Connecticut Group Child Care Home License — How to Expand Beyond Six Kids

What a Group Child Care Home License Actually Gets You

A standard Small Family Child Care Home license in Connecticut caps you at six children during regular hours, with a bump to nine during the school year when the extra three are enrolled full-time. If you want to serve seven to twelve children outside the Large Family Child Care Home Endorsement pilot, you need a Group Child Care Home license from the Office of Early Childhood.

The key operational difference is staffing. A small family home runs on a single provider. A group home requires at least two staff members present at all times — you plus an OEC-approved assistant. The trade-off is straightforward: higher capacity means higher revenue, but also higher labor costs and stricter physical plant requirements.

Group homes can operate from your primary residence or from an approved non-residential site. Non-residential locations must meet commercial building codes, including fire alarm systems and wheelchair accessibility. Residential group homes keep the same CGS § 8-3j zoning protections that shield small family homes from discriminatory local permits.

Group vs. Small Family — Which License Fits

The decision comes down to your space, your budget, and your enrollment goals.

A small family license works if you have modest square footage, want to operate solo, and can sustain your household on the revenue from six families. Your own children under school age count against that six-child cap, which limits earning potential for parent-entrepreneurs with toddlers at home.

A group license makes sense if you have a larger home (or access to a non-residential space), can afford to hire an assistant, and want to serve more families. You'll need to pass a fire marshal inspection and meet structural requirements that go beyond what a small family home faces.

One important detail: if you're currently running a small family home, you can't simply add children. You must apply for a new Group Child Care Home license through the OEC, pass a fresh round of inspections, and have your assistant cleared through the full background check process.

The Large Family Child Care Home Endorsement Pilot

Public Act 25-82 (House Bill 5003) created a pilot program running from fiscal year 2026 through fiscal year 2029. Under this program, the OEC commissioner can grant a Large Family Child Care Home endorsement that lets you serve up to 12 children from your primary residence — without converting to a full group license.

The eligibility requirements are specific:

• You must hold an active small family license issued before June 30, 2025
• Your home must provide at least 35 square feet of usable indoor space per child
• Outdoor play space must meet 75 square feet per child
• An approved assistant must be present whenever enrollment exceeds nine children
• The OEC caps endorsements at 30 statewide per fiscal year

This pilot sits between the two traditional tiers. You keep operating from your own residence, but you gain capacity beyond the standard small-home limit while still needing full local code sign-off. The annual cap of 30 endorsements means availability is limited — check the OEC's current application timing and availability.

What the Application Looks Like

For a standard group license, the OEC application follows the same basic workflow as the small family process: background checks for all household members and staff, training certifications (CPR, first aid, medication administration), and a physical plant inspection. The research baseline is a $40 non-refundable fee for a standard family-home application; confirm the applicable group-home fee with OEC.

The additional requirements center on your assistant. They must be at least 18, pass the same fingerprinting and DCF registry checks as you, and be pre-approved in writing by the OEC commissioner before they can work with children. Build in processing time — fingerprints alone can take over 90 days to clear.

For the Large Family Endorsement, you'll need to demonstrate compliance with the square-footage minimums and show that your assistant meets all OEC staffing qualifications. Since this is a pilot program, expect the OEC to scrutinize applications closely.

Making the Financial Case

Running the numbers before you apply saves you from committing to a tier that doesn't pencil out. A group home with 12 children and one assistant earning $15–$18 per hour generates significantly more gross revenue than a small family home, but your net depends on the assistant's hours, additional insurance costs, and any facility upgrades.

Connecticut's licensed infant and toddler care capacity meets only about 35% of estimated demand. That shortage means families are actively looking for spots — and a provider who can serve 10 or 12 children fills a gap that most small family homes can't.

If you're weighing the expansion, the Connecticut Home Daycare Process Guide walks through the capacity calculations, staffing requirements, and physical plant standards for each licensing tier so you can model your specific situation before filing anything with the OEC.

See more Connecticut guides →