Kansas Childcare Square Footage Requirements (2026)

Child care centers must provide at least 35 square feet of floor space per child in each area designated for children's activities, exclusive of kitchen, passageways, storage areas, and bathrooms (K.A.R. 28-4-423)

K.A.R. 28-4-423

family child care homes must have 25 square feet of available play space per child (K.A.R. 28-4-115)

K.A.R. 28-4-115

and child care centers must provide at least 75 square feet of outdoor play space per child using the space at a given time, with total outdoor space accommodating not less than one-half of the licensed capacity or a minimum of 750 square feet, whichever is greater (K.A.R. 28-4-437).

K.A.R. 28-4-437

A one-provider family child care home has a maximum group size of 10 children when serving children at least 2.5 but under 10 years of age, with infant sub-limits under K.A.R. 28-4-114(e) Table I allowing up to 1 child under 12 months while still serving 10 total, dropping to 9 total with 2 infants and 8 total with 3 infants (3 infants being the one-provider maximum)

3 infants being the one-provider maximum

a second provider is required once counts exceed the one-provider limits, raising the maximum group size to 12 children (Table III), with up to 5 children under 12 months permitted at that 12-child cap (K.A.R. 28-4-114(e), effective August 2, 2024).

K.A.R. 28-4-114(e), effective August 2, 2024

Kansas sets maximum-children-per-unit (group size) caps for child care centers under K.A.R. 28-4-428(a)(2): infants 9 (at a 1:3 staff-child ratio) or 8 (at 1:4)

at 1:4

infants and other children under age 6 = 12 (including not more than 6 infants, at 1:6)

including not more than 6 infants, at 1:6

children at least 2 but under 3 years = 14 (at 1:7)

at 1:7

children at least 2.5 years but under school-age = 24 (at 1:12)

at 1:12

and school-age children = 32 (at 1:16).

at 1:16

How much indoor space per child does Kansas require?

Child care centers must provide at least 35 square feet of floor space per child in each area designated for children's activities, exclusive of kitchen, passageways, storage areas, and bathrooms (K.A.R. 28-4-423); family child care homes must have 25 square feet of available play space per child (K.A.R. 28-4-115); and child care centers must provide at least 75 square feet of outdoor play space per child using the space at a given time, with total outdoor space accommodating not less than one-half of the licensed capacity or a minimum of 750 square feet, whichever is greater (K.A.R. 28-4-437).

Does Kansas require outdoor play space too?

Child care centers must provide at least 35 square feet of floor space per child in each area designated for children's activities, exclusive of kitchen, passageways, storage areas, and bathrooms (K.A.R. 28-4-423); family child care homes must have 25 square feet of available play space per child (K.A.R. 28-4-115); and child care centers must provide at least 75 square feet of outdoor play space per child using the space at a given time, with total outdoor space accommodating not less than one-half of the licensed capacity or a minimum of 750 square feet, whichever is greater (K.A.R. 28-4-437).

What space is excluded when calculating capacity in Kansas?

Most states exclude hallways, bathrooms, kitchens, offices, and storage from the usable indoor activity space used to compute capacity. Confirm the exact exclusions in the cited Kansas rule above.