Delaware Childcare Licensing

Delaware Childcare Training Hour Requirements (2026)

Delaware childcare staff must complete both pre-service (orientation) training before working with children and ongoing annual training each year. Family child care home licensees must complete at least 12 clock hours of annual training, and large family providers/assistants/aides (and any licensee present 7+ hours/week) at least 15 clock hours; in centers, staff working 25 or more hours/week must complete 18 clock hours annually (including at least 2 hours health/safety) and those working less than 25 hours/week 9 clock hours (including at least 1 hour health/safety), as accepted by OCCL (DELACARE Regs for Family and Large Family Child Care Homes, Sec. 48.B and Sec. 60.B; DELACARE Regs for Early Care and Education and School-Age Centers, Sec. 33.B-C).

Licensing Agency

Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) →

Last updated: April 2026

Researched by the TotReady Research Team

Delaware Training Hour Requirements: The Specifics

Family/large family applicants who will work with children must complete documented pre-service training before licensure including 6 hours of quality-assured child development and 3 hours of quality-assured positive behavior management/social-emotional development plus health and safety topics

DELACARE Regs for Family and Large Family Child Care Homes, Sec. 6.N

in centers all staff, substitutes, and volunteers (working more than five days or 40 hours a year) must complete OCCL orientation training before working with children, which counts as 3 clock hours toward annual training (DELACARE Regs for Family and Large Family Child Care Homes, Sec. 6.N

working more than five days or 40 hours a year

DELACARE Regs for Early Care and Education and School-Age Centers, Sec. 32 Orientation).

DELACARE Regs for Family and Large Family Child Care Homes, Sec. 6.N

Family child care home licensees must complete at least 12 clock hours of annual training, and large family providers/assistants/aides (and any licensee present 7+ hours/week) at least 15 clock hours

and any licensee present 7+ hours/week

in centers, staff working 25 or more hours/week must complete 18 clock hours annually (including at least 2 hours health/safety) and those working less than 25 hours/week 9 clock hours (including at least 1 hour health/safety), as accepted by OCCL (DELACARE Regs for Family and Large Family Child Care Homes, Sec. 48.B and Sec. 60.B

including at least 1 hour health/safety

DELACARE Regs for Early Care and Education and School-Age Centers, Sec. 33.B-C).

DELACARE Regs for Family and Large Family Child Care Homes, Sec. 48.B and Sec. 60.B

Delaware Training Hour Requirements at a Glance

Pre-service trainingFamily/large family applicants who will work with children must complete documented pre-service training before licensure including 6 hours of quality-assured child development and 3 hours of quality-assured positive behavior management/social-emotional development plus health and safety topics; in centers all staff, substitutes, and volunteers (working more than five days or 40 hours a year) must complete OCCL orientation training before working with children, which counts as 3 clock hours toward annual training (DELACARE Regs for Family and Large Family Child Care Homes, Sec. 6.N; DELACARE Regs for Early Care and Education and School-Age Centers, Sec. 32 Orientation).
Annual trainingFamily child care home licensees must complete at least 12 clock hours of annual training, and large family providers/assistants/aides (and any licensee present 7+ hours/week) at least 15 clock hours; in centers, staff working 25 or more hours/week must complete 18 clock hours annually (including at least 2 hours health/safety) and those working less than 25 hours/week 9 clock hours (including at least 1 hour health/safety), as accepted by OCCL (DELACARE Regs for Family and Large Family Child Care Homes, Sec. 48.B and Sec. 60.B; DELACARE Regs for Early Care and Education and School-Age Centers, Sec. 33.B-C).

Go Deeper

All Delaware requirementsThe full Delaware licensing overview.Compare all 50 statesSee training hour requirements side by side.Read the guidePractical how-to for this topic.

Generate a Delaware-Compliant Handbook

TotReady builds a fully compliant parent handbook for your Delaware childcare center in minutes — every required section, your branding, and regulatory citations included.

Delaware Training Hour Requirements: Frequently Asked Questions

How many pre-service training hours does Delaware require?

Family/large family applicants who will work with children must complete documented pre-service training before licensure including 6 hours of quality-assured child development and 3 hours of quality-assured positive behavior management/social-emotional development plus health and safety topics; in centers all staff, substitutes, and volunteers (working more than five days or 40 hours a year) must complete OCCL orientation training before working with children, which counts as 3 clock hours toward annual training (DELACARE Regs for Family and Large Family Child Care Homes, Sec. 6.N; DELACARE Regs for Early Care and Education and School-Age Centers, Sec. 32 Orientation).

How many annual training hours does Delaware require?

Family child care home licensees must complete at least 12 clock hours of annual training, and large family providers/assistants/aides (and any licensee present 7+ hours/week) at least 15 clock hours; in centers, staff working 25 or more hours/week must complete 18 clock hours annually (including at least 2 hours health/safety) and those working less than 25 hours/week 9 clock hours (including at least 1 hour health/safety), as accepted by OCCL (DELACARE Regs for Family and Large Family Child Care Homes, Sec. 48.B and Sec. 60.B; DELACARE Regs for Early Care and Education and School-Age Centers, Sec. 33.B-C).

Does CPR/First Aid count toward Delaware training hours?

States differ on whether CPR and First Aid certification counts toward required training hours. Confirm with the Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) before relying on it for your annual total.

Delaware childcare licensing rules are amended regularly. This page is compiled from published Delaware administrative codes and statutes for informational purposes only — always verify current requirements with the Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) before relying on them. TotReady provides information and document templates, not legal or regulatory advice.