Alaska child care, camp and ratio rules

Child care licensing

Any place that regularly cares for five or more children who are not the caregiver's relatives must be licensed unless exempt (7 AAC 57.010). License types are child care homes (up to 8 children), group homes (9 to 12) and centers (13 or more); inside the Municipality of Anchorage, the city licenses child care under Anchorage Municipal Code 16.55 plus the state rules.

After-school and recreation programs: Exempt programs include recreation programs that let children attend but don't take responsibility for their care, programs where each parent stays on site, K-6 school programs of seven hours or less a day (but not before- or after-school care at the school), and one-time events under five weeks a year (7 AAC 57.015). A day camp is exempt only if it holds American Camp Association (or similar approved) accreditation, serves children 5 and older, runs more than five weeks a year and only during school breaks, and does fingerprint-based background checks.

Licensing agency: Alaska Department of Health, Division of Public Assistance, Child Care Program Office (in Anchorage: Anchorage Health Department, Child Care Licensing)

Sources: 7 AAC 57 (Child Care Facilities Licensing), Alaska Legislature official code; Alaska Child Care Program Office; Anchorage Health Department Child Care Licensing; Anchorage licensure exemptions

Staff-to-child ratios in licensed centers

Rule: 7 AAC 57.505(c) and 7 AAC 57.510. Alaska groups children as preschoolers (3 and 4), kindergartners (5 and 6) and school age (7 through 12); children 13 and older count as school age. When kindergartners and school-age children are mixed, the ratio follows the age of the majority; when infants, toddlers and preschoolers are mixed, the youngest child's ratio applies. Group size limits don't apply during naps, meals, outdoor play, field trips or special events. Anchorage aligned its ratios with the state rule effective July 15, 2025.

Work out your staffing with the ratio calculator

Summer camps

Alaska has no separate youth camp license that we could find. A day camp that regularly cares for five or more children needs a child care license unless it meets the camp exemption in 7 AAC 57.015(a)(11): accredited by the American Camp Association or a similar approved body, serving children 5 and older, running more than five weeks a year and only during school breaks, and doing fingerprint background checks (or meeting the state's barrier-crime rules). We found no state license requirement for overnight camps.

Camp agency: Alaska Department of Health, Child Care Program Office (day camps, through child care licensing)

Sources: 7 AAC 57.015 exemptions from licensure (official code)

Background checks

Everyone 16 or older who works, volunteers unsupervised, lives in or regularly has contact with children at a licensed facility needs a state background check, including fingerprints for a state and FBI criminal history check plus the Alaska sex offender/child kidnapper registry and other state registries; child protection records may also be reviewed. The check must be done before the person starts (a 90-day provisional clearance is possible), names stay flagged for ongoing monitoring, and the fingerprint check is good for five years if the person stays continuously associated with a provider (a break of 100 days or more voids it). Exempt accredited day camps must still do fingerprint-based checks to the same standard.

Sources: 7 AAC 57.315 child protection and background checks; 7 AAC 10.900-10.990 barrier crimes and background checks

Giving medication

Get written parent permission before giving any prescription medicine, and give it only as prescribed; common over-the-counter or first-aid-kit medicines need written or documented phone permission. Keep medicine in its original container labeled with the child's name, drug, dose, expiration date and directions, stored out of children's reach; only one designated employee per shift gives medication and records and initials each dose, and unused medicine goes back to the parent.

Free medication administration log

Sources: 7 AAC 57.540 and 7 AAC 10.1070 (Medications)

Reporting child abuse

Listed professionals must report, including child care providers, school teachers and staff (including athletic coaches; unpaid volunteer coaches only after a set number of hours plus training), school volunteers working more than four hours a week, and health care workers. Reports go to the Office of Children's Services immediately, and suspected sex offenses must also be reported immediately to law enforcement (AS 47.17.020).

Alaska child abuse hotline: 1-800-478-4444 (24/7); written reports to ReportChildAbuse@alaska.gov (how to report). In an emergency, call 911.

Sources: AS 47.17.020, Alaska Statutes (official); Office of Children's Services: Report child abuse; Child Welfare Information Gateway: Alaska mandatory reporting