State library · checked October 2026
Minnesota child care, camp and ratio rules
What camps, after-school programs and child care centers in Minnesota need to know about licensing, ratios, background checks, medication and reporting abuse, with links to the official rules.
Child care licensing
Anyone operating a nonresidential child care program (care outside the child's home for less than 24 hours a day) needs a DCYF license unless excluded by law (Minn. Stat. §142B.05); centers follow Minn. R. ch. 9503, and school-age child care programs (more than 10 children, mainly school-age care) and drop-in programs are licensed as centers with some special rules (§142B.41, subd. 6).
After-school and recreation programs: Excluded from licensing (Minn. Stat. §142B.05, subd. 2): programs run by a public school for children 33 months or older; school-age programs run by a school, YMCA, YWCA or JCC; park and recreation board programs; scouting, clubs, sports and art programs; nonresidential programs running fewer than 30 days total in 12 months; qualifying nonprofit youth development programs for grades K-12 that give parents written notice they are unlicensed; religious instruction; and youth camps licensed by the Department of Health. Excluded programs that take child care assistance funds must be certified as license-exempt centers (ch. 142C).
Licensing agency: Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), Licensing Division
Sources: Minn. R. 9503.0040 staff ratios and group size; Minn. R. 9503.0005 definitions (age categories); Minn. Stat. §142B.05 who must be licensed; exclusions; Minn. Stat. §142B.01 definitions (school-age child); Minn. Stat. ch. 142B full text (§142B.41 subd. 6)
Staff-to-child ratios in licensed centers
| Ages | Children per staff member | Largest group |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years (preschooler) | 1:10 | 20 |
| 4 years (preschooler) | 1:10 | 20 |
| 5 years | 1:15 | 30 |
| School-age | 1:15 | 30 |
Rule: Minn. R. 9503.0040, subp. 1; Minn. Stat. §142B.41, subd. 6 (school-age programs). Preschoolers are 33 months old until their first day of kindergarten (1:10, group 20). A child in kindergarten, or eligible to start within four months, is school-age (1:15, group 30), so a 5-year-old not yet near kindergarten stays at 1:10. Licensed school-age-only programs must keep 1:15 but are exempt from the rule's group-size limit. Mixed groups use the youngest child's ratio and may span no more than 36 months unless all are school-age.
Summer camps
The Department of Health licenses youth camps, defined as camps that provide both food and lodging (overnight) for 10 or more people for 5 or more days a year; its rules cover the site, sanitation, food, water, health care and first aid (Minn. Stat. §§144.71-144.74; Minn. R. 4630.2300-4630.4700). Day camps without lodging are not youth camps under that law; they need a DCYF child care license unless they fit a licensing exclusion (for example park and recreation programs, sports or art programs, nonprofit youth development programs, or programs running fewer than 30 days a year).
Camp agency: Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools and Lodging Services Section
Sources: Minn. Stat. §144.71 youth camp definition; Minn. Stat. §144.72 license required; MDH: Youth camps; Minn. Stat. §142B.05 licensing exclusions
Background checks
Child care center staff and others with direct contact need a state background study that includes fingerprints for a national (FBI) criminal check, Minnesota criminal and predatory offender records, Minnesota maltreatment records, the national sex offender registry, and criminal, sex offender and child abuse registries in every state lived in during the past five years; the study must be repeated within five years (Minn. Stat. §§245C.04, 245C.08). No background check requirement was found in the state youth camp rules (Minn. R. ch. 4630).
Sources: Minn. Stat. §245C.04 when background studies are required; Minn. Stat. §245C.08 information reviewed
Giving medication
A center that chooses to give medicine needs written parent permission (also for diapering products, sunscreen and insect repellent) and written instructions from a physician or dentist for each prescription; a current pharmacy label counts as instructions. Medicine must be in its original container labeled with the child's name, never given past its expiration date, stored out of children's reach, and every dose recorded with the child's name, medication, date, time, dose and the signature of the person who gave it (Minn. R. 9503.0140, subp. 7).
Free medication administration log
Sources: Minn. R. 9503.0140 health (subp. 7, administration of medicine)
Reporting child abuse
Professionals and their delegates in child care, education, health care, social services, mental health, corrections, probation and law enforcement, plus clergy, must report (Minn. Stat. §260E.06); anyone else may report. Reports go to the county or tribal social services agency or law enforcement immediately by phone, followed by a written report within 72 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) (§260E.09).
Sources: Minn. Stat. §260E.06 maltreatment reporting; Minn. Stat. §260E.09 reporting requirements
Checked October 2026 against Minnesota's official rules and federal sources. Rules change and have exceptions, so confirm with the agency before you rely on them. This is general information, not legal advice. Minnesota has 4,864 youth and community program nonprofits, according to our analysis of IRS data.
FAQ
Minnesota questions
What is the staff-to-child ratio for school-age children in Minnesota?
In licensed child care centers, 1 staff member for every 10 school-age children, with groups of up to 20 (Minn. R. 9503.0040, subp. 1; Minn. Stat. §142B.41, subd. 6 (school-age programs)). Camps and license-exempt programs can follow different rules.
Do summer camps need a license in Minnesota?
The Department of Health licenses youth camps, defined as camps that provide both food and lodging (overnight) for 10 or more people for 5 or more days a year; its rules cover the site, sanitation, food, water, health care and first aid (Minn. Stat. §§144.71-144.74; Minn. R. 4630.2300-4630.4700). Day camps without lodging are not youth camps under that law; they need a DCYF child care license unless they fit a licensing exclusion (for example park and recreation programs, sports or art programs, nonprofit youth development programs, or programs running fewer than 30 days a year).
Do after-school programs need a child care license in Minnesota?
Excluded from licensing (Minn. Stat. §142B.05, subd. 2): programs run by a public school for children 33 months or older; school-age programs run by a school, YMCA, YWCA or JCC; park and recreation board programs; scouting, clubs, sports and art programs; nonresidential programs running fewer than 30 days total in 12 months; qualifying nonprofit youth development programs for grades K-12 that give parents written notice they are unlicensed; religious instruction; and youth camps licensed by the Department of Health. Excluded programs that take child care assistance funds must be certified as license-exempt centers (ch. 142C).
Who has to report suspected child abuse in Minnesota?
Professionals and their delegates in child care, education, health care, social services, mental health, corrections, probation and law enforcement, plus clergy, must report (Minn. Stat. §260E.06); anyone else may report. Reports go to the county or tribal social services agency or law enforcement immediately by phone, followed by a written report within 72 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) (§260E.09).
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