Michigan Daycare Licensing Rules 2026

The April 2026 Overhaul

On April 27, 2026, MiLEAP implemented the most significant update to Michigan's child care home licensing rules in over a decade. The compliance deadline was July 26, 2026 — these are now the rules in effect for every family and group child care home in the state.

The overhaul did three things at once: simplified compliance standards, aligned Michigan with federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) requirements, and reorganized the rules by topic instead of the previous fragmented structure.

Here is what actually changed and what it means for your operations.

TB Testing Is Gone

The old rules required tuberculosis testing for every licensee, staff member, assistant, and household member. The 2026 update officially eliminated mandatory TB testing across all child care home categories. You no longer need to schedule or pay for TB skin tests or blood tests as part of the licensing process.

This removes a required testing step and a doctor's visit — for a group home with three staff members and two adult household members, that means five fewer tests and scheduling steps.

If you see older guides or websites telling you to get a TB test, that information is outdated.

Written Food Allergy Policies Are Now Required

Under the new rules, every licensed child care home must develop and maintain a formal written food allergy policy. The policy must cover:

• How you identify children with food allergies at enrollment
• Cross-contamination prevention procedures during meal preparation and serving
• Emergency medication access and administration protocols for anaphylaxis
• Staff training on recognizing allergic reactions

This was previously a recommended best practice but not a regulatory requirement. It is now a compliance item that MiLEAP licensing consultants check during inspections.

Special Education Plan Integration

The 2026 rules create an explicit pathway for child care homes to incorporate a child's Individualized Education Program (IEP), Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), or 504 plan into daily programming. Previously, the regulatory framework was silent on how home-based providers should handle children receiving special education services, which left providers uncertain about their obligations and authority.

Under the new provisions, you can officially integrate these plans into your care routines.

School-Age Ratio Flexibility

The rules now provide greater flexibility in staffing ratios for school-age children during before-and-after school hours. This matters for providers who serve a mixed-age group where older children arrive and depart at different times than younger ones. The practical effect: you have more room to operate efficiently during the transition periods at the start and end of the school day without technically falling out of ratio compliance.

Simplified Record Retention

Under the old rules, personnel files and driver files had separate standards and retention periods. The 2026 update consolidated them into a single standard under R 400.1906. Now, all personnel records must be retained for the entire duration of employment and a minimum of two years after the person leaves. This simplifies your filing system and reduces the compliance surface area.

What Did Not Change

The core licensing structure remains intact:

• Family homes: 1–6 unrelated children, $50 application fee
• Group homes: 7–12 unrelated children, $100 application fee, zoning approval required
• 1:6 caregiver-to-child ratio with infant density sub-limits (max 4 under 30 months, max 2 under 18 months)
• CCBC background checks for all household members 14+
• On-site MiLEAP inspection
• Original license (6 months) → regular license (2 years)

The physical space standards (35 sq ft per child, two exits, radon below 4.0 pCi/L), training requirements (Health and Safety, Safe Sleep, CPR/First Aid), and the CCHIRP application process are all unchanged.

Getting It Right the First Time

If you are applying for a new license under the 2026 rules, the Michigan Home Daycare Licensing Guide reflects the current regulatory framework — including the eliminated TB requirement, the food allergy policy template, and every other change above.

See more Michigan guides →