To fill out and submit DHS child care licensing forms, you complete your state agency’s initial license application, attach separate background check consents for every adult who will have unsupervised access to children, include a floor plan along with insurance, health, zoning, and fire safety documentation, and file the packet through the state’s online licensing portal or by mail with the required fee. The forms themselves come from your state, but much of what they ask for is driven by federal rules under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act, so the structure is similar from state to state even when the paperwork looks different.
Which Agency Issues the Forms
Child care licenses are issued by state agencies, not by any federal office. Depending on where you operate, the forms come from the Department of Human Services, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Social Services, or a Department of Early Childhood Education. The federal Office of Child Care supports the system but does not issue licenses or publish a universal application.1Administration for Children and Families. Office of Child Care Download your forms from the licensing division’s website in the state where the facility will operate, and read the state’s licensing regulations alongside them. The regulations tell you what each field on the form is really asking for.
Gather Your Information Before You Open the Application
Starting a blank application without your paperwork in front of you leads to delays and errors. Pull the following together first:
- The legal identity of the business: your Federal Employer Identification Number if you operate as a corporation, LLC, or partnership, or your Social Security number if you are a sole proprietor.
- Facility details: the physical address (not a P.O. box), a description of the building layout, and the maximum number of children you intend to serve. Capacity is tied to usable indoor activity space, which states typically require to be at least 20 to 35 square feet per child.
- A staff roster with full legal names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and five-year residential history for every person who needs a background check.
- Zoning confirmation from your local zoning office that the property is approved for commercial child care use, plus a fire marshal certificate verifying occupancy and exit requirements.
- A current certificate of professional liability insurance that specifies coverage for child care operations in at least the minimum amount your state requires.
Check every name and number against government-issued identification before you type anything. A mismatch as small as a middle initial versus a full middle name can delay a background check and stall the whole application.
Completing the Initial License Application
The core application asks for your facility’s physical address, the legal business name, the type of care you intend to offer (center-based, family child care home, or school-age program), and your maximum intended capacity. Match the business name exactly to how it appears on your tax registration and insurance certificate. For capacity, do not simply pick the number you want. Calculate it against the square footage of your indoor activity space and against your state’s staff-to-child ratios, which vary by the age of the children in each group. Ratios published in your state’s child care licensing regulations are the ones that govern — use those numbers, not national averages, when filling out the capacity section.
If you operate a family child care home, the application will ask you to list every adult household member, not only the people who will work in the program. Those adults all feed into the background check process.
Completing Background Check Authorizations
Each person who needs a check fills out a separate authorization form consenting to the full set of searches federal law requires. Under 42 U.S.C. § 9858f, every covered individual must clear five checks:2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 9858f – Criminal Background Checks
- A state criminal and sex offender registry search in the state where the person currently lives and in every state where they lived during the previous five years.
- A state child abuse and neglect registry search in every state of residence over the past five years.
- A National Crime Information Center search, maintained by the FBI.
- An FBI fingerprint check conducted through the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System.
- A National Sex Offender Registry search established under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.
Who needs to be covered: anyone employed by the provider for compensation, anyone whose duties involve caring for or supervising children, and anyone with unsupervised access to children in the facility.3Administration for Children and Families. Child Care and Development Fund Program Instruction In a family child care home, that includes every household member age 18 and older, even if they have no role in the program.
The forms ask for full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and the five-year address history that drives the multi-state searches. Fees are often under $40 per person, though the exact amount depends on your state, and out-of-state registry searches can add cost and time. Each individual must repeat the full check every five years.4Office of Inspector General. Colorado’s Monitoring Did Not Ensure Child Care Provider Compliance With State Criminal Background Check Requirements
Mandatory Attachments
Missing attachments are one of the most common reasons applications come back. Assemble the full packet before you submit.
A floor plan of the facility is almost always required. The drawing needs to show room dimensions and identify which spaces will be used for child activity, napping, food preparation, and storage. The licensing agency uses it to verify that your requested capacity matches the actual square footage. A sketch on graph paper often works; some states accept a professional architectural layout.
Proof of liability insurance must be current, not expired or pending. The certificate should name the child care operation as the insured party and specify coverage for child care services. A general business umbrella policy that does not mention child care may not be accepted.
Staff health documentation usually includes a physician’s statement confirming each staff member is physically able to care for children and free from communicable tuberculosis. Some states require an initial physical exam within a set window before the hire date. Children’s immunization records are not part of the licensing application itself, but you will need them before any enrolled child can attend.
Fire marshal and health department inspection certificates are typically obtained before you submit, though a few states conduct these inspections as part of the licensing review. Confirm your state’s process so you know whether to schedule the inspections yourself or wait for the agency to arrange them.
How to Submit and Pay
Most states now use an online licensing portal where you create an account, complete the application digitally, upload attachments, and pay electronically. Some states still accept or require paper applications mailed to a regional licensing office. The licensing division’s website will say which method applies and provide the portal link or mailing address.
Application fees range from nothing in some states to a few hundred dollars in others, depending on the facility type and licensed capacity. Fees are generally non-refundable once submitted, so verify that your packet is complete before you pay. After submission, keep the confirmation number or date-stamped receipt the agency sends acknowledging it has your materials.
What Happens After You File
A licensing specialist is assigned once the agency has a complete application. Initial response can take anywhere from several weeks to a few months, depending on the state and the office’s backlog. During the review, the specialist checks your forms for completeness, runs the background checks, and verifies supporting documents.
If something is missing or inconsistent, you will receive a deficiency notice listing what to correct or add. Respond quickly. Most states impose a deadline for curing deficiencies, and missing it can close the application and force you to start over.
When the paperwork clears, the specialist schedules a pre-licensing inspection. An inspector walks through the building to confirm the physical space matches your floor plan, safety equipment is in place, and the environment meets health and sanitation standards. Inspectors commonly look at working smoke detectors, safe sleep setups for infants, properly stored cleaning chemicals, secure outdoor play areas, and posted emergency evacuation routes.
If the facility passes, the license is usually issued within days of the visit. If it fails, you receive a list of violations and a window to correct them before a follow-up inspection. The license itself specifies the age range and maximum number of children you can serve, your approved hours of operation, and any conditions attached to the permit.
Where to Find Your State’s Forms
Search for your state’s child care licensing division within the Department of Human Services, Department of Social Services, or Department of Early Childhood Education. The agency’s website hosts the downloadable forms or the online portal link, along with state-specific instructions, fee schedules, and the full text of the licensing regulations. Read the regulations before you begin filling anything out. The time spent up front is the cheapest way to avoid the corrections that send applications back.