Connecticut Childcare Licensing
Connecticut Childcare Square Footage Requirements (2026)
Indoor activity space is a measured Connecticut licensing requirement: a center's licensed capacity is capped by the usable indoor square footage available per child. For child care centers and group child care homes first licensed after January 1, 1986, the operator must provide a minimum of thirty-five (35) square feet of total indoor usable program space per child (thirty (30) square feet per child for facilities licensed before January 1, 1986), plus access to a minimum of seventy-five (75) square feet of outdoor play space per child for the number of children using the space at any one time, per Conn. Agencies Regs. 19a-79-7a(f) and 19a-79-7a(h). Family child care homes have no numeric per-child square-footage requirement, only "sufficient indoor and outdoor play space" per Conn. Agencies Regs. 19a-87b-9(f).
Last updated: April 2026
Researched by the TotReady Research TeamConnecticut Square Footage Requirements: The Specifics
For child care centers and group child care homes first licensed after January 1, 1986, the operator must provide a minimum of thirty-five (35) square feet of total indoor usable program space per child (thirty (30) square feet per child for facilities licensed before January 1, 1986), plus access to a minimum of seventy-five (75) square feet of outdoor play space per child for the number of children using the space at any one time, per Conn. Agencies Regs. 19a-79-7a(f) and 19a-79-7a(h).
h
Family child care homes have no numeric per-child square-footage requirement, only "sufficient indoor and outdoor play space" per Conn. Agencies Regs. 19a-87b-9(f).
f
A family child care home may care for not more than six children (including the provider's own children not in school full time) without an Office of Early Childhood-approved assistant or substitute, or not more than nine children with such an approved assistant or substitute
including the provider's own children not in school full time
during the regular school year up to three additional school-age children are permitted, per Conn. Gen.
per Conn. Gen. Stat. 1
There is an infant sub-limit: the provider may care for no more than two children under eighteen months of age at one time, increasing to up to six children under eighteen months when an approved assistant is present and assisting (Infant and Toddler Restriction, Conn. Agencies Regs. 19a-87b-1 et seq.).
Infant and Toddler Restriction, Conn
For child care centers and group child care homes the overall group size shall not exceed twenty (20) children, per Conn. Agencies Regs. 19a-79-4a (group-size subdivision)
group-size subdivision
under the infant/toddler (under-three) endorsement the group size shall not exceed eight (8) children for children under two years of age and shall not exceed ten (10) children for two-year-olds, per Conn. Agencies Regs. 19a-79-10.
10
Family child care homes have no separate group-size cap beyond their licensed capacity.
10
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Connecticut Square Footage Requirements: Frequently Asked Questions
How much indoor space per child does Connecticut require?
For child care centers and group child care homes first licensed after January 1, 1986, the operator must provide a minimum of thirty-five (35) square feet of total indoor usable program space per child (thirty (30) square feet per child for facilities licensed before January 1, 1986), plus access to a minimum of seventy-five (75) square feet of outdoor play space per child for the number of children using the space at any one time, per Conn. Agencies Regs. 19a-79-7a(f) and 19a-79-7a(h). Family child care homes have no numeric per-child square-footage requirement, only "sufficient indoor and outdoor play space" per Conn. Agencies Regs. 19a-87b-9(f).
Does Connecticut require outdoor play space too?
For child care centers and group child care homes first licensed after January 1, 1986, the operator must provide a minimum of thirty-five (35) square feet of total indoor usable program space per child (thirty (30) square feet per child for facilities licensed before January 1, 1986), plus access to a minimum of seventy-five (75) square feet of outdoor play space per child for the number of children using the space at any one time, per Conn. Agencies Regs. 19a-79-7a(f) and 19a-79-7a(h). Family child care homes have no numeric per-child square-footage requirement, only "sufficient indoor and outdoor play space" per Conn. Agencies Regs. 19a-87b-9(f).
What space is excluded when calculating capacity in Connecticut?
Most states exclude hallways, bathrooms, kitchens, offices, and storage from the usable indoor activity space used to compute capacity. Confirm the exact exclusions in the cited Connecticut rule above.
Connecticut childcare licensing rules are amended regularly. This page is compiled from published Connecticut administrative codes and statutes for informational purposes only — always verify current requirements with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), Division of Licensing before relying on them. TotReady provides information and document templates, not legal or regulatory advice.