Missouri Childcare Square Footage Requirements (2026)

For family child care homes, at least thirty-five (35) square feet of usable indoor floor space is required per child plus a minimum of seventy-five (75) square feet of outdoor play area per child (5 CSR 25-400.085(2)(B)1 and (3)(A)2)

5 CSR 25-400.085(2)(B)1 and (3)(A)2

for child care centers and group homes initially licensed for infant/toddler care, at least forty-five (45) square feet of usable indoor floor space is required for each infant and toddler (5 CSR 25-500.082).

5 CSR 25-500.082

A family child care home may be licensed for up to ten (10) children total, and the staff/child ratios are: with one caregiver — up to 4 children (max 4 under age 2), 5-6 children (max 3 under age 2), or 7-10 children (max 2 under age 2)

max 2 under age 2

with two caregivers — up to 8 children (max 8 under age 2) or up to 10 children (max 4 under age 2) (5 CSR 25-400.105(2)(A)).

5 CSR 25-400.105(2)(A)

For child care centers and group child care homes, maximum group size is set by age band: 8 for infants/toddlers/2-year-olds (birth-36 months, ratio 1:4), 16 for groups solely of 24-36-month-olds (ratio 1:8), 20 for 3-4-year-olds (ratio 1:10), and 32 for children 5 and older (ratio 1:16) (5 CSR 25-500.112)

5 CSR 25-500.112

family child care homes have no separate group-size cap beyond the 10-child licensed capacity (5 CSR 25-400.105(2)(A)).

5 CSR 25-400.105(2)(A)

How much indoor space per child does Missouri require?

For family child care homes, at least thirty-five (35) square feet of usable indoor floor space is required per child plus a minimum of seventy-five (75) square feet of outdoor play area per child (5 CSR 25-400.085(2)(B)1 and (3)(A)2); for child care centers and group homes initially licensed for infant/toddler care, at least forty-five (45) square feet of usable indoor floor space is required for each infant and toddler (5 CSR 25-500.082).

Does Missouri require outdoor play space too?

For family child care homes, at least thirty-five (35) square feet of usable indoor floor space is required per child plus a minimum of seventy-five (75) square feet of outdoor play area per child (5 CSR 25-400.085(2)(B)1 and (3)(A)2); for child care centers and group homes initially licensed for infant/toddler care, at least forty-five (45) square feet of usable indoor floor space is required for each infant and toddler (5 CSR 25-500.082).

What space is excluded when calculating capacity in Missouri?

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 Missouri rule above.