Arkansas childcare licensing requirements.
Ratios, group sizes, certifications, and drills for Arkansas — per DCCECE Minimum Licensing Requirements for Child Care Facilities. Bloomily tracks every one of them live, so the paperwork is ready before anyone asks.
Staff-to-child ratios in Arkansas
| Age group | Ratio | Max group size |
|---|---|---|
| Infants (0-12 months) | 1:5 | 10 |
| Young Toddlers (12-24 months) | 1:8 | 16 |
| Older Toddlers (24-36 months) | 1:12 | 24 |
| preschool_3 | 1:12 | 24 |
| preschool_4 | 1:15 | 30 |
| preschool_5 | 1:18 | 36 |
| School Age (5+ years) | 1:18 | 36 |
Per DCCECE Minimum Licensing Requirements for Child Care Facilities. Ratios in Bloomily are computed live from real check-ins against these limits.
Required certifications
Arkansas required minimum 15 clock hours annual professional development
Renews every 12 months
Arkansas Child Maltreatment Central Registry check required
Renews every 60 months
Arkansas State Police criminal background check and FBI fingerprint check required
Renews every 60 months
Director qualifications including Child Development Associate (CDA) or higher education
Pediatric first aid certification required
Renews every 24 months
Food handler certification for staff preparing food
Renews every 36 months
Lead teacher qualifications per Arkansas licensing requirements
California mandated reporter training for child abuse
Arkansas mandatory reporter training on recognizing and reporting child abuse
Renews every 24 months
Initial orientation training within first week of employment
Infant and child CPR certification required
Renews every 24 months
Safe sleep training required for infant caregivers
Renews every 60 months
Drill requirements
| Drill | Frequency | Required |
|---|---|---|
| fire | monthly | Yes |
| shelter_in_place | annually | Recommended |
| tornado | monthly | Yes |
Arkansas DCCECE Pre-Inspection Checklist
- Current DCCECE license posted conspicuously
- Certificate of occupancy available
- Fire inspection report current
- Health inspection certificate posted
- Liability insurance documentation current
- Parent handbook available and current
- Child records complete and accessible
- Daily attendance records maintained
- Incident/accident reports documented
- DCCECE complaint procedures posted
- First aid kit stocked and accessible
- Emergency phone numbers posted
Run a Arkansas program? Keep it compliant without the binder.
Ratios computed live from real check-ins, certifications flagged before they lapse, and inspection-ready reports one click away.