always confirm requirements with your state child care licensing agency: Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY), Division of Regulatory Compliance; county job and family services agencies inspect family child care homes. How we handle your information: privacy policy.