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Delaware wants the certificate before the licensing visit happens. The DELACARE regulations require centers to hold comprehensive general liability insurance, with the certificate due by the pre-licensing visit and again with every renewal application — plus vehicle coverage if the center transports children. Large family child care homes file their own CGL certificate. And Delaware’s payroll rule is distinctive: the workers’-comp premium can’t come out of employee pay, by law.
One policy, priced for a Delaware daycare
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What Delaware Actually Requires
| Coverage | Delaware requirement |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive general liability | Required for centers — certificate due by the pre-licensing visit and with every renewal (DELACARE) |
| Large family child care homes | Must provide their own certificate of comprehensive general liability insurance |
| Vehicle insurance | Required if the program transports children in owned or leased vehicles |
| Workers’ compensation | Required at 1+ employees — and deducting any of the premium from employee pay is illegal in Delaware |
Insurance First, Licence Second
Delaware sequences the paperwork the strict way: the CGL certificate is on the pre-licensing checklist, so the policy binds before the Office of Child Care Licensing ever walks the space. Renewals re-collect it, which closes the quiet-lapse gap some states leave open between inspections. The regulation doesn’t set a dollar minimum — landlords and subsidy agreements set the practical limits, typically $1M per occurrence.
The employment rules carry Delaware’s signature detail: coverage from the first employee, corporate officers included unless they opt out (up to eight may), and a statutory ban on recovering any of the premium from employees’ wages — the cost belongs to the business, in the bid, not the paycheck.
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 Delaware from the first employee; the premium can’t come from employee pay).
- 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 Delaware daycare?
Yes — DELACARE requires child care centers to carry comprehensive general liability insurance, with the certificate due by the pre-licensing visit and included with every renewal application. Large family child care homes file their own CGL certificate, and vehicle coverage is required if the program transports children.
When does a Delaware daycare need workers’ comp?
From the first employee, full- or part-time, corporate officers included unless they opt out — and Delaware law prohibits deducting any portion of the workers’-comp premium from employee pay.
Comparing states? See daycare insurance requirements in every state, or the full guide to starting a daycare in Delaware.
Sources
| Source | What it confirms |
|---|---|
| DELACARE — center regulations | The CGL, pre-licensing-visit certificate and renewal requirements |
| Delaware DOL | First-employee WC rule and the premium pass-through ban |
