Provide Child Care
To become a child care provider you first need to decide if you want to open a business in your home or if you want to create a center-based business. Below is a definition of each type of business:
- Family Child Care – You may provide care for up to 8 children in your home
- Large Family Child Care – You may care for up to 12 children in your home
- Child Care Center – You may provide care in a facility outside of your home that is zoned to be used as a child care center. The number of children you serve is dependent upon the square footage of the building.
Anyone who is interested in starting a child care business in a home or center is required to take the face-to-face orientation training. Please contact the Office of Child Care Regional Licensing Office to schedule the Orientation Training.
To prepare for your orientation session, you may wish to view the online orientation preview. This does not replace the face-to-face orientation session you are required to attend at your Regional Office of Child Care.

Health & Safety
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Child Care Providers: Fund Your College Education with CCCPDF
The Division of Early Childhood extends congratulations to the recipients of the Child Care Career and Professional Development Fund (CCCPDF) who recently graduated in December 2024. The CCCPDF is a tuition assistance program for early childhood educators to pursue a college education at participating Maryland colleges and universities. With…
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Interested in Providing Informal Child Care?
Do you spend time with your friend’s or family member’s child while their parent is at work or school/training? You can become their informal child care provider in Maryland—even without a license! Plus, you can get paid through the Child Care Scholarship program. What Is Informal Child Care? Informal child…
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Maryland EXCELS Marks Five Years of Supporting Military Families Through Military Child Care Program
October 2024 marks the fifth anniversary of Maryland EXCELS’s partnership with the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood-PLUS (MCCYN-PLUS) program. This Department of Defense (DoD) initiative offers assistance with child care costs to military families, enabling them to enroll their children in high-quality local child care programs. Through this continued partnership,…
Tuesday Tidbits is a bi-weekly email sent to licensed child care providers with news, announcements, updates, deadline reminders, and other time-sensitive messages.
