How to Start a Daycare in Alaska (2026)

Last updated: September 11, 2026

Child care licensing in Alaska runs on one chapter of regulation: 7 AAC 57, administered by the Department of Health through its Child Care Program Office. If your facility sits inside the Municipality of Anchorage, the state has delegated licensing to the municipality, which applies its own child care code alongside the state rules.

Two numbers decide the shape of the business before anything else. Licensing starts at five children who are not relatives of the caregiver, and the facility type is set purely by headcount: eight children or fewer is a home, nine to 12 is a group home, 13 or more is a center. Everything else, from square footage to how many caregivers you employ, follows from which of those three you are.

Beyond your industry’s license: see what every Alaska business is required to have — state registrations, tax licenses, and current fees.

Daycare Requirements in Alaska at a Glance

Requirement	Rule	Where it comes from
Licensing agency	Department of Health, Child Care Program Office; municipalities may hold delegated authority	7 AAC 57.990, 7 AAC 57.045
When a license is required	A facility regularly providing child care for five or more children who are not relatives of the caregiver	7 AAC 57.010
Exempt	Care for four or fewer children who are not relatives of the caregiver, among other exemptions	7 AAC 57.015
Child care home	No more than eight children	7 AAC 57.990
Child care group home	Nine to 12 children	7 AAC 57.990
Child care center	13 or more children	7 AAC 57.990
Hours	Care after 6:00 a.m. and before 10:00 p.m.; a nighttime care specialization is needed outside those hours	7 AAC 57.010, 7 AAC 57.805
License term	Provisional first, then biennial	7 AAC 57.030
Indoor space	At least 35 square feet of usable indoor space per child in a center or group home	7 AAC 57.620
Outdoor space	At least 75 square feet of outdoor recreation space per child for the maximum number playing outside at one time	7 AAC 57.620
Infant ratio	1:5 through 18 months, maximum group size 10	7 AAC 57.505
Administrator	At least 21 years of age, with qualifying education, and on-site at least 20 hours per week in a full-day facility	7 AAC 57.300, 7 AAC 57.210
Caregiver age	18 to count toward ratio; 16 and 17 year olds may count in a center under four conditions and no more than one-fourth of staff on duty	7 AAC 57.320
Training	Orientation and health and safety topics within three months of hire; pediatric first aid and CPR for every caregiver; 24 hours of annual training	7 AAC 57.350
Books	A minimum of five developmentally appropriate books per child in care	7 AAC 57.630
Records	Retained at least three years from the date of creation	7 AAC 57.230
Appeals	Not later than 15 days after receipt of the notice of an enforcement action	7 AAC 57.920

How to Start a Daycare in Alaska (Step by Step)

Step 1: Work Out Whether You Need a License

The threshold is specific. A facility regularly providing child care for five or more children who are not relatives of the caregiver may not operate unless it holds a current license or is exempt. The matching exemption covers a facility that regularly provides care to four or fewer children who are not relatives of the caregiver, where “regularly provides care” means a child is enrolled for regular care whether full-time or part-time.

Other exemptions in the rule are worth checking before you assume you need a license. They include a facility where each child’s parent is on the premises within reasonable proximity, a facility on a military installation, a recreational program that does not assume responsibility for care, a program certified as a pre-elementary school or operated as Head Start, a facility where the caregiver is a relative of all the children, care given in the child’s own home, and a temporary facility for a one-time occurrence scheduled for less than five weeks in any 12-month period.

Note also what a licensed facility is by definition: a place where child care is regularly provided after 6:00 a.m. and before 10:00 p.m., unless nighttime care is authorized. Anything outside those hours needs a separate approval, covered below.

Step 2: Choose Your Facility Type

Type	Children	Caregivers and limits
Child care home	No more than eight	At least one caregiver, who may also be the administrator. Of the total, not more than three may be younger than 30 months and not more than two may be nonambulatory. The count includes the caregiver’s own children younger than 13.
Child care group home	Nine to 12	At least two caregivers, one of whom must be the administrator. Not more than five of the total may be younger than 30 months and not more than four nonambulatory. One caregiver may be enough in narrow cases, including a day when eight or fewer children are present with no more than three under 30 months.
Child care center	13 or more	Staffed to the age-band ratios below, with maximum group sizes.

For every facility type, a child in care who is 13 or older counts as a school-age child under 13 for ratio purposes.

Step 3: Complete Orientation and Pre-Service Training First

This one gates the application rather than following it. If an orientation and pre-service training program is available within 60 miles by road of the facility, the applicant must attend and complete the program. If the applicant does not, the department will suspend processing the application until the requirement is met. Up to six of those hours can later count toward the first year’s annual training.

Step 4: Assemble the Application

The application is submitted in the name of the individual or legal entity responsible for the facility, and it has to carry, among other things:

• Names and contact details for the applicant, anyone with an ownership or management interest, the owner of the property, and the administrator. Membership on a governing board counts as a management interest.
• Four references for the designated administrator, at least three of whom are unrelated, attesting to good character, reputation and interpersonal skills.
• Signed release of information authorizations so the department can request a criminal history check for each individual associated with the facility.
• The ages and number of children, and the hours and days of operation.
• A copy of each fire safety inspection report required by a state or municipal authority, plus any variance or waiver.
• Reports from inspections required under the Alaska Food Code, solid waste management, wastewater treatment and disposal, and drinking water rules, as applicable.
• A copy of your Alaska business license, and any other license or permit a municipality requires.
• A current plan of operation including an organizational chart, staffing chart, policies, schedules and forms, and a staffing plan describing who works at the facility, their qualifications and the supervision schedule.

The department reviews the application for completeness and notifies you of any omission not later than 10 days after receiving it.

Step 5: Meet the Space and Equipment Rules

A child care center and a child care group home must provide at least 35 square feet of usable indoor space per child, exclusive of hallways, bathrooms, storage areas, office space, furnace and laundry rooms, crib space, and any area children are prevented from using. Outdoors, the requirement is 75 square feet of outdoor recreation space per child for the maximum number of children playing outside at any one time, which is a smaller number than per-capacity if you stagger outdoor play.

If outdoor recreation space is not available, a center or group home may use a park or other easily accessible outdoor location, provided the department approves a plan for transport to and from it and for its use. If a center is attached to or located in a residence, the child care space must be designated separately from family living areas.

Equipment requirements that carry real cost: a facility must have a minimum of five developmentally appropriate books per child in care, a telephone or other identified means of communication that allows communication outside of the community, an individual crib or play yard with a firm mattress for each infant under 12 months, and a cot, mat or bed for each child. Cribs must meet the federal safety standards for full-size or non-full-size cribs.

Step 6: Staff to the Ratios

Center ratios come with maximum group sizes attached. Read the age bands carefully, because they are set in months rather than school years:

Age of children	Term	Children per caregiver	Maximum group size
Through 18 months	Infants	1:5	10
19 to 36 months	Toddlers	1:6	12
3 and 4 years	Preschoolers	1:10	20
5 and 6 years	Kindergartners	1:14	28
7 through 12 years	School age	1:18	36

Mixed groups follow two different rules depending on the ages involved. When infants, toddlers and preschoolers are mixed, the ratio for the youngest child applies. When kindergartners and school-age children are mixed, the ratio follows the age of the majority of the children.

Maximum group size at any one time may not exceed twice the number of children allowed per caregiver, and enough caregivers must be physically present with each group to hold the ratio. Group size limits do not apply during nap times, lunch, outdoor play, field trips, or a special occasion such as a holiday party.

During naptime a center may either staff the napping room with a caregiver who can summon help without leaving the room, in which case the ratio may be doubled based on the youngest child if all children are sleeping, or check the room at least every 15 minutes with the children fully visible through a door or windowed partition and a sound monitoring device in place.

Step 7: Administrator and Caregiver Qualifications

Administrator

The administrator of a center, group home or home must be at least 21 years of age. A center administrator also has to show education appropriate to the age and development of the children in care, satisfied by any one of these:

• A System for Early Education Development (SEED) career ladder level 7 certificate or higher;
• At least 12 semester hours of college credit in early childhood development, child development, child psychology, elementary education or the equivalent, where management credit may substitute for three of the 12;
• A current Child Development Associate (CDA) credential;
• A Montessori certificate from an accredited program;
• A school age child care education certificate or child youth care credential; or
• Another early childhood education certificate or credential approved by the department.

An administrator without a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field must also obtain at least three semester hours of college credit relevant to child care and development every two years, though the annual training hours may substitute.

Presence is regulated too. The administrator may not be responsible for more than two child care facilities, and must be on-site at least 20 hours per week for a full-day or 24-hour facility, or at least 10 hours per week for a program operating five or fewer hours per day. If the administrator is away for more than 30 consecutive days, a qualified administrator designee must be named.

Caregivers

A caregiver must be at least 18 to be counted toward the ratio. In a center, a caregiver aged 16 or 17 may be counted only if they have completed a child care training course or demonstrated competency, work under the supervision of an adult caregiver, work within sight or sound of an adult caregiver, and make up no more than one-fourth of the total caregiving staff on duty.

Before anyone has contact with children, the facility must obtain a completed application and at least three written references on a prospective employee, at least two from people unrelated to them, and at least one reference on any other caregiver. A reference has to come directly to the facility from the person giving it.

Step 8: Training

Orientation covers facility policies, emergency procedures and an overview of eleven required health and safety topics, from infectious disease control and safe sleep through medication administration, allergic reactions, premises safety, shaken baby syndrome, emergency preparedness, hazardous materials, transportation precautions, pediatric first aid and CPR, and recognizing and reporting child abuse. It must be completed within three months from the individual’s date of hire.

Every caregiver must hold a valid certification for pediatric first aid and pediatric CPR. Where certification courses are not available locally, a caregiver may learn through department-approved distance materials and then take the first available course offered within 60 miles by road.

Annually, each administrator and caregiver needs at least 24 hours of training relevant to child care and development, of which at least one hour must address one of the health and safety topics. A part-time caregiver working 15 hours or less a week needs 12 hours instead.

Step 9: Inspections, the Provisional License and Renewal

Alaska licenses in two stages, and the inspection calendar is written into the rule:

• A pre-service health and safety inspection not later than 90 days after the department receives a complete application, for the purposes of a provisional license.
• A compliance inspection not earlier than 90 days before the provisional license expires, to convert it to a biennial license.
• An annual inspection within 60 days either side of the license anniversary date.
• An unannounced health and safety inspection annually during each licensing period.
• A complaint investigation whenever the department receives a complaint.

Renewal is on the biennial cycle, and the department will renew if the facility has been kept in good repair and is in compliance with state fire safety code requirements, the background check rules, and the environmental health and safety rules, either fully or substantially with an approved plan of correction.

Once licensed, you must report certain things. A change of the person operating the facility, the facility name, the administrator, the ages or number of children, or the hours of operation must be reported not later than 30 days before the change. The addition of a household member for 45 or more days in a 12-month period is reported within 14 days. And the facility must immediately report the death of a child in care, a serious injury or illness requiring outside medical attention, a fire or other emergency, and the suspension or expulsion of a child for challenging behavior.

Step 10: Nighttime Care and Higher-Risk Activities Need Their Own Approval

A facility may not provide care between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless it holds a nighttime care specialization approved by the department, though a home may occasionally provide nighttime care for 30 consecutive days or less with prior department approval. A child care home or group home providing nighttime care may serve no more than five children, including the caregiver’s own children under 18. Center staff counted toward ratio must be awake at all times unless there are five or fewer children in nighttime care.

Separately, a facility may not provide a program of moderate-risk activities on a regular basis without a specialized program activity approval. The rule lists gymnastics, swimming, camping, wilderness walks, horseback riding, canoeing, skiing, climbing, fishing, skateboarding, rollerblading, scooter riding and bike riding. Each needs a written plan, a caregiver with at least a year of experience in the activity supervising it, and at least one accompanying caregiver certified in first aid and CPR.

Step 11: Daily Program Rules That Shape Your Schedule

A few program requirements affect staffing and layout more than people expect:

• At least 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity for every three hours the facility is open between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., plus daily supervised outdoor activity when weather and the child’s tolerance permit.
• Television, movie viewing, and computer and video game use limited to one and one-half hours in a 24-hour period, with computer learning activities limited to two hours a day.
• A facility caring for infants or toddlers may not routinely leave a child awake in a crib, swing or similar device for more than 15 minutes without direct adult contact, and infants are placed on their backs to sleep unless a physician orders otherwise.
• A supervised rest or sleep period for each child under five who is in care more than five hours.
• Corporal punishment is prohibited, a young child may not be removed from other children for more than 10 minutes except under a written behavior plan, and no child may be placed in a locked room.

At or before admission you must collect a valid immunization certificate or evidence of exemption, along with emergency contact and consent information on a department form, reviewed at least semi-annually. Parents also get a written package covering enrollment, fees, hours, supervision, illness policy, daily schedule, screen time, behavior guidance, cold weather outdoor play, meals, transportation, visiting policy and the suspension and expulsion policy.

Step 12: Register the Business and the Employer Accounts

Formation and business license

Articles of Organization for an Alaska LLC cost $250.00 on the state’s corporation fee schedule. Separately, every business needs the Alaska Business License, which is $50 per year. The child care application asks for a copy of the business license, so get it before you apply.

Workers’ compensation

The Alaska Workers’ Compensation Act requires each employer having one or more employees in Alaska to obtain workers’ compensation insurance, unless the employer has been approved as a self-insurer. Since August 1, 2019, certain owners, including members of a limited liability company meeting the state’s ownership threshold, are exempt from having to insure themselves, which is a different question from covering your staff.

Unemployment tax and wages

For 2026 the Alaska taxable wage base is $54,200, the standard rate is 1.50%, and Alaska is one of the few states where employees also contribute, at 0.50%. New employers are assigned a rate based on their industry rather than a single flat new-employer rate, so check the current industry rate schedule with Employment Security Tax.

On wages, the Alaska minimum wage increases from $13.00 to $14.00 per hour on July 1, 2026.

What the State Sets, and What It Does Not

Item	Amount	Source
LLC Articles of Organization	$250.00	Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
Alaska Business License	$50 per year	Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
Unemployment taxable wage base, 2026	$54,200, standard rate 1.50%, employee rate 0.50%	Alaska Department of Labor, Employment Security Tax
Minimum wage from July 1, 2026	$14.00 per hour	Alaska Department of Labor, Wage and Hour
Workers’ compensation	Required from one or more employees	Alaska Department of Labor, Workers’ Compensation

One thing 7 AAC 57 does not set, which we checked by reading the whole chapter: a child care license fee. The costs the rule does push onto the applicant are the inspections it requires, and the department’s own provisional application material notes that fees charged by the Fire Marshal or environmental health authorities are the applicant’s responsibility. Confirm any current application fee with the Child Care Program Office, or with your municipality if it holds delegated licensing authority.

Related Alaska Business Guides

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Frequently Asked Questions

What agency licenses daycares in Alaska?

The Department of Health, through its Child Care Program Office, under AS 47.32 and 7 AAC 57. The regulations let the department delegate licensing authority to a municipality that adopts qualifying standards, and the Municipality of Anchorage holds that delegated authority, applying its own child care code alongside the state rules. If your facility is in Anchorage, start with the municipality.

How many children can I care for in Alaska before I need a license?

Licensing starts at five or more children who are not relatives of the caregiver. A facility that regularly cares for four or fewer non-relative children is exempt, whether the care is full-time or part-time. Caring only for relatives, or caring for a child in the child’s own home, is also exempt.

What are Alaska’s child-to-caregiver ratios?

For centers: 1:5 through 18 months with a maximum group of 10, 1:6 from 19 to 36 months with a group of 12, 1:10 for 3 and 4 year olds with a group of 20, 1:14 for 5 and 6 year olds with a group of 28, and 1:18 for 7 through 12 year olds with a group of 36. A child care home may serve up to eight children with one caregiver; a group home up to 12 with two.

How much space does an Alaska daycare need?

A center or group home needs at least 35 square feet of usable indoor space per child, not counting hallways, bathrooms, storage, office, furnace and laundry rooms or crib space, and 75 square feet of outdoor recreation space per child based on the maximum number playing outside at one time. A nearby park may substitute for on-site outdoor space if the department approves a plan for getting there and using it.

What qualifications does an Alaska daycare administrator need?

At least 21 years of age, plus, for a center, one of: a SEED career ladder level 7 certificate or higher, 12 semester hours of relevant college credit, a current CDA credential, an accredited Montessori certificate, a school age child care education certificate or child youth care credential, or another credential the department approves. The administrator must also be on site at least 20 hours a week in a full-day facility and may not run more than two facilities.

How much training do Alaska daycare staff need?

Orientation plus eleven health and safety topics within three months of hire, current pediatric first aid and CPR for every caregiver, and 24 hours of annual training for each administrator and caregiver. A part-time caregiver working 15 hours or less a week needs 12 hours a year.

Does Alaska charge a daycare license fee?

7 AAC 57 sets no child care license fee. The costs the rule does create are the required inspections, and the department’s provisional application material notes that any Fire Marshal or environmental health fees are the applicant’s responsibility. Confirm current fees with the Child Care Program Office, or with your municipality if it licenses locally.

Sources

Source	What it covers
7 AAC 57, Child Care Facilities Licensing (Alaska Administrative Code)	The whole chapter: the five-or-more-children licensing threshold and exemptions (.010, .015); application contents, orientation requirement, provisional and biennial licenses and the inspection calendar (.025, .030); delegation to municipalities (.045); administrator duties and on-site hours (.210); records and reporting (.230, .240); administrator and caregiver qualifications and references (.300, .310, .320); orientation, first aid and CPR, and the 24-hour annual training rule (.350); admission and parent information (.400, .410); supervision and napping (.500); child-to-caregiver ratios and maximum group sizes (.505, .510); program, screen time and physical activity (.520); behavior guidance (.535); health and immunization (.550); nutrition (.560); transportation (.565); indoor and outdoor space and equipment (.620, .630); nighttime care and specialized activity approvals (.805, .810); appeals (.920); definitions of home, group home and center (.990)
Alaska Department of Health, Child Care	The Child Care Program Office, application forms and current contacts
Alaska Department of Health, Child Care Licensing brochure	Overview of the licensing process for applicants
Municipality of Anchorage, Child Care Licensing	Anchorage’s delegated licensing program and its municipal child care code
Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, corporation forms and fees	LLC Articles of Organization, form 08-0484, $250.00
Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, business licensing forms and fees	Alaska Business License new application, form 08-4181, $50 per year
Alaska Department of Labor, Workers’ Compensation requirements for employers	Coverage required of each employer having one or more employees; owner exemptions effective August 1, 2019
Alaska Department of Labor, Employment Security Tax rate and taxable wage base	2026 wage base $54,200, standard rate 1.50%, employee rate 0.50%
Alaska Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Administration	Minimum wage rising from $13.00 to $14.00 per hour on July 1, 2026

Comparing states? See our daycare guides for all 50 states.