Pennsylvania rulebook · checked October 2026
Watching Kids at Home in Pennsylvania: How Many Before You Need a License?
In Pennsylvania, you may watch up to 3 counted children before a license is required.
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The Pennsylvania line, in facts
Licensing agency: Pennsylvania Department of Human Services — OCDEL Bureau of Certification Services
The line: In Pennsylvania, you may watch up to 3 counted children before a license is required.
Your own children: excluded from the count only by the §3290.51 election — see the note in the checker verdicts; confirm it with your certification office.
The categories above the line
| Category | Capacity | What it means |
|---|
| Family Child Care Home | up to 6 | A certificate of compliance for 4 to 6 children in a home (the count can reach higher when the §3290.51 election excludes the operator's own children). The standard Pennsylvania home category. |
| Group Child Care Home | up to 12 | 7 to 12 children in a home setting with additional staffing — the step between a family home and a center. |
What comes with the license
- Ratios: Family home ratios run by age (55 Pa. Code §3290.52): infants 1:4, young toddlers 1:5, older toddlers 1:6, preschool 1:10 — and when ages mix, the youngest child in the room sets the ratio for the group.
- Training before you open: Orientation with the regional OCDEL office, plus pediatric first aid/CPR and mandated-reporter training before the certificate issues.
- Training to stay open: 24 hours of professional development every two years for family home providers.
- State fees: Orientation fee $25, plus clearance costs per adult (Child Abuse History, State Police, FBI fingerprint) and the certificate application fee on DHS's current schedule.
- Realistic timeline: Certification follows the regional office's inspection calendar once the application and clearances are complete.
Your path in Pennsylvania, step by step
- Count unrelated children only: 3 or fewer sits below the line; the 4th unrelated child is the certificate trigger.
- Decide the own-children election in the open: §3290.51 lets you exclude your own children from the count — confirm it with the regional office, in writing, before relying on it.
- Apply for a certificate of compliance through the regional OCDEL office; complete all three clearances (Child Abuse History, State Police, FBI) for every adult in the home.
- Complete orientation, pediatric first aid/CPR and mandated-reporter training.
- Pass the certification inspection of the home (Chapter 3290 measures the physical space, supervision and records).
- Open as a family child care home (4–6); step up to a group home (7–12) only with the staffing the chapter requires.
What catches people in Pennsylvania
- The own-kids rule is an ELECTION, not an automatic exclusion — and it can only be taken for one person's children (the operator's or one staff member's), never both.
- Pennsylvania calls it a 'certificate of compliance,' not a license — same legal weight, different word on the wall.
Rules checked October 2026 · Sources: 55 Pa. Code ch. 3290 (family child care homes); 55 Pa. Code §3290.11 (when certification applies); 55 Pa. Code §3290.51 (children of the operator); PA DHS OCDEL — Bureau of Certification Services. This page reads the published rules; it is not legal advice, and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services — OCDEL Bureau of Certification Services is the final word.
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