Nebraska rulebook · checked October 2026

Watching Kids at Home in Nebraska: How Many Before You Need a License?

In Nebraska, you may watch up to 3 counted children before a license is required.

The Nebraska line, in facts

Licensing agency: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services — Children's Services Licensing

The line: In Nebraska, you may watch up to 3 counted children before a license is required.

The categories above the line

Category	Capacity	What it means
Family Child Care Home I	up to 8	In your residence: at least 4 and not more than 8 children. May be approved for up to 2 additional school-age children during non-school hours, if no more than 2 of the other children in care are under 18 months.
Family Child Care Home II	up to 12	At least 4 and not more than 12 children, in your residence or another location. At 13 or more children the program is a child care center.

What comes with the license

Ratios:
Training before you open: The 2-hour DHHS orientation, CPR and first aid, and safety training including SIDS/safe sleep, shaken baby syndrome, abuse/neglect reporting, Nebraska Early Learning Guidelines, and the business management module for family homes.
Training to stay open: 12 clock hours of in-service training a year for licensed providers.
State fees: Provisional license $25 and yearly license fee $25 for capacity under 30, payable before the license issues and not returned if you withdraw (391 NAC ch. 2).
Realistic timeline:

What catches people in Nebraska

Nebraska's subsidy system has its own exempt definition (max 3 children from different families, or 6 from one family, with your own children 12 and under counting) — do not confuse the CCAP numbers with the licensing line above.
Care averaging under 2 hours a week, and care only for children 13 and older, are also exempt.

Rules checked October 2026 · Sources: 391 NAC ch. 1 § 001.02 (exemptions, incl. three or fewer children at any one time); ch. 1 § 002 (FCCH I / II definitions); 391 NAC ch. 2 (license fees); Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 71-1901 et seq. (Child Care Licensing Act); Nebraska DHHS — Child Care Licensing. This page reads the published rules; it is not legal advice, and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services — Children's Services Licensing is the final word.

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