A Closer Look at Large Family Child Care Homes Licensed for 12 or 14 Children

In some ways, small family child care providers (those licensed to care for six or eight children) and large family child care providers (those licensed for 12 or 14 children) are very similar. Both are licensed by the State Dept. of Social Services and have to meet essentially the same health and safety standards. Both types of family child care providers work in their own homes, as opposed to a child care center. Our Handout, “Choosing Family Child Care,” should help you choose a small or large family child care program. But there are some important differences between the two programs which you should consider when looking at a home licensed for 12 or 14 children. This Handout is designed to highlight those differences. 

The most crucial difference between small and large family child care homes is that, in most instances, the large family child care provider is required to hire a full-time assistant once she enrolls more than six children. This means a provider is not only running her own business, but she is also an employer with all the joys and woes associated with being a “boss.” Many providers make this transition with ease. For others, the change is more difficult. Here are some questions to ask when interviewing providers who operate large family child care homes:

How Many Children Are In Care?

Large family child care providers are licensed for 12 children and, under certain circumstances, they can care for up to 14 children. Therefore, a parent should ask a potential provider: “How many children do you care for at any one time – 12 or 14?” Providers who care for 12 children and decide to care for two more children must meet the following conditions:

• one of the 14 children must be at least six years old and another must be in Kindergarten or older;
• only three of the 14 children can be infants under the age of two years;
• the provider must notify all parents – including parents whose children are about to join the program – that she will be caring for the two additional children. This notice must be in writing and signed by each parent acknowledging receipt of the notice;
• if the provider rents or leases her home, she must obtain the written consent of the property owner or landlord.

How Long Has The Provider Been Licensed As A Large Family Child Care Home?

Providers who have large family child care licenses must have first been either a licensed provider caring for six or eight children for a full year or had comparable child care experience in a center or related setting. Find out from a prospective provider what she did before she got licensed to run a large family child care home. Was she a family child care provider for six or eight children? Was she the director or a teacher in a child care center? Does she have any experience as an employer? (Because most providers licensed for 12 or 14 have the same responsibilities as any other employer, experience as an employer counts.) How long the provider has held her large family child care license may also affect how smoothly the program runs.