Home daycare licensing / Maryland
Home daycare licensing in Maryland
What it takes to run a licensed home daycare in Maryland — who regulates it, how many children you can care for, and what an inspector checks.
Who regulates home daycare in Maryland
Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), Office of Child Care is the state agency responsible for licensing or registering home child care in Maryland.
Maryland licenses home care through the MSDE Office of Child Care under COMAR 13A.15, capping a Family Child Care Home at eight children. Its most distinctive rule is a strict double limit on infants: no more than four children under age 2 may be enrolled, and no more than two under age 2 may actually be present at any one time unless the office specifically approves more. That 'two-at-once' rule shapes an infant-focused provider's whole schedule.
Visit Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), Office of Child Care →License types and capacity
Family Child Care Home
Up to 8 children, of whom no more than 4 may be younger than age 2.
No more than 2 children under age 2 may be present at any one time unless the Office of Child Care approves otherwise.
Child-to-caregiver ratios
The eight-child total and the infant sub-limits (max 4 enrolled under 2, max 2 present under 2 without special approval) are the binding constraints for a solo provider; an assistant is generally required to exceed the single-provider limit.
Background checks
Fingerprint-based criminal history, Child Protective Services central registry, and sex offender registry checks for every adult in the home with unsupervised access — household members included.
Advantages of running a home daycare in Maryland
- An eight-child cap is a solid solo ceiling, comparable to the larger home tiers in neighboring states.
- The explicit infant rules, while strict, give clear, predictable limits to plan a schedule around.
- MSDE's Office of Child Care ties licensing to Maryland's broader early-education and credentialing supports.
Risks and things to watch
- The 'no more than 2 under 2 present at once' rule is easy to violate accidentally on a busy morning — it's about who's physically there, not just who's enrolled.
- Background checks reach every adult with unsupervised access in the home, so a household member's record can block your license.
- Exceeding the single-provider limit means adding (and screening, and paying) an assistant.
Practical tips for Maryland providers
- Build your daily schedule around the 'two under 2 present at once' rule — stagger infant drop-off times so you're never over, or seek the office's approval in advance.
- Screen every adult in your household before applying; Maryland's checks are broad and a surprise finding can stall everything.
- If you want more than two infants at a time, ask the Office of Child Care about approval early rather than assuming the enrolled-vs-present distinction won't bite.
See the full record set every inspector checks for what to have ready regardless of state.
Curious about licensing in other states?
Home daycare rules — capacity limits, ratios, background checks — vary a lot from state to state. You might want to check how Maryland compares:
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