Who Needs to be Licensed?
If you are caring for more than two children who aren’t related to you, you might have to be licensed. If you do not meet any of the exemption reasons below, then you need to apply for a license. If you do not meet one of the exemptions listed above and are caring for children, you are required by Wyoming law to be licensed. It is considered a crime to operate a child care facility without a license if you are not exempt. If you are not sure whether or not you are exempt from licensing requirements, contact the Child Care Licenser for your county. The exemptions are:
- A legal parent’s or legal relative’s care of a child.
- Occasional care of a neighbor’s or friend’s child if the person providing the care does not regularly engage in the activity.
- Parents exchanging care on a cooperative basis.
- Child care provided by a person employed to come to the home of the child’s parent or guardian.
- Child care facilities providing care for no more than two unrelated children.
- Child care facilities supervised by the state, and local government, school district, agency or political subdivision thereof.
- Ranches or farms not offering services to children who are homeless, delinquent or have an intellectual disability; and
- Summer camps operated by nonprofit organizations;
- Child care facilities providing care to the children of only one (1) immediate family unit;
- After school programs that:
- Operate primarily when school is not in session including before and after school and during summer months;
- Exclusively serve children required to attend school under W.S. 21-4-102; A
- re organized to promote childhood learning, child and youth development, educational, enrichment, recreational or character-building activities; and
- Adhere to all local applicable health, safety and fire codes or regulations.
- Part-time day-care facilities enrolling fewer than eight (8) minors who are all over thirty-six (36) months old or fewer than ten (10) minors who are all over forty-eight (48) months old if the facility:
- Does not administer medications to the minors;
- Does not prepare food for the minors;
- Requires the minors to be trained and able to use a toilet and not wear diapers;
- Limits the minors to no more than ten (10) hours of day-care attendance each week;
- Adheres to all applicable local health, safety and fire codes or regulations;
- Requires all employees, including the day-care director or owner, to complete the following:
- A central registry of abuse and neglect of children and vulnerable adults screening through the department of family services;
- A national sex offender registry screening and a Wyoming state sex offender registry screening;
- First aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and certification. The employees and director or owner shall maintain current certification under this subdivision.
- Upon enrollment of a child, discloses to the parents or guardians that the facility is not licensed and does not adhere to the regulations of the Wyoming department of family services pursuant to W.S. 14-4-104.