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Connecticut’s licensing rules don’t require daycare liability insurance — yet. The center and group-home regulations under §19a-79 contain no insurance requirement, but the legislature has been circling one: HB 5160 proposed a $100,000 minimum for every licensed program, and the Office of Early Childhood delivered its mandated report on liability-insurance costs in June 2026. Like Oregon, Connecticut is a state where the rule is actively being written.
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What Connecticut Actually Requires
| Coverage | Connecticut requirement |
|---|---|
| Liability insurance | No current licensing mandate — the §19a-79 center/group-home regulations contain no insurance requirement |
| The live debate | HB 5160 proposed a $100,000-minimum mandate for all licensed programs; the OEC’s liability-insurance cost report was delivered June 2026 |
| Workers’ compensation | Required at 1+ employees, part- or full-time, regardless of wage (Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 568) |
A Mandate in Committee
Connecticut’s insurance question is live policy: the proposed mandate stalled in part on provider-cost concerns — premiums have risen sharply for child care statewide — and the legislature ordered the OEC to study the cost problem first. That report exists now, which means the next legislative session starts from data rather than anecdote. Operators opening in Connecticut today should price coverage as if the mandate were already law: if a version of HB 5160 passes, the uninsured will be retrofitting under deadline.
What is already law is Chapter 568: workers’ comp for every employee from the first hire, whatever the hours — and in a trade staffed with part-time aides, that policy is the state’s real insurance mandate today.
The Coverages Every Daycare Carries Regardless
- General liability with abuse & molestation coverage. The playground injury and the allegation are different claims; a daycare policy without A&M cover is missing the exposure the business is actually judged on.
- Commercial auto if you transport children — a personal policy excludes business use.
- Workers’ compensation once you employ staff (required in Connecticut from the first employee, whatever the hours).
- Property and contents for the build-out, equipment and food stock.
Parents ask if you’re insured. So do licensors.
A certificate of insurance answers both in one page. Quotes are free and don’t require a phone call.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is liability insurance required for a Connecticut daycare?
Not currently — the child care center and group-home regulations under §19a-79 contain no liability-insurance requirement. But HB 5160 proposed a $100,000 minimum for all licensed programs and the OEC delivered its mandated cost study in June 2026, so the requirement is actively under legislative consideration.
When does a Connecticut daycare need workers’ comp?
From the first employee, part-time or full-time, regardless of wage, under Chapter 568 of the General Statutes. Owners may elect out for themselves; staff must always be covered.
Comparing states? See daycare insurance requirements in every state, or the full guide to starting a daycare in Connecticut.
Sources
| Source | What it confirms |
|---|---|
| Conn. Agencies Regs. §19a-79 | The center/group-home rules; no insurance requirement |
| CT General Assembly — HB 5160 | The proposed $100,000 mandate and study requirement |
