Child Care

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Public Notice is hereby given that the Department of Family Services (DFS) intends to amend the Child Care Licensing rules.  The public comment period will close on November 20, 2021.  Please provide any questions or comments to Nichole Anderson at nichole.anderson@wyo.gov.
Chapter 1:  General Provisions
Chapter 2:  Certification Process
Chapter 3:  Denial, Non-Renewal, Revocation or Suspension of License
Chapter 4:  General
Chapter 5:  Rules for Certification of a Family Child Care Home
Chapter 6:  Rules for Certification of a Family Child Care Center 
Chapter 7:  Rules for Certification of a Child Care Center (CCC)
Chapter 8:  Health and Sanitation

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Please click here to view the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) & American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Child Care Spending Plan.

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Licensed Child Care Providers

The safety and health of the children you will care for is the main focus of Child Care Licensing. This is accomplished through the Wyoming Child Care Licensing Rules.

Child Care Licensing Contacts 

Considering becoming a Licensed Child Care Provider in Wyoming?  Watch this short informational video to get you started! Click here

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.

Licensing Rules and Types of Child Care Facilites

• Family Child Care Home – to provide care for 3 – 10 children in your own home without additional staff;
• Family Child Care Center – to provide care for a maximum of 15 children in your home or another building in which you do not reside with one additional staff when more than 10 children are present; or
• Child Care Center – to provide care for 16 or more children with adequate staff to meet the staff:child ratio requirements.
• Child Care Licensing Rules

How Do I Get Licensed?

You can request an application for Child Care Certification from the Child Care Licenser for your county or download a copy of the application. You will need to submit the following information with your application:

• Child/abuse neglect Central Registry checks from Wyoming and each state lived in the last 5 years results; click here
• National Sex Offender Registry check and Wyoming and State Sex Offender Registry checks from each state lived in the last 5 years; click here
• Instructions for review of National criminal history; click here
• Fingerprint Cover Letter; click here
• DCI – Waiver and Release form; click here
• Click here for TB screening form
• Local zoning approval if it is required where you live;
• Documentation from a licensed health care professional that the applicant has no diagnosed conditions that would impair their ability to provide child care; click here for Physician’s Statement form
• Proof of required education, training or experience; and
• A $50.00 application fee. (Check or money order made payable to the Department of Family Services).

Additional documentation needed:

• Sample attendance record form
• Sample child record forms
• Sample staff record forms (if applicable)
• Emergency Preparedness Plan

Before your application is complete, you will be required to complete Pre-Service Training.

Once all of the items above are completed and submitted to the Child Care Licenser, the following inspections of the facility must be completed:

• Fire inspection
• Health and Sanitation inspection
• Child Care Licensing inspection

How do I renew my license:

Generally, licenses are issued for a period of 12 months.

• Child Care licenses must be renewed on or before the license expiration date. If the license expires because renewal requirements have not been met, the provider can no longer provide licensed care and payments from the Child Care Subsidy Program or the CACFP Food Program may be jeopardized.
• Renewal Inspection
• Annual Training

Emergency Preparedness

• Wyoming Child Care Disaster Response Guidelines and Disaster Plan for Licensed Child Care Facilities
• Emergency and Disaster Plan
• Child Care Crisis Response Guidelines Flip chart  Word
• Wyoming Emergency Preparedness Plan for All Facilities  Word

How does the Department of Family Services monitor child care facilities? 

Child Care Licensers are located across the state and are responsible for a caseload of licensed programs in one or more counties. At a minimum, the Child Care Licenser conducts one unannounced and one announced site visit to each licensed facility each year. In addition to the regular visits, a Child Care Licenser may visit a facility for a variety of reasons including:

• Pre-licensing visits for new programs
• Complaint investigations and non-compliance monitoring 
• Technical assistance
• Follow-up visits

Documents & Forms for Child Care Providers 

Background Check Information and Forms

Helpful Tools

Suspension & Expulsion Policy Tool Kit

Licensing FAQ’s

Child Care Provider Café

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Non-licensed Child Care Providers

We are currently developing our Non-licensed Child Care Providers section. While we are in the process of building this section, we encourage you to visit our Contact Us & Locations page and find an office nearest you for the latest information.

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Background Checks

We are currently developing our Non-licensed Child Care Providers section. While we are in the process of building this section, we encourage you to visit our Contact Us & Locations page and find an office nearest you for the latest information.

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Pre-Service & Provider Training

Professional development refers to the ongoing training and education that gives child care providers, directors and staff the knowledge and skills they need to provide high quality early care and education for young children.