Licensing helps ensure the children are in a healthy and safe in a child care program.
A license from the Mississippi Department of Health is required if you care for six or more children less than 13 years of age, for any part of the 24-hour day, who are not related (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brothers/sisters, nieces/nephews) to you. This includes daycare centers, day nurseries, and any other facilities that fall within the scope of the above description.
Child Care licensing standards set the minimum acceptable health, safety, and program standards for the legal operation of programs required to be licensed.
Read the Mississippi State Department of Health’s comprehensive guide to “How to Get a Child Care License.“
Child Care licensing standards set the minimum acceptable health, safety and program standards for the legal operation of programs required to be licensed. Licensing, or in some states, regulated care, is a baseline below which it is illegal to operate.
Review the Regulations Governing Licensure of Child Care Facilities (PDF). The purpose of these regulations is to protect and promote the health and safety of children in Mississippi by providing for the licensing of child care facilities as defined herein to assure that certain minimum standards are maintained in such facilities.
Licensure is not required to participate in the Child Care Payment Program. Click here to learn more about the Child Care Payment Program.
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Child Care Payment Program
Need help with the Child Care Payment Program? Call us at 800-877-7882.