How to Start a Home Daycare in Michigan

Decide Your License Type First

Michigan offers two home-based child care license categories, and the one you choose determines your capacity, staffing requirements, fees, and inspection path.

A Family Child Care Home license covers 1 to 6 unrelated children. You operate alone — no assistant is required at any enrollment level. The application fee is $50, and family homes are treated as a permitted residential use under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act, meaning most municipalities cannot block you with special-use permits.

A Group Child Care Home license covers 7 to 12 unrelated children. You need at least one qualified assistant or staff member whenever seven or more children are present, or when three or more children under age three are in care. The application fee is $100, and group homes require local zoning approval — you will need to submit a completed Zoning Approval Form (CCL-3748) signed by your local zoning authority before MiLEAP processes your application.

Your own children under age six count toward these capacity limits.

The Licensing Sequence (Six Stages)

The most expensive mistake new providers make is paying for background checks, inspections, or home modifications before confirming that their property and household actually qualify. The sequence below front-loads the free checks so you do not waste money on a home that cannot be licensed.

Stage 1: Pre-Application Feasibility (Free)

Verify three things before spending any money:

• Zoning. Family homes: confirm your municipality treats home-based child care as a residential use by right. Group homes: contact your local planning or zoning department and ask about the conditional use permit or home occupation permit process.
• Property standards. You need at least 35 square feet of usable indoor play space per child (excluding kitchens and bathrooms), two remotely located exits on every floor used for child care, and a minimum temperature of 65°F two feet above the floor.
• Household member pre-screening. Every resident aged 14 and older will undergo a background check. If any adult household member has a felony conviction involving crimes against children or a violent felony, that is an automatic disqualifier. Time-bound misdemeanors carry 5- or 10-year lookback periods.

Stage 2: Apply Through CCHIRP

Create an account on MiLogin (Michigan's single sign-on portal), link it to the Child Care Hub Information Records Portal (CCHIRP), and submit your application online. Pay the $50 or $100 fee by credit or debit card.

Once the fee processes, MiLEAP generates a "Launch Letter" in CCHIRP containing your Provider ID and the codes you need for background checks.

Stage 3: Background Checks (CCBC)

Using the Launch Letter codes, register in the Child Care Background Check (CCBC) system and enter information for every covered individual — yourself, all planned staff and assistants, unsupervised volunteers, and every household member aged 14 and older.

Each adult must sign a Consent and Disclosure form, then schedule fingerprinting through Idemia (IdentoGO). The standard fee is $65 per person who has lived in Michigan for the past five years. If any covered adult lived outside Michigan in the last five years, you must obtain out-of-state criminal history and child abuse registry checks from each prior state within 45 days.

Between March 30, 2026, and September 30, 2026, MiLEAP is covering fingerprinting costs through a temporary grant — check availability when you book.

Stage 4: Training and Medical Clearance

Complete these before your home inspection:

• MiRegistry account setup — register your professional profile for training tracking.
• Health and Safety Training — free online course through MiRegistry.
• Safe Sleep Practices — free online course through MiRegistry.
• Pediatric CPR and First Aid — must be current before you care for children. Approved training organizations include the American Red Cross and American Heart Association.
• Medical Clearance — your physician completes Form CCL-3704, attesting to your physical and mental fitness to care for children.

Note: Michigan eliminated mandatory TB testing in the April 2026 rules overhaul. You do not need a TB test.

Stage 5: Home Inspections

Several inspections must clear before MiLEAP schedules the licensing visit:

• Heating system inspection — a licensed heating contractor must inspect and certify fuel-fired furnaces, and a licensed plumbing/heating contractor must inspect fuel-fired water heaters, within the past 12 months. All-electric homes are exempt.
• Radon testing — professional test of the lowest level of your home. The result must be below 4.0 pCi/L. If it is above that threshold, you will need a mitigation system ($1,000–$3,000) and a retest.
• Well water and septic (if applicable) — your local county health department inspects private wells and septic systems. Water must test clear for coliform bacteria, with nitrates at or below 10 ppm and arsenic at or below 10 ppb.
• Fire safety equipment — smoke detector on every floor, carbon monoxide detector on every floor used for child care, and a mounted 2A-10BC fire extinguisher on every child-use level.

Stage 6: Orientation, Licensing Visit, and Opening

Attend the mandatory six-hour licensing orientation session. Then a MiLEAP licensing consultant schedules an on-site inspection, verifying exits, space measurements, childproofing, emergency plans, and your record-keeping files.

If you pass, MiLEAP issues an "Original License" valid for six months. Before it expires, submit a paper renewal packet with the renewal fee ($25 family, $50 group) and pass a second inspection to receive a regular two-year license.

Realistic Timeline

Expect 3 to 6 months from initial application to license issuance. The biggest variable is background check processing — out-of-state registry checks can add several weeks, and local health department inspections for well water or septic can take up to five weeks for lab results from the state laboratory in Lansing.

What Comes After

Once licensed, most providers enroll in Michigan's Child Development and Care (CDC) subsidy program to accept state-subsidized families, which involves registering with SIGMA VSS and setting up I-Billing for bi-weekly reimbursement. Many also enroll in Great Start to Quality for quality-improvement resources and parent search visibility.

The Michigan Home Daycare Licensing Guide walks through every stage in detail — including the subsidy enrollment forms, a budget worksheet, and the full inspection checklist aligned to the BCAL-4601 compliance record.

See more Michigan guides →