To operate a daycare in Michigan, you need a license from the Child Care Licensing Bureau (CCLB) inside the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), and Michigan daycare licensing requirements cover three things above all else: what type of license fits your operation, the health, safety, staffing, and training standards you must meet, and the inspections and renewals that keep the license active. The framework comes from the Child Care Organizations Act, Public Act 116 of 1973.1Michigan Legislature. Child Care Organizations – Act 116 of 1973 Running a daycare without a license is a misdemeanor, and the rules apply whether you plan a large center or a few kids in your living room.
The Three License Types
Michigan issues three categories of child care license, and the one you need is determined by how many unrelated children you plan to care for at a time.
- Family Child Care Home: 1 to 6 unrelated children. This is where most home-based providers start.
- Group Child Care Home: 7 to 12 unrelated children. Expect additional staff and more space than a family home.
- Child Care Center: typically 13 or more children, with the most detailed facility, staffing, and administrative rules.
Each category has its own administrative rules, fees, and staff qualifications.2Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential. Get Licensed as a Family or Group Child Care Home Category is set by capacity, not by whether you operate out of a house or a commercial building.
License-exempt care exists but is narrow. Even exempt providers cannot care for more than six children at a time, and no more than two may be under 12 months old. Exempt providers who accept state child care subsidy payments still have to meet basic health and safety standards and register with the state. If you plan to grow, or to accept families paying through Michigan’s child care assistance program, you need a license.
What the State Requires You to Meet
Staff-to-Child Ratios
Michigan sets minimum ratios by age group. In child care centers:
- Infants and toddlers (birth through 30 months): 1 staff member for every 4 children, group size capped at 12.
- Preschoolers 30 months through age 3: 1 staff member for every 8 children, group size capped at 24.
- Preschoolers age 3 through age 4: 1 staff member for every 10 children, group size capped at 30.
These ratios apply in each room or defined space, not across the building as a whole.3Legal Information Institute. Mich. Admin. Code R. 400.8222 – Capacity, Ratio and Group Size You cannot put 20 toddlers in one room with three caregivers and average things out.
Training
Every staff member has to complete training in first aid, CPR, and child development within 90 days of hire or licensing. After that, licensees complete at least 10 hours of continuing training each calendar year in child development, program planning, and administrative management. Staff and assistants need at least 5 hours annually. CPR and first aid hours are separate certifications and do not count toward those totals.4Legal Information Institute. Mich. Admin. Code R. 400.1905 – Training
Facility, Fire, and Health Inspections
Before a license is issued, your facility must pass inspections from both the local health department and the Bureau of Fire Services. Fire safety inspections happen at original application and again every four years at renewal.5Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential. Fire Safety Inspections Any construction, remodeling, or addition to an existing center requires a separate plan review and fire services approval before work begins. Local health departments check sanitation, food preparation safety, and water quality. Indoor and outdoor spaces have to be safe, clean, and stocked with age-appropriate materials.
Safe Sleep for Infants
The infant sleep rules are strict and specific. Every infant sleeps alone in an approved crib or portable crib with a firm mattress and a fitted bottom sheet. Nothing else in the crib. No blankets, pillows, bumper pads, or stuffed animals. Infants are placed on their backs, and caregivers actively monitor sleeping infants for breathing and signs of distress. If an infant falls asleep in a car seat, swing, or anywhere other than an approved crib, the child must be moved immediately.
An infant who can roll both directions independently can be left in whatever position they settle into. A baby who can only roll one way must be repositioned onto their back. Any alternative sleep position for a medical reason requires written instructions from a physician.
Background Checks
Every person with unsupervised access to children, including owners, staff, volunteers, and household members in home-based programs, must pass a criminal background check before starting. Michigan uses the ICHAT system run by the Michigan State Police, and providers cannot hire or continue to employ anyone convicted of a “listed offense.”6Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 722.115d – Child Care Organizations
Federal Child Care and Development Fund rules add another layer. Anyone convicted of murder, child abuse or neglect, a crime against children including child pornography, sexual assault, kidnapping, arson, or a drug-related felony within the past five years is automatically ineligible. Registration on any sex offender registry is disqualifying.7eCFR. 45 CFR 98.43 – Criminal Background Checks Providers may pass the actual cost of the background check to the applicant.
How to Apply and What It Costs
You start with an orientation session with your assigned licensing consultant, covering the Child Care Organizations Act and the rules for your facility type. Applications are submitted online to MiLEAP and include a staffing plan, a program plan describing daily activities by age group, and documentation of staff qualifications. Centers add floor plans showing each room meets space requirements, plus proof of fire safety and local health department clearance.8Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential. Get Licensed as a Child Care Center
Application fees are nonrefundable:
- Family Child Care Home: $50
- Group Child Care Home: $100
- Child Care Center, 1–20 children: $150
- Child Care Center, 21–50 children: $200
- Child Care Center, 51–100 children: $250
- Child Care Center, 101+ children: $300
After the paperwork and background checks clear, your licensing consultant schedules an on-site inspection. The consultant checks the premises against health, safety, and space rules, measures child-use spaces in centers, and reviews your discipline policies, emergency procedures, and staffing plans. If something needs to be fixed, the consultant issues a corrective action plan and may require a follow-up visit before a license is granted.9Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential. Resource Guide to Child Care Licensure in Michigan
The First License Is Provisional
New providers do not receive a full two-year license right away. The first license issued is a provisional license, valid for six months. During that window, the licensing bureau monitors your operation to confirm you are actually meeting requirements in practice, not just on paper.8Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential. Get Licensed as a Child Care Center
Before the six months are up, you receive a renewal packet. Submit the renewal application and fee, pass a renewal inspection, and, if you are in compliance, you are issued a regular license valid for two years.10Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 722.118 – Regular License; Renewal; Duration; Contents The two-year cycle repeats for as long as you operate.
Renewal and Ongoing Obligations
Renewal takes updated documentation showing continued compliance with training, facility safety, and operational standards, plus an on-site inspection. Renewal fees for centers are tiered by capacity:
- 1–20 children: $75
- 21–50 children: $100
- 51–100 children: $125
- 101+ children: $150
Family and group home renewal fees are lower.11Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential. Renewal Information – Child Care Licensing
Between renewals, you keep accurate records of attendance, incidents, staff training, and facility maintenance. Staff have to keep up with their annual training hours, and CPR and first aid certifications must stay current. Expect unannounced inspections. Consultants review the physical environment, staff training records, child attendance logs, and incident reports, and you have to keep thorough records of fire drills, maintenance checks, and sanitation practices. Any significant change, whether new staff, altered hours, or renovation plans, has to be reported to the licensing bureau.
Incident Reporting
Certain events trigger mandatory reports. If a child dies while in your care, you notify the parent immediately and report the death to the licensing bureau within 24 hours. Injuries requiring medical treatment or hospitalization, allegations of inappropriate contact, and other serious incidents also require reporting within 24 hours.12Legal Information Institute. Mich. Admin. Code R. 400.8266 – Incident, Accident, Injury, Illness, Death, Fire Late or missing reports are treated as serious violations.
Parent Access and Medication Rules
Parents and legal guardians have the right to visit their child during operating hours without prior notice. The only exception is a court order restricting a particular parent’s access.13Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 722.113a – Visiting Child at Child Care Center, Group Child Care Home, or Family Child Care Home A provider who tries to limit or schedule parental visits is violating state law.
Medication, prescription or over-the-counter, can only be given with prior written permission from a parent, in the original container, clearly labeled with the child’s name, and stored according to the label. Only the licensee or a qualified staff member can administer it. Assistants cannot.14Legal Information Institute. Mich. Admin. Code R. 400.1918 – Medication; Administration Providers also have to keep children’s records confidential, sharing information only with parents or authorized individuals and agencies, and should get written parental consent before field trips or activities outside the normal routine.
What Happens if You Don’t Comply
When a consultant finds a violation, the usual first step is a corrective action plan with a deadline. Miss the deadline, or commit a serious enough violation, and the consequences escalate.
Violating the Child Care Organizations Act is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of $100 to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or both.15Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 722.125 – Child Care Organizations The licensing bureau can also deny, suspend, or revoke a license when a provider falsifies application information or substantially violates the act, the rules, or the license terms.16Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 722.121 – Child Care Organizations
The most severe penalty applies when an intentional rule violation causes a child’s death. That is prosecuted as second-degree child abuse under the Michigan Penal Code, which carries years in prison, and the provider’s license is permanently revoked.15Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 722.125 – Child Care Organizations A conviction under the act also bars the individual from holding a license or being connected with any licensed child care operation for at least five years.
Providers facing revocation have 30 days after receiving written notice to file a written appeal requesting an administrative hearing, where they can present testimony and challenge the evidence.16Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 722.121 – Child Care Organizations