Last updated: September 14, 2026
Connecticut does not mandate liability insurance as a licensing condition for child care centers, group homes or family homes. OEC must still send an annual education document on why coverage matters, and most programs buy insurance for contracts and real exposures.
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No Connecticut licensing mandate for daycare liability insurance
Center and group child care regulations under CGS §19a-79 do not impose a facility liability-insurance requirement. CGS §10-533 instead directs the Office of Early Childhood to develop and annually distribute—electronically, beginning by January 1, 2025—a document explaining the benefits of maintaining liability insurance and the consequences of operating without it. That education duty is not a mandate to buy a policy or meet a dollar floor.
Confirm operational rules by license type in OEC’s statute booklets and the §19a-79 regulations: centers (typically 13+), group homes (typically 7–12) and family homes (typically six or fewer, with a large-family endorsement pilot under PA 25-82).
PA 25-82 study and the June 11, 2026 OEC report
Public Act 25-82 (HB 5003) directed OEC, the Insurance Department and the Attorney General to study the prevalence, appropriateness and affordability of liability insurance for child care programs, with a report due not later than July 1, 2026. The OEC Liability Insurance for Child Care Programs Report dated June 11, 2026 focuses on cost and access; it found about 14% of survey respondents uninsured and does not create a coverage mandate. Older references to an HB 5160 $100,000 mandate do not describe current law.
How much liability coverage should you buy above the minimum?
With no state licensing floor, treat any quoted limit as a purchasing decision against leases, school agreements and your real exposures. Send the provider any lease, school agreement or other contract requiring higher limits. Ask for comparable options at your licensing floor and at higher limits, with the same covered activities and deductible, so you can see the cost difference.
Review the per-occurrence limit and any aggregate or separate abuse-related limit. Ask how defense costs affect available protection. If considering an umbrella, have the agent identify the underlying policies it requires and the childcare exposures it excludes; do not assume it fills every gap in the base policy.
Transport and motor vehicle compliance
When transporting enrolled children, operators must comply with applicable motor vehicle laws. §19a-79 does not publish a daycare-specific commercial-auto dollar floor; separate CMV or school-transport statutes may apply by vehicle type. Describe drivers, vehicles and trips before binding.
Coverage to compare for a Connecticut daycare or preschool
| Operation or exposure | Coverage question to resolve |
|---|---|
| Children and visitors at your premises | Which liability coverage applies to injuries and property damage, and which activities are excluded? |
| Supervision, instruction and care | Is professional liability included or separate? How does the proposal treat abuse or molestation allegations? |
| Staff and volunteers | Who is insured, and what employee injury or employer-liability coverage is needed? |
| Furniture, supplies and play equipment | Who owns the property, what values are insured and which losses or locations are excluded? |
| School pickup and off-site activities | What vehicle and business coverage is needed for the drivers, trips and activities described? |
General liability, professional liability and abuse or molestation coverage answer different questions. Have the provider explain how the proposal handles a premises injury, a supervision allegation and a claim involving a staff member. Confirm that the services you offer are described and that the relevant people and locations are insured.
For a home, ask the residential insurer how business childcare affects its coverage and compare the proposed endorsement with a separate childcare policy. For a center or preschool, distinguish landlord-owned property from your furnishings, supplies and improvements. Ask which causes of loss and interruptions are covered before adding property or business-income protection.
How much does Connecticut daycare insurance cost?
There is no single premium for every daycare. As a broad reference, Insureon’s national human-and-social-services customer medians are $91/month for general liability, $135 for a business owner’s policy and $99 for professional liability, checked September 14, 2026. That sample is broader than daycare; these are not state daycare averages or Simply Business prices.
Use those figures only to understand separate budget categories. A business owner’s policy can bundle liability and property, so do not add every figure as though it were a required package. Request a childcare-specific proposal using your program type, child count and ages, payroll, transportation, claims history and required limits.
Compare the total annual premium, deductible, included activities and any separate abuse-coverage limit. Ask about installment charges, endorsements and the cost of changes during the year. Two prices are comparable only after the provider explains the differences in protection.
Request quotes using your actual license category and services. Comparing those details consistently is more useful than assigning every Connecticut program the same estimated premium.
Workers’ compensation for Connecticut childcare employers
The Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission employer guidance explains that employers must insure employees as defined in chapter 568. Coverage generally starts with the first employee. Sole proprietors must opt in to be covered as employers; officers, LLC members and partners may elect exclusion. OEC center and group initial applications ask for workers’ compensation proof when employees require coverage.
Keep coverage and licensing evidence aligned through the year
Calendar policy renewal alongside licensing paperwork. Resolve cancellation notices or a replacement policy before a lapse while children remain in care. Do not assume reduced enrollment, a school break or a change in insurer removes obligations that apply to your license type.
Before adding transport, provide the insurer with vehicle ownership, driver and trip details. Ask about commercial auto or hired/non-owned exposures and coverage for the off-site activity itself. Update the agent before a capacity increase, move or additional location so the policy and evidence match what OEC expects to see.
Prepare your Connecticut daycare insurance quote
- Legal operator name, address, permit or certificate type and requested coverage date.
- Licensed capacity, actual enrollment, ages served, hours and all locations.
- Staff, volunteers, payroll and screening/supervision procedures.
- Transportation, field trips, water activities and other services offered.
- Existing policy, claim history and insurance requirements from leases or contracts.
Ask each provider to identify the named insured, covered activities, limits, deductibles, exclusions and endorsements. Confirm whether defense costs reduce any relevant limit and how claims must be reported. If a quote cannot cover an activity, resolve that gap rather than assuming a certificate will make the proposal acceptable.
Get a daycare insurance quote
Start your daycare insurance quote with Simply Business. Answer a few questions about your business and let their team help you find coverage.
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Data for Connecticut
Free research and planning tools for starting a daycare in Connecticut. Most of the data pages compare every state, so look for Connecticut in the table or map.
- Workplace injury rates by industry: how often workers get hurt in cleaning, landscaping, HVAC, daycare and other services.
- Independent contractor rules by state: the test Connecticut uses to decide if a helper is a contractor or an employee.
- Health insurance for the self-employed: 2027 ACA premium requests in Connecticut and where the subsidy cutoff sits.
- Daycare break-even calculator: how many enrolled children you need to cover costs and pay yourself.
- Insurance requirements for contracts: what limits, certificates and endorsements commercial and public buyers ask for.
Frequently asked questions
Does Connecticut require daycare liability insurance for licensing?
No. Center and group regulations under §19a-79 do not impose a liability-insurance licensing mandate. CGS §10-533 instead requires OEC to distribute an annual education document on the benefits of maintaining liability insurance and the consequences of not having it.
What did the June 2026 OEC liability insurance report change?
Public Act 25-82 directed OEC, the Insurance Department and the Attorney General to study prevalence, appropriateness and affordability. The OEC report dated June 11, 2026 discusses cost and access—including that about 14% of survey respondents reported no liability insurance—but it does not enact a coverage mandate or a dollar floor.
Is there a Connecticut daycare-specific vehicle insurance dollar floor?
§19a-79 requires operators to comply with applicable motor vehicle laws when transporting enrolled children. It does not publish a daycare-specific commercial-auto dollar floor. Separate CMV or school-transport statutes may apply depending on the vehicle type.
When must a Connecticut daycare buy workers’ compensation?
Employers generally must cover employees as defined in chapter 568 from the first employee. Sole proprietors must opt in to be covered as employers; officers, LLC members and partners may elect exclusion. OEC center and group applications ask for workers’ compensation proof when employees require coverage.
Related guides
Daycare Insurance · Connecticut / Daycare
Requirements and source benchmarks checked September 14, 2026. Policy terms and availability depend on the insurer and your business.
