How to Start a Daycare in Arkansas (2026)

Last updated: October 3, 2026

Child care licensing in Arkansas sits in one place: the Office of Early Childhood (OEC), part of the Arkansas Department of Education. The center licensing rules state that the Childcare Facility Licensing Act “designates the Office of Early Childhood of the Department of Education as the administrative agency responsible for administering the Childcare Facility Licensing Act.” The same office runs Better Beginnings, the quality rating system, and the School Readiness Assistance (SRA) subsidy program, so the license, the rating, and the subsidy all come from one agency. For licensing questions, call 501-682-8590 or email [email protected].

Two rules shape a new program’s finances before anything else. The infant ratio is one staff member for every five children, and group size is capped at twice the ratio, so an infant room is at most ten children with two staff. And licensing requires proof of childcare liability insurance at the state minimum, normally verified before the application is approved. Design the classrooms and price the insurance before you sign a lease.

Daycare Requirements in Arkansas at a Glance

Requirement	Rule	Where it comes from
Licensing agency	Office of Early Childhood, Arkansas Department of Education	20 CAR § 1025-201
Registered childcare family home	Five (5) or fewer children in the caregiver’s own residence or some other suitable family-type residence	20 CAR § 1028-103
Licensed childcare family home	Required at six (6) or more children from more than one family; maximum sixteen (16)	20 CAR § 1026-102
Licensed child care center	6 or more children from more than 1 family	OEC Child Care Licensing
Infant ratio (birth to 18 months)	1:5; group size limited to two (2) times the ratio	20 CAR § 1025-401
Director	21 or older plus one of four education-and-experience paths	20 CAR § 1025-402
Staff minimums	Eighteen (18) or older (limited 16-17 exceptions); high school diploma or GED; registered with the OEC professional development registry within thirty (30) days of hire; probationary period of thirty (30) days to six (6) months	20 CAR §§ 1025-403, 1025-406
Background checks	State Police fingerprint check, FBI nationwide check, National Sex Offender Registry, start-work timing (§ 1025-210); Child Maltreatment Central Registry every two (2) years (§ 1025-209)	20 CAR §§ 1025-210, 1025-209
Orientation and training	Basic orientation before providing care; eight (8) clock-hour Introduction within three (3) months; fifteen (15) hours each year	20 CAR §§ 1025-406, 1025-403
First aid and CPR	Director (or assistant director or site supervisor) and fifty percent (50%) of staff on site	20 CAR § 1025-406
Indoor space	Thirty-five square feet (35 sq. ft.) per child of usable floor space	20 CAR § 1025-901
Outdoor space	Seventy-five square feet (75 sq. ft.) per child present on the playground at any time; fenced or otherwise enclosed	20 CAR § 1025-1002
Toilets	One (1) toilet and one (1) sink for each group of fifteen (15) children; separate staff restroom above thirty (30) children over eighteen (18) months	20 CAR § 1025-1205
Fire and emergency	Arkansas Fire Prevention Code with annual approval on file; written emergency plan; floor plan filed with local emergency management within thirty (30) days of licensure	20 CAR §§ 1025-901, 1025-1301
Liability insurance	Licensed capacity 1-74 $500,000 per occurrence; 75 and up $1,000,000 per occurrence; verified before approval, or before children are in care if coverage could not be obtained before applying	20 CAR §§ 1025-201, 1025-203
Application and first license	Full application packet plus a preapproval consultation meeting; specialist has sixty (60) days to recommend; a new facility gets a new provisional license of up to twelve (12) months; license is nontransferable	20 CAR § 1025-203
License fee (annual)	$15 up to 17 children, $50 for 17-99, $100 for 100 or more; no license issues until it is paid	20 CAR § 1025-204
Boiler and water heater inspection	All water heaters and boilers inspected annually and upon installation; initial inspection within six (6) months of licensure	20 CAR § 1025-901
Curriculum and written procedures	Approved curriculum with weekly activity plans; written procedures for reporting child maltreatment and licensing violations	20 CAR §§ 1025-501, 1025-301
Annual approvals to keep on file	Fire department, Department of Health, zoning, and Boiler Inspection Division verifications	20 CAR § 1025-702
Better Beginnings	Levels 1 through 6; Level 2 or higher to accept School Readiness Assistance (SRA)	OEC provider rules; CCDF Participant Agreement

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

Step 1: Choose Your License Type and Capacity

Arkansas regulates home-based and center-based care under separate rule parts:

Type	Capacity	Notes
Registered childcare family home	Five (5) or fewer children	Defined as a situation in which five (5) or fewer children are cared for in the caregiver’s own residence or another suitable family-type residence. Each adult in the household files a Child Maltreatment Central Registry check form with a check or money order for ten dollars ($10.00) made out to the Department of Education.
Licensed childcare family home	Six (6) to sixteen (16) children	A home requires licensing when one or more persons care for six (6) or more children from more than one (1) family at the same time, and a maximum of sixteen (16) children may be cared for under the license. Health and fire department approvals are required if care is provided to 11 or more children.
Licensed child care center	6 or more children from more than 1 family	OEC describes centers as facilities that care for 6 or more children from more than 1 family and notes that programs that operate less than 10 hours a week are exempt. Centers need health and fire approval and are subject to city zoning.
Out-of-school-time facility	School-age only	Center based child care programs that care for school age children only, under their own licensing rules.

Counting children for the home thresholds follows the registered-home rule: The caregiver’s own preschool children shall be considered when determining the need for a license or registration, while The caregiver’s own school-age children are not considered. Other children in the home who are not accompanied by a parent are considered as being in care whether pay is received for the care or not.

The rest of this guide follows the center rules (20 CAR Part 1025) unless it says otherwise. Family-home rules are lighter in places, so read the home rule part before assuming a center requirement applies to you.

Step 2: Understand Staff-to-Child Ratios and Group Size

The center rules set these ratios, and add that “Group size shall be limited to two (2) times the number of children allowed with one (1) staff member.” The group-size column below is that rule applied to each ratio.

Age Group	Staff-to-Child Ratio	Max Group Size (2 × ratio)
Birth to 18 months	1:5	10
18 to 36 months	1:8	16
2½ to 3 years	1:12	24
4 years	1:15	30
5 years to kindergarten	1:18	36
Kindergarten and above	1:18	36

When a total of eight (8) or fewer children are in care at a licensed site, age groups may be mixed under a separate small-group table in the rule. In a group containing children of different ages, the staff-to-child ratio shall meet the requirements for the youngest child in the group.

Step 3: Meet Director Qualifications

A center director must be twenty-one (21) years of age or older and document one of the following:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher degree in early childhood, child development, or a related field from a regionally accredited college or university; or
• Bachelor’s degree in a nonrelated field plus one of: Four (4) years of experience in early childhood education, a Child Development Associate credential, or a Birth-preK credential; or
• Associate degree in early childhood, child development, or a related field, plus six (6) years of experience in early childhood education; or
• Eight (8) years of experience in early childhood education and completion of one (1) of the following, within two (2) years of employment: a Child Development Associate credential, a Birth-preK credential, a director’s credential or equivalent, or a technical certificate in early childhood education.

A CDA credential on its own does not qualify a director; it is one component of the second and fourth paths.

Other Staff

Staff members in a childcare center shall be eighteen (18) years of age or older. Exceptions may be allowed for individuals sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) years of age who have no disciplinary control over children, are under the direct supervision of an adult staff member at all times, and shall not be left alone with children at any time. All staff who work directly with children need a high school diploma or GED. Directors, site supervisors, and direct-care staff must be registered with the Office of Early Childhood professional development registry within thirty (30) days of hire, and all new staff serve a documented probationary period of at least thirty (30) days, but not more than six (6) months.

Step 4: Complete Background Checks for All Staff

Center staff and applicants go through four checks:

• Arkansas State Police fingerprint criminal records check, which includes the Arkansas Sex Offender Registry. Prior to employment and every five (5) years thereafter.
• FBI nationwide check: applicants apply to the State Police Identification Bureau for a nationwide criminal record check, to be conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which shall include a fingerprint check. The individual is responsible for the cost of a nationwide check.
• Child Maltreatment Central Registry check. Prior to employment and every two (2) years thereafter.
• National Sex Offender Registry: a National Sex Offender Registry check will also be conducted on prospective employees.

Timing matters for hiring. A prospective staff member may not begin work until the Division of Arkansas State Police criminal record check result has been returned as satisfactory. After that result, the person must be supervised at all times, pending completion of all of the required background check components, by a staff member whose checks are complete. So a new hire can start under supervision while the FBI and registry results are still pending. Prospective employees who have not lived in the State of Arkansas during the preceding five (5) years are also subject to criminal background and sex offender registry checks in any states where they resided during that time.

Step 5: Complete Orientation and Ongoing Training

New direct-care staff receive a basic orientation on facility management policies, this part, center schedules, and emergency procedures prior to providing care. All new staff, including volunteers counted in the ratios, then complete the formal orientation within three (3) months of employment, and every three (3) years thereafter, and shall not be left alone with children until this is completed. The first component is the Introduction (eight (8) clock hours) covering supervision, behavioral guidance, safe sleep, shaken baby syndrome, and emergency procedures. After that, all staff need fifteen (15) hours of job-specific training each year. The staff rules state the same annual requirement separately: all staff members who work directly with children shall obtain at least fifteen (15) hours of training each year in continuing early childhood education, geared to the age group they spend most of their time with.

First aid and CPR: the director, assistant director, or site supervisor, and fifty percent (50%) of the facility staff that are on-site at any given time must hold a current certificate from an approved organization. If the facility serves infants and toddlers, this training shall include infant and child CPR.

Step 6: Prepare Your Physical Facility

Indoor Space

Centers must provide Thirty-five square feet (35 sq. ft.) per child of usable floor space for indoor activities. Bathrooms, the kitchen, and hallways do not count. Classroom areas used to store program materials that children can reach do count; the rule does not include closets or storage space for equipment that is not in use.

School-age programs run on a different number. Under the school-age and summer day camp variations, Twenty-five square feet (25 sq. ft.) of floor space shall be provided for each school-age child.

Two building items are easy to miss when you tour a site. A childcare center shall have an operable telephone on-site all hours children are in care. And if you are considering a manufactured home, Any new applicant for a childcare center that requests the use of a manufactured home shall obtain an inspection at the applicant’s expense from the Arkansas Manufactured Home Commission.

Boiler and Water Heater Inspection

This one surprises people, because it is not only about boilers. All water heaters and any other boilers in licensed childcare settings shall be inspected On an annual basis and Upon installation, by the Boiler Inspection Division of the Division of Labor. For a new center, Inspection, or proof of attempt to set up initial inspection, shall be completed within six (6) months of licensure, and the application packet asks for the boiler inspection or verification that one is scheduled.

Outdoor Space

The play area must be fenced or otherwise enclosed and provide at least seventy-five square feet (75 sq. ft.) per child present on the playground at any time. The measure is children on the playground at once, not licensed capacity, so a center that rotates groups outside needs less fenced area than a per-enrollment calculation suggests.

Toilets

There shall be one (1) toilet and one (1) sink available for each group of fifteen (15) children. Each center licensed or approved for more than thirty (30) children over the age of eighteen (18) months shall have a separate restroom for staff. If you plan a toddler room, the layout is constrained further: The childcare center shall provide a bathroom that opens directly into the room where toddlers are located. Check all of this against the floor plan before you commit to a building, because adding plumbing is one of the more expensive renovations.

Fire Code and Emergency Plan

Childcare centers shall comply with the minimum requirements of the currently adopted Arkansas Fire Prevention Code, and Written verification of annual approval shall be maintained on file. The facility shall have a written plan detailing the procedures to follow in the event of emergencies (fires, floods, tornadoes, utility disruptions, bomb threats, etc.), and Fire and tornado drills shall be practiced monthly. Within thirty (30) days of licensure the facility must file a copy of their floor plan with the local office of emergency management.

Liability Insurance

The licensee shall maintain childcare liability insurance. Prior to the approval of an application, the applicant shall provide verification of the required coverage to the licensing specialist. The licensing-procedure rule adds one timing allowance: If childcare liability insurance cannot be obtained before application, it must be obtained with proof provided to the licensing unit before care of children can be provided. The minimums are set by licensed capacity: 1-74 $500,000 per occurrence, and 75 and up $1,000,000 per occurrence. State institutions, political subdivisions, or other entities entitled to immunity from liability under Arkansas Code § 21-9-301 are not required to have general liability insurance coverage in order to be licensed.

If You Will Transport Children

Transportation brings its own rule set. Drivers must complete the training course in driver safety offered or approved by OEC before transporting children, and At least one (1) adult in the vehicle shall be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid. Commercial insurance coverage shall be maintained for any vehicle used for transportation, with Minimum coverage of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) combined single limit. For infants and toddlers, A ratio of one (1) adult for each of the three (3) infants and toddlers shall be maintained in the vehicle, and the driver cannot be the only adult. Vehicles at newly licensed facilities shall have a child safety alarm installed before placing the vehicle in service, from OEC’s list of approved systems.

Step 7: Submit Your License Application

Applications go to OEC Child Care Licensing:

• Phone: 501-682-8590
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: dese.ade.arkansas.gov, Office of Early Childhood, Child Care Licensing

The licensing-procedure rule spells out what a completed application packet shall consist of:

• A signed application form with a designated person who assumes legal responsibility for operation of the childcare facility
• Name of proposed director and their qualifications
• Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the board of directors, if applicable, with written guidelines of its responsibility
• Building or facility diagram
• Description of the services that will be provided to the children
• Verification that criminal record checks and Child Maltreatment Central Registry checks have been initiated on all owners, operators, and staff members
• Boiler inspection, or verification that inspection has been scheduled
• Fire department approval
• Department of Health approval
• Zoning approval
• Verification of childcare liability insurance (see the timing allowance above)
• A reasonable plan with a proposed budget for the financial support of the center covering staffing, building, utilities, equipment, safety, and nutrition (a one-time requirement for new applicants)

A preapproval consultation meeting shall be required for all applicants for a license, offered before application or within thirty (30) days of receipt. The childcare licensing specialist has sixty (60) days to submit a recommendation to the Office of Early Childhood, which is a deadline for the recommendation, not a promise that the license issues within 60 days. OEC publishes a step-by-step application guide and a Licensing 101 help guide on the licensing page.

The License Fee

Arkansas sets the license fee by licensed capacity, and it is annual rather than one-time. Each facility shall submit an annual license fee, determined by combining the maximum license capacity of all licenses located within the same premises:

Licensed capacity	Fee
Up to 17 children	Facilities serving up to seventeen (17) children have a fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00) per year
17 to 99 children	Facilities serving seventeen (17) to ninety-nine (99) children have a fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) per year
100 or more children	Facilities serving one hundred (100) or more children have a fee of one hundred dollars ($100) per year

The Office of Early Childhood shall not issue a license unless the required license fee has been paid, and A one-year license fee shall be paid prior to the issuance of a provisional license. If the fee goes unpaid, a past-due notice follows and the license can be suspended until it is paid. This is the smallest number on the page and the one that stops a license from issuing.

Two things about the license itself.

What Stays Due After You Open

Several approvals are annual, not one-time. Facility records must include Verification of annual fire department approval, Verification of annual Department of Health approval, Verification of zoning approval, maintained as part of permanent record, and verification of annual approval by the Boiler Inspection Division of the Division of Labor. Budget the license fee and those inspections every year, not just in year one.

Two deadlines catch new operators. The licensee shall notify the Child Care Licensing Unit of any change in the person named as director, assistant director, or site supervisor within five (5) calendar days. And if OEC takes an adverse licensing action, requests to appeal adverse licensing actions must be mailed within ten (10) calendar days of the receipt of the notice.

The rules also provide an alternative compliance path, a written request to meet a requirement a different way. It does not apply to anything enforced by the Department of Health, the fire marshal, or city zoning. Churches operating a program can request a church-operated exemption instead, and OEC replies in writing within sixty (60) days.

A newly opened facility receives a new provisional license, and A new provisional license shall not exceed twelve (12) months in length; at the end OEC may issue a regular license, a successive provisional license, or take other action. And the license shall not be transferable from one holder to another or from one place to another: if the location or the operator changes, the license is automatically closed and a new one is needed before operating.

Step 8: Put the Required Written Materials in Place

Three things have to exist on paper before a licensing specialist looks at your program, and none of them are obvious from the license application itself.

• Curriculum. The facility shall have an approved curriculum with weekly activity plans appropriate for the developmental needs of each group of children. OEC maintains the list of approved curricula, so this is a purchasing decision with a real cost, not a document you write yourself.
• Written procedures. The facility shall provide a written procedure for reporting suspected child maltreatment, and a separate written procedure for reporting suspected licensing violations. The facility shall also provide a copy of the Kindergarten Readiness Skills Calendar or Checklist, prepared by the Department of Education.
• Immunization verification. Within fifteen (15) days of enrollment of a child, the childcare facility shall verify that the child has been immunized as required, or the child cannot remain in care. Build that check into your enrollment paperwork rather than discovering it at an inspection.

Volunteers are not exempt from screening. Volunteers who have routine contact with children shall have on file a Child Maltreatment Central Registry check, with an exception for parents who volunteer on field trips but are not left alone with children.

Step 9: Reach Better Beginnings Level 2 to Accept School Readiness Assistance

Better Beginnings is Arkansas’s quality rating and improvement system, run by OEC, and it certifies programs at Levels 1 through 6. It matters financially because of the state subsidy, now called School Readiness Assistance (SRA). The Better Beginnings rules say providers receiving Child Care and Development Fund money must be a Better Beginnings participant at the level determined by the Office of Early Childhood, and OEC’s participant agreement states: “All Participants must be at a minimum Better Beginnings Level 2.” Facilities must be certified in Better Beginnings at Level 2 (two) or higher prior to the approval of this Agreement.

New facilities get a runway. Under the Better Beginnings rules, new facilities opting into childcare assistance must qualify for at least a provisional level two (2) eligibility, which means a completed provisional eligibility application and then: Meet Better Beginnings level two (2) within (90) days.

Step 10: Form Your Business Entity and Register as an Employer

Business Formation

Forming an entity is not a licensing requirement, but most operators do it for liability and banking reasons. With the Arkansas Secretary of State, the LLC Certificate of Organization (form LL-01) costs $45 online or $50 on paper. Nonprofit corporations file different articles; if you are weighing nonprofit status, get advice on governance first rather than assuming it unlocks subsidy eligibility, because the SRA rules above turn on Better Beginnings level, not entity type.

Workers’ Compensation

Most employers in Arkansas with three or more employees are required by law to carry workers’ compensation insurance. There are exceptions to the three-or-more requirement, so check with the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission if you will have fewer than three.

Unemployment Insurance Tax

Register with the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services. For 2026 the state lists a new employer tax rate of 2.0% on a $7,000 taxable wage base.

Where to Check Demand Before You Sign a Lease

OEC’s Child Care Licensing page publishes maps of existing licensed facilities by age type (infant and toddler, preschool, school age) and capacity graphs for openings and closures. Use them to see how many licensed infant slots already exist near a site before you build an infant room, because the 1:5 ratio makes infant care the most staff-intensive room in the building. We do not publish county demand estimates here; the state’s own maps are the current source.

State-Set Fees and Minimums

Item	Amount	Source
Child care license, capacity up to 17	$15.00 per year	20 CAR § 1025-204
Child care license, capacity 17 to 99	$50.00 per year	20 CAR § 1025-204
Child care license, capacity 100 or more	$100 per year	20 CAR § 1025-204
LLC Certificate of Organization (form LL-01)	$45 online, $50 paper	Arkansas Secretary of State
Child Maltreatment Central Registry check form (registered homes, per adult in household)	Ten dollars ($10.00)	20 CAR § 1028-103
FBI nationwide check	Paid by the individual; amount set by the State Police	20 CAR § 1025-210
Childcare liability insurance, licensed capacity 1-74	$500,000 per occurrence minimum	20 CAR § 1025-201
Childcare liability insurance, licensed capacity 75 and up	$1,000,000 per occurrence minimum	20 CAR § 1025-201
Unemployment insurance, new employer (2026)	2.0% on a $7,000 taxable wage base	Arkansas Division of Workforce Services

Renovation, playground equipment, furnishings, and insurance premiums depend on the building and the carrier. Get quotes for your site rather than budgeting from generic ranges.

Related Arkansas Business Guides

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who licenses daycares in Arkansas?

The Office of Early Childhood within the Arkansas Department of Education. The licensing rules designate it as the administrative agency for the Childcare Facility Licensing Act, and it also runs Better Beginnings and School Readiness Assistance. Contact Child Care Licensing at 501-682-8590 or [email protected].

What is the staff-to-child ratio for infants in Arkansas daycares?

Centers must keep 1:5 for birth to 18 months, and group size is limited to two times the number of children allowed with one staff member, so an infant group is at most 10 with two staff. The toddler ratio (18 to 36 months) is 1:8.

Do I need a license to watch 4 children in my home in Arkansas?

Four countable children fits the registered childcare family home category, defined as five (5) or fewer children cared for in the caregiver’s own residence or some other suitable family-type residence, so registration rather than a full license applies. Who counts matters: the caregiver’s own preschool children count toward the threshold, the caregiver’s own school-age children do not, and other children in the home who are not accompanied by a parent count whether pay is received for the care or not. A home requires licensing when six (6) or more children from more than one family are cared for at the same time.

What is Better Beginnings and why does it matter?

Better Beginnings is Arkansas’s quality rating and improvement system, with Levels 1 through 6. Providers who accept School Readiness Assistance (SRA), the state child care subsidy, must be certified at Level 2 or higher before OEC approves the participant agreement. New facilities can start on provisional Level 2 eligibility and must meet Level 2 within 90 days.

How much does an Arkansas child care license cost?

The license fee is annual and set by licensed capacity: $15.00 per year up to 17 children, $50.00 per year for 17 to 99, and $100 per year for 100 or more. The Office of Early Childhood shall not issue a license unless the required license fee has been paid, and a one-year fee is due before a provisional license is issued. That fee is small next to the real costs of opening, which are the liability insurance minimum, the fire, health, zoning and boiler approvals, and an approved curriculum.

What background checks are required for Arkansas daycare staff?

An Arkansas State Police fingerprint criminal records check (including the state sex offender registry), an FBI nationwide fingerprint check paid by the individual, a Child Maltreatment Central Registry check, and a National Sex Offender Registry check. A new hire may not begin work until the State Police result is back as satisfactory, then must be supervised at all times until the remaining checks are complete.

How many hours of training do Arkansas daycare staff need?

Basic orientation before providing care, the eight (8) clock-hour Introduction within three (3) months of hire (repeated every three years), and fifteen (15) hours of job-specific training each year. The director or site supervisor and fifty percent (50%) of staff on site at any time must hold first aid and CPR certificates, including infant and child CPR if the program serves infants and toddlers.

Sources

Source	What it covers
20 CAR § 1025-201, Related laws and requirements	Office of Early Childhood as licensing agency; childcare liability insurance $500,000 (capacity 1-74) and $1,000,000 (75 and up) per occurrence, verified before approval; immunity exception for state institutions and political subdivisions
20 CAR § 1025-203, Licensing procedures	Application packet contents; insurance proof before care if not obtained before application; preapproval consultation; sixty (60) days for the specialist’s recommendation; new provisional license up to twelve (12) months; license nontransferable
20 CAR § 1025-204, License fee	Annual license fee by capacity: $15.00 up to 17 children, $50.00 for 17-99, $100 for 100 or more; no license issued until paid; one-year fee before a provisional license
20 CAR § 1025-205, Appeal of licensing actions	Ten (10) calendar days to appeal an adverse licensing action
20 CAR § 1025-301, Administrative procedures	Written procedures for reporting suspected child maltreatment and licensing violations; Kindergarten Readiness Skills Calendar
20 CAR § 1025-404, Volunteer requirements	Child Maltreatment Central Registry check for volunteers with routine contact
20 CAR § 1025-501, Program requirements for all ages	Approved curriculum with weekly activity plans
20 CAR § 1025-702, Facility records	Annual fire, Department of Health, zoning and Boiler Inspection Division verifications kept on file
20 CAR § 1025-1201, General health requirements	Immunization verified within fifteen (15) days of enrollment
20 CAR § 1025-1206, Infant and toddler toilet facilities	Bathroom opening directly into the toddler room
20 CAR § 1025-1602, School-age and summer day camp	Twenty-five square feet (25 sq. ft.) per school-age child
20 CAR § 1025-209, Child Maltreatment Central Registry Checks	Registry check prior to employment and every two (2) years
20 CAR § 1025-210, FBI criminal records check	State Police fingerprint check every five (5) years; FBI nationwide check paid by the individual; National Sex Offender Registry check; start-work timing and supervision; out-of-state checks for anyone not resident in Arkansas for the preceding five (5) years
20 CAR § 1025-401, Staff-to-child ratio	Ratios 1:5, 1:8, 1:12, 1:15, 1:18; group size two times the ratio; mixed-age groups of eight (8) or fewer; youngest-child rule
20 CAR § 1025-402, Director	Age twenty-one (21) and the four education-and-experience paths
20 CAR § 1025-403, Staff requirements	Staff eighteen (18) or older with limited 16-17 exceptions; high school diploma or GED; fifteen (15) hours of continuing early childhood education training each year
20 CAR § 1025-406, Professional development	Professional development registry within thirty (30) days of hire; probationary period thirty (30) days to six (6) months; basic orientation; eight (8) clock-hour Introduction within three (3) months; fifteen (15) hours per year; first aid and CPR for director and fifty percent (50%) of staff on site
20 CAR § 1025-901, Building requirements	Arkansas Fire Prevention Code with annual approval on file; Thirty-five square feet (35 sq. ft.) per child of usable floor space and what counts
20 CAR § 1025-1002, Layout and design	Seventy-five square feet (75 sq. ft.) per child present on the playground; fenced or otherwise enclosed
20 CAR § 1025-1205, Toilet facilities	One (1) toilet and one (1) sink per fifteen (15) children; separate staff restroom above thirty (30) children over eighteen (18) months
20 CAR § 1025-1301, Safety requirements	Floor plan filed with local emergency management within thirty (30) days of licensure; written emergency plan; monthly fire and tornado drills
20 CAR § 1025-1401, Transportation requirements	Driver safety course; CPR and first aid adult in the vehicle; commercial auto insurance with $100,000 combined single limit minimum
20 CAR § 1025-1402, Infant and toddler transportation requirements	One (1) adult for each three (3) infants and toddlers in the vehicle; driver not the only adult
20 CAR § 1028-103, Registered homes: definitions and application	Registered childcare family home is five (5) or fewer children in the caregiver’s residence or another suitable family-type residence; which children count (own preschool children yes, own school-age children no, unaccompanied children yes); ten dollars ($10.00) Central Registry check form per adult
20 CAR § 1026-102, Licensed homes: general requirements	License required at six (6) or more children from more than one family; maximum sixteen (16)
20 CAR § 1001-101, Better Beginnings: purpose	CCDF-funded providers must participate in Better Beginnings at the level OEC determines
20 CAR § 1001-107, Better Beginnings: application review	New facilities: provisional level two (2) eligibility and Level 2 within 90 days
Arkansas Office of Early Childhood, Child Care Licensing	Facility types; centers at 6 or more children from more than 1 family; programs under 10 hours a week exempt; health and fire approval at 11 or more children; out-of-school-time facilities; contact 501-682-8590 and [email protected]; facility maps
Arkansas Office of Early Childhood, School Readiness Assistance Program	Current name of the state child care subsidy program
OEC CCDF Program Participant Agreement (dated 11/03/2025 in the document)	Participants must be at a minimum Better Beginnings Level 2, certified before the agreement is approved
Arkansas Better Beginnings Provider Rules	Levels 1 through 6 structure
Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, UI Employer Services	2026 new employer tax rate 2.0%; $7,000 taxable wage base
Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission, Basic Facts	Most employers with three or more employees must carry coverage; exceptions exist
Arkansas Secretary of State, Domestic LLC forms and fees	Certificate of Organization LL-01: $45 online, $50 paper

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