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August update on child care licensing standards

• Introduction
• Licensing changes spotlight
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Have Questions?

Office of Inspector General – Licensing Division – August 19, 2026

You are receiving this email because you are a child care provider, licensor, county supervisor, licensing employee, or you subscribed to the Child Care Regulation Modernization or other Licensing listservs.

Introduction

Welcome to the August Child Care Licensing Standards Newsletter.

To support consistent communication and provide timely updates, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Office of Inspector General Licensing Division has launched this newsletter series. The newsletter will be distributed monthly through July 1, 2027, and will include implementation updates, answers to frequently asked questions, clarification of licensing requirements, and information about available resources.

This month's edition includes a Licensing Standards Spotlight highlighting changes included in the newly passed licensing standards. The goal is to provide information in manageable pieces over time, allowing providers and licensors to become familiar with upcoming changes, consider how they may affect their programs, and identify questions that may help inform future guidance and communications.

This edition also includes answers to frequently asked questions received since the last newsletter.

Detailed implementation plans, resources, and guidance will be shared before the licensing standards take effect on July 1, 2027.

Licensing changes spotlight

Each month, this section will highlight selected changes included in the new licensing standards compared to the current licensing requirement.

Child care center (CCC) spotlight

Starting July 1, 2027, every center must have a qualified director, and a director or designee must be on site while the center is open. 

Change explained: If your center currently has a qualified director you won’t need to do anything before July 1, 2027.  The current director will be allowed to stay in that role without having to meet the new qualification standards discussed below.

If your center does not have a qualified director but one will be hired or become qualified before July 1, 2027, that person will be allowed to stay in the role without having to meet the new qualification standards discussed below.

A director who is hired or who becomes qualified after July 1, 2027, will need to meet the new qualification standards discussed below.

The current qualification requirements for a director can be found at Minnesota Rules, part 9503.0031.

The qualification requirements for a director after July 1, 2027, can be found on the state Revisor’s website at MN Laws, Chapter 127, Article 12, section 5.

Beginning on July 1, 2027, Centers must ensure that a director or designee is on site while the center is operating. A designee does not need to meet director qualifications and the individual serving as a designee may change from day-to-day. However, the designee must know they have been designated and be able to carry out the responsibilities of a director, including overseeing implementation of written policies relating to the management and control of the daily activities of the program, ensuring the health and safety of program participants, and supervising staff and volunteers. The designee must also have access to the personnel and children’s files.

Below is a summary of the current and future qualification requirements for child care center directors.

Family child care (FCC) spotlight

Training updates for applicants, primary providers of care, and second adult caregivers (Minnesota Statutes 2026, section 142I.10)

Change explained: This section looks at the training requirements for applicants, primary providers of care, and second adult caregivers. In family child care, license holders serve as the primary providers of care. Training requirements are now organized into initial, annual, and ongoing sections to make it easier to identify when each requirement must be completed. While most training topics remain the same, several requirements have been updated:

• Annual training hours reduced. Primary providers of care and second adult caregivers must complete 10 hours of annual training instead of 16 hours.
• New fire safety training. A fire safety training developed by the State Fire Marshal's Office must be completed every five years.
• Initial training timeframe clarified. Applicants, primary providers of care, and second adult caregivers will have 24 months before providing care to complete required initial training.
• Program policies must be reviewed after updates. Primary providers of care and second adult caregivers must review the revised program policies and procedures within 10 days of any changes. The license holder must document that all caregivers have reviewed the revised program policies.
• New Class C5 training. Applicants and primary providers of care seeking a Class C5 license must complete an additional large group training before receiving a Class C5 license.

Training updates for substitutes and intermittent caregivers (Minnesota Statutes 2026, section 142I.11)

Change explained: A new section has been added that outlines the training requirements for substitutes and intermittent caregivers.

The definition of a substitute has not changed. The updated licensing standards introduce the term intermittent caregiver, which means an adult who provides care alongside another adult caregiver for a cumulative total of no more than 500 hours per calendar year. Unlike a substitute, an intermittent caregiver assists another caregiver rather than serving as the primary provider of care.

Under the updated standards, intermittent caregivers must complete the same training requirements as substitutes. The training requirements for substitutes will not change.

Training updates for helpers (Minnesota Statutes 2026, section 142I.12)

Change explained: The eligible age for a helper has changed from 13–17 years old to 14–17 years old to align with Minnesota child labor laws.

Helper training requirements have also been reorganized into initial and annual training requirements. While most training requirements remain the same, there are two key changes:

• Reduced initial training hours. Helpers must complete at least 4 hours of training within the previous 12 months before assisting in care, reduced from the current requirement of 6 hours.
• Mandated reporter training required before assisting in care. Helpers must complete mandated reporter training before they begin assisting in the program.

To help caregivers better understand these training requirements, a training requirements chart has been developed. This quick reference organizes training requirements by caregiver role and when training must be completed, making it easier to identify applicable initial, annual, and ongoing training requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Child care center FAQs

Question: The revised standards prohibit “posting content of children in care on a personal social media account.” Is an employee resharing one of the center's own public posts to a personal account (for example, sharing a center Facebook post to their personal story or feed) considered "posting content of children in care on a personal social media account"?

Answer: If a center follows all requirements, including obtaining written parental consent, in creating a public post, a subsequent reposting of that public post by a staff person would not fall under the prohibitions outlined in the revised standards (MN Statutes 2026, section 142H.22).

Question: Some employees have personal relationships with enrolled families (relatives, neighbors, family friends) and may photograph or post those children in a purely personal context outside the program. Does the prohibition in the revised standards extend to content of enrolled children captured outside of care in a personal capacity, and if so, how should a center's policy address it?

Answer: The revised standards apply to conduct while providing care for children enrolled in the program. They are not intended to cover personal conduct outside the program that are unrelated to the operation of the child care program.

Centers may create their own requirements so long as they meet the minimum requirements of the statute. For example, a center may prohibit any and all posting of photos from the center.

Family child care FAQs

Question: When is a fence or natural barrier required, and when can I use a supervision and safety plan?

Answer: The June newsletter introduced the new requirements related to fences, natural barriers, and supervision and safety plans. This month additional guidance is being provided to clarify when each option applies.

Water hazards:

If there is a water hazard on or adjacent to the family child care site, children in care must be prevented from accessing the water except during supervised use. This means a fence, building wall, or other physical barrier must separate children from the water hazard. Examples include: Lakes, ponds, swimming pools, hot tubs, reservoirs, wetlands, or other similar water hazards.

The fence or other physical barrier must be at least 4 feet high and may include an exterior wall or the home if it prevents children from accessing the water hazard. The exterior wall of the home can count as part of the required physical barrier if it does not have a door or window that provides direct access to the enclosed water hazard space (e.g., an emergency escape (egress) window).

Providers may choose to fence the entire outdoor play area, or only the area around the water hazard (like the swimming pool or hot tub), depending on their property and how children use the outdoor space.

If you already have a fenced pool or hot tub, you are likely already meeting these new requirements. However, it is always good to check with your licensor to confirm your arrangement meets the requirements.

You can read the updated rules related to water hazards on the state Revisor’s website. Later this year, the revised statute will be codified as MN Statutes, section 142I.14, subdivision 7.

Other outdoor hazards:

A supervision and safety plan may be used for other nearby outdoor hazards, such as: Roads, railroads, construction sites, temporary hazards, or other hazards identified with the licensor.

A supervision and safety plan should describe the specific steps the program will take to keep children safe. For example, instead of simply stating “children will be supervised,” the plan should describe specific actions the caregivers will implement to adequately supervise the children in care, such as:

• How caregivers will establish clear play boundaries;
• How caregivers will be positioned between children and the hazard;
• How the outdoor play space will be set up and secured from potential hazards;
• How caregivers will remain available and in close proximity to school-aged children in outdoor play area;
• If proposing to supplement supervision with electronic monitoring devices, how they will be used and checked for proper functioning.

DCYF is developing a supervision and safety plan template that will be shared before July 1, 2027.

You can read the updated rules related to other outdoor hazards on the state Revisor’s website. Later this year, the revised statute will be codified as MN Statutes, section 142I.14, subdivision 3.

This image was created using artificial intelligence

Question: Can my pets be in the kitchen or food preparation area?

Answer: Pets are not always prohibited from being in the kitchen or food preparation area. However, when food is being prepared or served, pets and other animals must be prevented from accessing food preparation, storage, and serving areas unless they are confined in a cage or kennel.

The purpose of this requirement is to help keep food preparation and serving areas sanitary. The licensing standards do not require a specific method for keeping pets out of these areas. Providers may choose the approach that works best for their program and animal, such as using a gate, closing a door, or another effective barrier that prevents animals from accessing the area while food is being prepared or served.

You can read the updated rules related to pets in food preparation areas on the state Revisor’s website. Later this year, the revised statute will be codified as MN Statutes, section 142I.19, subdivision 4.

CCC and FCC Miscellaneous FAQs

Question: Where can I find previous newsletters about the updated licensing standards and implementation?

Answer: Previous monthly newsletters are available on the Revised Child Care Licensing Standards webpage. Each newsletter includes a Licensing Standards Spotlight and Frequently Asked Questions about the updated licensing standards. Providers are encouraged to review previous newsletters to see if their question has already been answered. Additionally, the Office of Inspector General has created a new webpage dedicated to the implementation of the revised licensing standards for child care centers and family child care.

Have Questions?

Questions and feedback may be submitted to ccregmodernization.dcyf@state.mn.us and will help inform future guidance and communications. While we may not be able to reply to each message individually, we are reading each one and using your questions and feedback to directly inform our implementation planning.

Sign up for future revised licensing standards newsletters by subscribing to the family child care or child care center email list