Nevada Daycare CPR First Aid Requirements

What Nevada Requires

Every caregiver in a licensed Nevada child care facility must hold current Pediatric CPR and First Aid certification. This isn't optional, and it isn't waivable based on experience — a 20-year child care veteran and a first-day hire face the same requirement.

The certification must be completed within 90 days of hire or prior to receiving your initial license, whichever comes first. For a new facility, that means every caregiver listed on your application needs valid CPR and First Aid before the DWSS surveyor will schedule the final physical inspection.

The In-Person Requirement

This is where many applicants run into trouble. Nevada requires that CPR certification include an in-person skill demonstration component. A fully online CPR course — even one that's nationally accredited — will be rejected by DWSS Child Care Licensing.

The logic is straightforward: performing chest compressions on an infant mannequin requires hands-on practice that a video can't replicate. Blended courses (online theory plus in-person skills check) are generally accepted, as long as the in-person component includes physical demonstration with a mannequin.

The course must be pediatric-focused. An adult-only CPR certification doesn't satisfy the requirement. Look for courses specifically labeled "Pediatric CPR" or "Infant/Child CPR" to avoid paying for training you can't use.

Approved Training Providers

All professional training hours for Nevada child care licensing must be verified and approved through the Nevada Registry. This means your CPR and First Aid certification needs to come from a provider the Registry recognizes.

The American Red Cross and the American Heart Association both offer pediatric CPR courses that meet Nevada's requirements, provided you take the version with an in-person skills component. Local hospitals, community colleges, and some fire departments also offer qualifying courses.

Before enrolling, confirm two things: the course includes pediatric/infant CPR (not just adult), and the course includes an in-person skill demonstration (not fully online). If both boxes are checked, the course will count.

Other Mandatory Training

CPR and First Aid are part of a broader set of preservice training requirements. Before your license is issued, you and your staff must also complete Nevada Registry-approved courses in:

• Signs of Illness and Bloodborne Pathogens — recognizing symptoms of communicable diseases and handling biological exposure
• SIDS and Shaken Baby Syndrome prevention — required if caring for any infants under one year of age
• Child Abuse and Neglect recognition — mandatory for all child care staff, covering identification and mandatory reporting obligations
• Childhood Obesity Prevention — curriculum and activity planning standards
• Emergency and Disaster Planning — evacuation procedures, shelter-in-place protocols, and parent notification plans

These courses total roughly 15 hours of preservice training. All must be completed through Nevada Registry-approved providers.

Continuing Education

After your initial licensing, Nevada requires ongoing professional development hours annually. CPR certification renewal can count for up to 2 hours per year toward your annual continuing education requirement — so keeping your certification current serves double duty.

The Nevada Registry tracks all training hours. When your DWSS surveyor conducts the annual unannounced inspection, they'll verify that your training records are current. Expired CPR and First Aid certifications are one of the most frequently cited compliance violations during these inspections.

Timing It Right

CPR training is best scheduled in weeks 7–8 of your startup timeline — after you've submitted your application and started background checks, but before the final survey. Scheduling it too early risks having it expire before your annual renewal; scheduling it too late can stall the final inspection.

Most pediatric CPR and First Aid courses run $50–$100 per person and take 4–6 hours to complete, including the in-person skills demonstration.

For a timeline that coordinates CPR certification with every other training and inspection requirement, the Nevada Home Daycare Licensing Guide sequences all mandatory training against your 90-day window.

See more Nevada guides →