Become a Provider

Licensed Child Care Overview

Do I Need a License?

The Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD) issues three types of licenses. While all three licenses have health and safety requirements, they are three very different licenses. In most cases, both Registered Family and Certified Family Child Care licenses are in residential homes, and Certified Center licenses are in commercial buildings. Each type of license operates under a different set of Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs).

Here are the traits all three licensed-care formats have in common:

• They meet higher health, safety and program standards (on-site inspections).
• They comply with comprehensive background checks with Child Care Licensing Division.
• They are regularly monitored.
• They participate in ongoing training.
• They keep attendance records.
• They have planned educational activities.
• They have a guidance and discipline policy.
• They have a daily routine/schedule.
• Employees are certified in food preparation.
• Employees are trained in first aid and CPR.
• Employees are trained in child abuse and neglect.
• They participate in ongoing training on child development, health, and safety.
• They are eligible to apply for quality rating.

Registered Family Child Care Homes

A“Registered Family Child Care Home” or “RF” or “Registered Facility” means the residence of a provider to whom CCLD has issued a license to operate a facility in the family living quarters following the General Rules for All Child Care Facilities in OAR 414-075-0000 to 414-075-0300 and the Rules for Registered Family Child Care Homes in OAR 414-205-0000 to 414-205-0170.  

RF is defined by CCLD as a child care home that is licensed to care for no more than 10 children and is the residence of the provider. The Registered Family Child Care Home has limits on the ages and number of children that can be in care at one time. Of the 10 children in care, a maximum of 6 children can be preschool‐age or younger, of which only 2 children can be under 24 months of age. In addition to the 6 children preschool‐age or younger, you can care for up to 4 school‐age children. More school‐age children can be in care if there are fewer than 6 preschool‐age or younger children, as long as there are no more than 10 children in the home at any one time.

Certified Family Child Care Home

A“Certified Family Child Care Home” or “CF” means a child care facility operated in a building designed as a single family home or other dwelling that is certified to care for no more than 16 children at any one time.  A CF Home follows the General Rules for All Child Care Facilities in OAR 414-075-0000 to 414-075-0300 and the Rules for Certified Family Child Care Homes in OAR 414-350-0000 to 414-350-0405.

Certified Child Care Center

A "Child Care Center" or "Center" means a child care facility that is certified to provide care and education of children, generally in a commercial or nonresidential setting, that is not a certified family child care home. There are two types of centers Certified Child Care Centers (CC) and Certified School-age Centers (SC). Each type of center follows it's own rule set.

A Certified Center (CC) may be licensed to provide care for infants, toddlers, pre-school aged children and school-age children. These facilities follows the General Rules for All Child Care Facilities in OAR 414-075-0000 to 414-075-0300 and the Rules for Certified Child Care Centers in OAR 414-305-0100 to 414-305-1620. 

A “School-Age Center” (SC) means a child care center that provides care only for school-age children eligible to be enrolled in kindergarten or above in the next school year, and which does not include night care, in a nonresidential setting. A Certified School-age Center (SC) follows the General Rules for All Child Care Facilities in OAR 414-075-0000 to 414-075-0300 and the Rules for Certified School-age Centers OAR 414-310-0100 to 414-310-0720.