Alaska Daycare Pet Policy

Form CC105 Is Required If You Have Any Animals

If an animal is kept on the child-care premises — including dogs, cats, birds, or small mammals — you must submit Form CC105 (Animal on Child Care Facility Premises) as part of your initial licensing application with the CCPO. This is a mandatory disclosure; do not assume every animal type is allowed.

Form CC105 asks you to identify every animal on the premises, including animals that live in areas children don't access (like a dog kenneled in the garage during care hours). The CCPO wants a complete picture of what's on the property.

You submit CC105 with your initial application. Keep the disclosure and supporting records current; if an animal is added or removed, ask the CCPO whether an updated CC105 is required.

Vaccination Requirements

All dogs and cats on the premises must have up-to-date rabies vaccinations. You'll need to provide current vaccination records from your veterinarian alongside the CC105 submission.

Requirements for animals other than dogs and cats depend on the animal and applicable state and federal rules; ask the licensing specialist before bringing one into the child-care premises. A licensing specialist may ask questions about animal handling procedures during the inspection.

Keep vaccination records accessible — not buried in a filing cabinet — since the CCPO inspector will want to see them during both the pre-licensing and monitoring visits.

Separation Requirements

The core rule is straightforward: all pet-use areas, litter boxes, and animal waste must be kept completely separate from children's indoor play areas and outdoor recreation spaces.

In practice, this means:

• Litter boxes must be in rooms children cannot access — a locked utility room, the master bathroom with a child-proof lock, or an area children are never permitted to enter
• Dog waste in the outdoor play area must be cleaned up before children use the space — daily at minimum
• Food and water bowls for pets should be out of children's reach during care hours
• Cages and enclosures for small animals should be in areas where children can observe but not reach in unsupervised

You don't have to get rid of your pets to run a daycare. But you do need a clear plan — documented in writing — for how pet areas and child areas stay separate during operating hours.

Breed and Animal Type Restrictions

Alaska's child-care rules prohibit amphibians, ferrets, reptiles, and wild, poisonous, or predatory animals from the child-care premises. Other animals must meet applicable health and immunization requirements. Confirm that any animal you plan to keep meets these requirements before opening.

That said, some insurance carriers restrict coverage for specific breeds. Check your commercial liability insurance policy before assuming your particular dog is covered. An insurance exclusion for your dog's breed could leave you uninsured for the highest-risk incident category in a home daycare.

Practical Tips

• Designate specific "pet hours" and "care hours" for shared spaces so pets and children rotate rather than overlap
• Post your pet policy in your parent handbook — parents should know before enrollment what animals are on the premises
• If you have outdoor cats, ensure the fenced play area excludes cat access during care hours
• Consider pet containment (baby gates, crate training) as your primary management tool rather than constant supervision of both children and animals simultaneously

The Alaska Home Daycare License guide includes the Form CC105 submission process alongside the full application checklist, so animal disclosure doesn't get missed in the paperwork sequence.

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