• If you will care for children in your own home and will care for 3 or fewer children other than your own biological or adopted children, a license is not required.
• If you will care for children in your own home and the only children in care are your own biological or adopted children, children related to you or children who reside with you, a license is not required regardless of the number of children in care.
• If you will care for children in your own home and will care for your own children, children related to you or children who reside in your home, and one or more children who are not related to you or residing with you, and the total number of children is 4 or more, a license is required. 
• If you are unsure if you need a license, call BCCL.

Anyone who intends to care for 1 or more children in a location other than a private home must be licensed.  The programs listed below do not require a license.

• Programs operated by public or private school systems
• Programs operated solely for the purpose of religious instruction or offered in conjunction with religious services while parents are in attendance
• Programs operated strictly to provide instruction to children such as athletics, crafts, music or dance
• Programs operated as a service to parents who are on the premises or in the immediate vicinity and readily available, such as a shopping center, ski area, bowling alley, health center or other similar operation
• Recreation programs operated by the Boys' and Girls' Club, Girls, Inc., YMCA, YWCA or any school or church group.

If you are unsure that the program you are operating or proposing needs a license, contact BCCL.

You can contact BCCL to request an information package that explains the licensing process or an application package if you know that you want to apply for a license.  The application package includes the application form, forms for required attachments and a copy of applicable NH Administrative Rules.  Contact BCCL for technical assistance. 

When BCCL receives the completed application and required attachments, a Licensing Specialist will visit your home to assess whether you are in compliance with the minimum licensing requirements.  Although BCCL has up to 120 days to to approve or deny an application, licensing new programs is a priority for BCCL.  When a program meets the minimum licensing requirements BCCL can usually process the license very quickly.

BCCL charges $15 for an application package that includes a copy of the licensing rules.  The $15 covers the costs of reproducing application materials.  There are no other state fees to become licensed.  Some towns and cities charge a fee for fire or health inspections or for zoning approval applications.  Other costs related to meeting the minimum licensing requirements include the costs of required physical examinations, toys, equipment and learning materials, or safety upgrades necessary to bring the facility to compliance with minimum licensing requirements. 

In general, licenses are valid for a 3 year period.  Programs must submit a license renewal application no less than 3 months before the expiration date of their active license. 

New programs are issued a permit that is valid for 6 months.  BCCL will make an unannounced visit during that 6-month period to determine whether the program is operating in compliance with the applicable rules/laws.  If a program is found to be in compliance, a license will be issued for the balance of the 3-year licensing period.

In addition to the initial visit or license renewal visit, BCCL is mandated to complete at least 2 monitoring visits during each 3-year licensing period, at least one of which must be unannounced.  BCCL may make as many additional visits as it deems necessary to ensure that a program is operating in compliance with the the applicable NH Statutes and Administrative Rules.  BCCL will also conduct investigations of complaints alleging violations of licensing laws and rules. 

Visits generally last between 2 1/2 to 5 hours, but may be longer or shorter, depending upon the size of the facility and the issues that must be addressed.

A.  To be a family or family group child care provider you must:

• Be currently trained and certified in First Aid and CPR;
• Complete a minimum of 6 hours of in-service training annually in areas related to child care; and
• Meet one of the following two education requirement options:

1. Be 21 years of age; or
2. Be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED), and have successfully completed a 2 year child care curriculum approved by the Department of Education or 6 college credits in human growth and development or early childhood  education.

B.  To be a center director in a center-based child care program, other

      than a school age program, an individual must:

• Be at least 21 years of age;
• Have a high school diploma or GED;
• Complete a minimum of 6 hours of in-service training annually in areas related to child care; and
• Meet one of the following two education requirement options:

1. Have 1000 hours experience working in a licensed child care program or public or private school; and have a minimum of an Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education; or
2. Meet an equivalent combination of education and experience as specific in the NH Administrative Rules for Child Care Program Licensing.

C.  To be a center director in a school age program an individual must:

• Be at least 20 years of age;
• Have a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED);
• Complete a minimum of 6 hours of in-service training annually in areas related to child care; and
• Meet pre-service experience and education requirements that range from a minimum of 2000 hours experience working with children to a Bachelor's Degree in Education or Recreation. 

BCCL issues a Statement of Findings for each visit to licensed child care programs other than unfounded complaint investigations.  A Statement of Findings is a report of any violations found.  Programs must provide a written Corrective Action Plan for each violation on the Statement of Findings.  You can review any Statements of Findings and Corrective Action Plans for the two most recent visits to the program by contacting BCCL Program Staff.  In addition, BCCL can provide copies of past Statements of Findings and Corrective Action Plans for the most recent licensing, monitoring or founded investigation visits for a specific child care program.

Contact BCCL or your local Child Care Resource and Referral agency to request a list of licensed child care programs in your area.  BCCL can provide you with the telephone number for the Child Care Resource and Referral agency in your area.

Copies of all forms are provided when you obtain your license.  You may reproduce these forms as needed.  Newly developed forms will be provided by BCCL when appropriate. BCCL will provide reasonable supplies of any multi-page Non-Carbon Reproduced (NCR) required forms.

In general, NH Administrative Rules require that a child must be excluded from care if:

• The child has symptoms of a contagious illness or symptoms of illness that impairs or prohibits participation in regular child care program activities; or 
• Due to illness, the child requires more care than child care personnel are able to provide without compromising the health and safety of the sick child or the other children. 

If a parent is unsure whether they should send their child to a child care program when he or she is sick, they should consult with the child care program staff.  Child care programs that are unsure about whether a child should be at the program or not due to illness should contact Communicable Disease Control and Surveillance.  Child care programs have the right to develop policies that prohibit attendance by sick children.  Those policies can be more restrictive than NH Administrative Rules.

Licensed child care programs may have pets, with certain restrictions.  Dogs and cats must have current rabies vaccinations and pets cannot be allowed on food preparation surfaces or food service surfaces.  Children cannot have access to litter pans, animal feces or urine.  Licensing rules prohibit pets that pose a health or safety risk to children.  Some examples of pets that DHHS has determined pose a health or safety risk to children are: aggressive or vicious dogs or any other aggressive or vicious animals; bats; turtles; tortoises; snakes; iguanas; other lizards or reptiles; hedgehogs; parakeets; and parrots and parrot-like birds.

Licensed Plus is a quality rating system that recognizes NH child care programs for efforts to improve the quality of care for young children and rewards programs that strive to improve their practices and  staff qualifications.