Connecticut child care, camp and ratio rules

Child care licensing

A license from OEC is required for child care centers (more than 12 children), group child care homes (7 to 12 children, or a family-home-sized program run outside a private home) and family child care homes (care in a private home on a regular basis). A center or group home that serves school-age children also needs a separate school-age endorsement on its license.

After-school and recreation programs: State law exempts programs run by a public school system or a municipal agency, approved or accredited private schools, music/dance/drama/art or single-skill classes of 2 hours or less, scouting, sports-only programs, academic tutoring, programs only for children 13 and older, nationally chartered Boys & Girls Clubs serving only school-age children, and occasional recreational care where parents stay on the premises (CGS §19a-77(b)). An exempt program must tell parents in writing that it is not licensed by OEC (CGS §19a-77(c)).

Licensing agency: Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), Division of Licensing

Sources: CGS §19a-77 (definitions and exemptions) and §19a-80 (license required); Regs. Conn. State Agencies §19a-79-4a (staffing, ratios, group size); Regs. Conn. State Agencies §19a-79-11 (school-age endorsement); Regs. Conn. State Agencies §19a-79-10 (under-3 endorsement); OEC Licensing

Staff-to-child ratios in licensed centers

Rule: Regs. Conn. State Agencies §19a-79-4a(d)(4)-(5) (preschool); §19a-79-11(d)-(e) (school-age endorsement). Connecticut uses one ratio (1:10, group of 20) for all children 3 and older who are not school age. 'School age' means at least 5 by September 1 of the school year and under 13 (§19a-79-1a). In a mixed-age group, the ratio and group size for the youngest child apply. Under-3 care (separate endorsement, §19a-79-10): 1:4 with a group of 8 under age 2, and 1:5 with a group of 10 for 2-year-olds. Stricter ratios apply during swimming (1:4 for ages 3-5, 1:6 for school-age), and at least two staff aged 18 or older must be on site whenever children are present.

Work out your staffing with the ratio calculator

Summer camps

Both day camps and resident (overnight) camps need an annual youth camp license from OEC, applied for at least 30 days before opening (CGS §19a-421). The law covers camps serving 5 or more children aged 3 to 15 for 3 or more days a week during school vacations or weekends, or any program advertised as a camp. Exempt: classroom-based summer instruction with no risky activities, public and approved private school summer programs, licensed child care centers, Boys & Girls Club drop-in programs for ages 6 and up, and day camps run by a municipal agency (CGS §19a-420).

Camp agency: Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), Division of Licensing

Sources: CGS chapter 368r, Youth Camps (§19a-420 to §19a-430); 2026 Supplement, chapter 368r (2025 amendments); OEC Licensing for Youth Camps

Background checks

Child care staff who care for children or have unsupervised access to them need a comprehensive background check: a state criminal history check and an FBI fingerprint check, the CT DCF child abuse registry, sex offender registries, and the criminal, abuse and sex offender registries of any state they lived in during the past 5 years. New hires cannot start work until the conditions of federal rule 45 CFR 98.43(d)(4) are met, and the check is repeated at least every 5 years (CGS §19a-80(c), §10-530(b); Regs. §19a-79-4a(b)-(c)). Youth camps have their own rule: staff aged 18 and older in care roles need a state criminal check (or a search of the Judicial Branch conviction database), the DCF registry, the CT sex offender registry and the national sex offender website, or else a fingerprint check through an OEC-listed provider. New hires may work only under supervision until the check is complete, and the check is repeated every 5 years (CGS §19a-421(b)-(d)).

Sources: CGS §10-530 (5-year rechecks); CGS §19a-80(c); Regs. Conn. State Agencies §19a-79-4a(b)-(c); CGS §19a-421 (youth camp background checks)

Giving medication

Apart from over-the-counter topical products such as diaper cream (which need written parent permission only), no medicine may be given without a written order from an authorized prescriber and written parent permission. Staff who give medicine must first be trained and approved by a pharmacist, physician, PA, APRN or RN, renewed every 3 years (every year for epinephrine auto-injectors). Medicine must be kept in its original labeled container, and each dose is recorded on the child's individual administration record (Regs. §19a-79-9a).

Free medication administration log

Sources: Regs. Conn. State Agencies §19a-79-9a (administration of medications)

Reporting child abuse

Mandated reporters are listed professions. The list includes anyone paid to care for children in a licensed child care center or home, school employees, paid youth camp directors and staff aged 21 or older, and coaches or directors of youth athletics and private youth sports aged 18 or older (CGS §17a-101(b)). Report by phone (or electronically, for non-emergencies) within 12 hours, and file a written or electronic report within 48 hours after the oral report (CGS §17a-101b, §17a-101c).

Connecticut child abuse hotline: 1-800-842-2288 (DCF Careline, 24/7; TDD 1-800-624-5518) (how to report). In an emergency, call 911.

Sources: CGS §17a-101 to §17a-101c (mandated reporters, timing); CT DCF: Report child abuse and neglect