Daycare guide · checked October 2026
How to start a daycare in New Hampshire
In New Hampshire, opening a daycare means meeting the rules of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Child Care Licensing Unit (CCLU). This guide covers who needs a license, the rules your rooms and staff must meet and the steps to open, with links to the official rules. The New Hampshire rules were checked in October 2026.
Who needs a daycare license in New Hampshire
CCLU licenses family child care homes, family group child care homes, group child care centers, child care nurseries, preschools, school-age programs, night care and residential programs under RSA 170-E and He-C 4002. A private home caring for its own children plus up to four others is exempt.
Programs that may not need a license: Exempt programs include those run by a public or private school or college; skill-instruction programs such as athletics, crafts, music or dance; and municipal recreation programs, including after-school and summer programs. Also exempt are recreational programs for children 6 and older run by a school, religious group, Boys & Girls Club, Girls Inc., YMCA or YWCA, if they notify parents they are unlicensed, have a grievance policy and meet national standards (RSA 170-E:3). Exempt programs serving children on a state child care scholarship must still meet certain health and safety rules, including background checks.
Licensing agency: New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Child Care Licensing Unit (CCLU)
Sources: NH DHHS Child Care Licensing; He-C 4002 NH Child Care Licensing Rule (adopted 8/26/25); 2025 Summary of Major Changes to He-C 4002; NH DHHS Licensing Exemptions
Staff-to-child ratios in New Hampshire centers
| Ages | Children per staff member | Largest group |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 1:8 | 24 |
| 4 years | 1:12 | 24 |
| 5 years | 1:15 | 30 |
| School-age (6 and up) | 1:15 | 45 |
Rule: He-C 4002.35 (group child care centers); He-C 4002.38 (school-age programs). Age bands are in months: 36-47 months is 1:8 (group of 24), 48-59 months is 1:12 (group of 24), and 60 months and over is 1:15 (group of 30) in group child care centers. Licensed school-age programs are 1:15 with groups up to 45. In a mixed-age group, ratio and group size are based on the average age of the children. A second staff person must be in the building at 11 or more children (centers) or 13 or more (school-age programs). Rules adopted August 26, 2025.
Background checks
Child care staff, substitutes, other employees, volunteers who may be alone with children or count in ratios, and household members 18 and older need a background check before starting and every five years (He-C 4002.40; RSA 170-E:7). The check covers NH criminal records, the NH abuse/neglect registry, the NH sex offender registry, an FBI fingerprint check, the national sex offender registry, and other states lived in during the past five years. Staff can't be with children until CCLU confirms eligibility, apart from supervised presence after clean fingerprint results. Youth recreation camp staff need criminal checks in every state they have lived in, a national sex offender registry check, an NH central registry check if they lived in NH in the past seven years, and references (He-C 4003.17).
Sources: NH DHHS Background Checks for Child Care Personnel; He-C 4002.40; He-C 4003.17 (youth recreation camps)
Reporting child abuse
Any person who suspects that a child under 18 has been abused or neglected must report it immediately to DCYF (RSA 169-C:29-31). Proof isn't required, and DCYF may ask for a written report within 48 hours.
Child abuse hotline: 1-800-894-5533 (in-state only); 603-271-6562. In an emergency, call 911.
Sources: NH DHHS Report Child Abuse; Child Welfare Information Gateway, Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect (current through May 2023)
Steps to open a daycare in New Hampshire
1. Choose a daycare center or a home daycare
States license daycare centers and home daycares (often called family child care homes) under different rules, with different limits on how many children you can care for. Decide which one you're starting before anything else.
New Hampshire's license types are described in Who needs a daycare license above. Learn what families near you need, too: your local Child Care Resource and Referral agency (CCR&R) can tell you which ages and hours are hard to find.
2. Contact DHHS
Daycare licensing in New Hampshire is handled by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Child Care Licensing Unit (CCLU). Contact it before you sign a lease or buy equipment, and ask, in writing if you can:
- Which license type fits our plans, and how many children can it cover?
- Is there an orientation or pre-licensing training, and when is the next one?
- Which inspections and clearances do we need (licensing, fire, health and zoning)?
- What does it cost to apply, and how long does approval usually take?
- What do we need to do to accept families who use childcare assistance?
3. Choose a business structure
A daycare can run as a business (such as an LLC) or as a nonprofit, or under an existing nonprofit such as a church. Talk with an accountant or lawyer before you file anything, and get an employer identification number (EIN) from the IRS. It's free.
4. Find a space that can pass inspection
Check zoning before you sign a lease. Then ask the building department, the fire marshal and DHHS what the space needs, including how much indoor and outdoor space per child New Hampshire requires. Since December 28, 2012, cribs in daycares must meet federal Consumer Product Safety Commission standards.
5. Plan your rooms around the ratios
New Hampshire's ratios for the ages it confirmed are in the table above. They decide how many staff each room needs, so they shape your whole budget. For infants and toddlers, ask DHHS.
- Work out your staffing with the staff ratio calculator.
6. Hire staff and run background checks
Run the checks in Background checks for daycare staff above before anyone starts.
Federal rules also require comprehensive background checks for staff of every licensed, regulated or registered childcare provider and every provider that can take childcare assistance. Teach every staff member how to report suspected abuse or neglect (see Reporting child abuse above).
7. Get insured
Talk early to an insurance broker who works with childcare programs. Ask about general liability, abuse and molestation coverage, property coverage and workers' compensation, plus auto coverage if you'll transport children. A home daycare should tell its homeowner's or renter's insurer, since those policies may limit business use.
8. Build a budget and set tuition
Start with payroll (see step 5), then add rent, food, supplies and insurance. Compare your numbers with what other daycares near you charge, and set prices for the enrollment you expect, not a full room. Write down your deposit, late payment, late pickup and absence policies before you enroll anyone.
- Plan payments with the payment plan calculator and the sibling discount calculator.
- Give a receipt for every payment. Parents may need it for a dependent care FSA or tax credit (childcare receipt generator).
9. Add childcare assistance and the food program
Ask New Hampshire's childcare assistance office how to become an approved provider for families who get help paying for care, and ask about the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which reimburses eligible daycares for meals and snacks. Programs that take childcare assistance must meet federal health and safety requirements, including background checks, training and inspections.
10. Prepare your enrollment forms and policies
Ask DHHS which records you must keep for each child. Have your forms ready before you enroll anyone, and collect everything before a child's first day.
Medication in New Hampshire. Only trained, authorized staff (or a nurse or licensed practitioner) may give medication. They need a medication order (a prescription label or a licensed practitioner's order) plus the parent's written permission. Staff must complete medication training before giving any medicine and again every year. Medicine stays in its original container and out of children's reach, each dose is logged with the date, time and staff signature, and parents are told immediately of any error (He-C 4002.20).
- Registration form, medical and allergy form and authorized pickup form
- Medication administration log and allergy alert roster
- Incident and accident report, parent handbook and emergency action plan
- A safe sleep policy: babies under 12 months sleep on their backs, on a firm, flat surface, with no blankets, pillows, toys or other soft items in the crib
11. Fill your spots
Start enrolling before you open, so you aren't paying staff for empty rooms. Tell your CCR&R you're open, check your listing in the state's childcare search once you're licensed, offer tours and keep a waitlist for each age group.
12. Pass your inspections and open
For licensed programs that can take childcare assistance, federal rules require at least one inspection for health, safety and fire standards before licensing, then an unannounced inspection at least once a year. Schedule yours early, train staff on your policies, emergency plan, safe sleep, allergies, medication and pickup rules, and check every child's file before their first day.
Each step is covered in more depth, with examples and sources, in our national guide to starting a daycare.
What we couldn't confirm
Check these points with the state before you rely on them.
- He-C 4002.20(b)(2) reads as requiring a practitioner's medication order for over-the-counter medicine too. Programs should confirm with CCLU how this applies to parent-supplied over-the-counter products.
Other open points, including camps, are on the New Hampshire rules page.
How BackPR helps
BackPR handles registration, enrollment and health forms, recurring tuition with autopay and check-in against each family's authorized pickup list. Families can register and fill in forms in English or Spanish, and parents get receipts and year-end dependent care statements. It's free for nonprofits, with no subscription and no BackPR fees. Payments run on Stripe, and Stripe's processing fees apply. Other programs get pricing by quote. More on BackPR for childcare.
We researched the New Hampshire rules on this page in October 2026 using AI research tools (Claude, from Anthropic) that read official state rules and federal sources, and a member of our team checked our summaries against those sources. Rules change and have exceptions, so confirm with DHHS before you rely on this page. This is general information, not legal advice. To report an error, email support@backpr.com.
FAQ
Starting a daycare in New Hampshire: questions
Do I need a license to start a daycare in New Hampshire?
CCLU licenses family child care homes, family group child care homes, group child care centers, child care nurseries, preschools, school-age programs, night care and residential programs under RSA 170-E and He-C 4002. A private home caring for its own children plus up to four others is exempt. Ask DHHS which license type fits your plans.
Who licenses daycares in New Hampshire?
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Child Care Licensing Unit (CCLU). Its website: https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/childcare-parenting-childbirth/child-care-licensing
What are the daycare ratios in New Hampshire?
In licensed centers (He-C 4002.35 (group child care centers); He-C 4002.38 (school-age programs)): 3 years: 1 adult for every 8 children (groups of up to 24); 4 years: 1 adult for every 12 children (groups of up to 24); 5 years: 1 adult for every 15 children (groups of up to 30); School-age (6 and up): 1 adult for every 15 children (groups of up to 45).
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