Health Information
Child Care Providers: Safe Child-Staff Ratio and Group Size
Topic Overview
The number of children per adult care provider and the total group size are two important factors that indicate the quality and safety of a child care setting. The recommended guidelines for these factors vary by the child's age, the type and size of the child care center, and other aspects. For example, recommendations for group child care centers are shown below:Reference 1
|
Children's ages |
Maximum child-to-staff ratio |
Maximum group size |
|---|---|---|
|
12 months or younger |
3 to 1 |
6 |
|
13 to 35 months |
4 to 1 |
8 |
|
3 years |
7 to 1 |
14 |
|
4 years |
8 to 1 |
16 |
|
5 years |
8 to 1 |
16 |
|
6 to 8 years |
10 to 1 |
20 |
|
9 to 12 years |
12 to 1 |
24 |
| By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: Reference September 14, 2012 |
| Medical Review: | Reference Susan C. Kim, MD - Pediatrics
Reference John Pope, MD - Pediatrics |
|
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