Revised Child Care Licensing Standards

Beginning July 1, 2027, revised licensing standards will apply to licensed child care centers and licensed family child care programs in Minnesota. The Legislature enacted the revised standards in May 2026, and the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is preparing the guidance, forms, and training needed to put them into effect.

You can review the revised standards below (see "What's changing"). Current licensing requirements remain in effect until July 1, 2027. 

In the coming weeks, DCYF will update this page with implementation updates, explanatory materials, and training opportunities for the revised licensing standards. For now, reading the “What’s changing” section and subscribing to our newsletter are the best ways to begin preparing.

What’s changing

The revised standards are organized into two chapters of Minnesota Statutes, one for each license type:

• Child care center licensing standards: MN Laws, Chapter 127, Article 12. This replaces the licensing requirements in MN Rules 9503 and parts of MN Statutes 142B that applied only to child care centers.
• Family child care licensing standards: MN Laws, Chapter 127, Article 13. This replaces the licensing requirements in MN Rules 9502 and the parts of MN Statutes 142B that applied only to family child care programs.

When will the new rules take effect?

The updated licensing regulations are effective July 1, 2027. Until that time, current child care licensing requirements remain in effect.

News and updates

Our monthly newsletters provide updates on the revised child care licensing standards. They cover highlights of key changes in the revised standards, answers to frequently asked questions, and information about available resources.

• July 2026 – Child care center director qualifications, family child care variance requests, and attendance records for children
• June 2026 – Family child care outdoor play equipment and license classifications

Sign up to receive the newsletter by subscribing to the family child care or child care center email list.

How were the standards developed?

The revised standards were developed over five years with input from providers, licensors, parents, and experts. The full record of that work is preserved at the Child Care Regulation Modernization Project webpage.

Resources

In the coming weeks, all the information in our newsletters will be available on this site.