How to start a daycare in Indiana.
Indiana Family and Social Services Administration licenses child care centers in Indiana. These are the steps, each with the state's own page.
Steps checked on the state's own pages, November 4, 2026.
Opening a child care center in Indiana, step by step
Fill out the referral form
Fill out the Emerging Provider Referral Form. A specialist will answer questions and guide you.
Source: Become a Child Care ProviderTake Orientation 1
Take Orientation 1 in I-LEAD. It covers the start-up process.
Source: Become a Child Care ProviderTake Orientation 2 for centers
Take Orientation 2 for child care centers. It prepares you for licensing.
Source: Become a Child Care ProviderGet background checks
Indiana law requires criminal background checks for child care staff.
Source: Background Check RequirementsApply in I-LEAD
Send your application online through I-LEAD.
Source: Become a Child Care ProviderPass the pre-licensing inspection
OECOSL inspects your program at least once before it issues a license. The visit is set by appointment.
Source: The Monitoring Process for Child Care Programs in Indiana
At a glance
- Who licenses centers
- Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL). Regulates child care in Indiana, including licensed child care centers.Source: Laws Rules and Related Policies
- What counts as a center
- A nonresidential building where even 1 child gets regular, paid child careSource: 2026 Indiana Code, Title 12
- First license
- May be provisional, for up to 12 monthsSource: The Monitoring Process for Child Care Programs in Indiana
- Inspections
- At least one unannounced visit each yearSource: The Monitoring Process for Child Care Programs in Indiana
- Fingerprint checks
- Done again every 3 yearsSource: Background Check Requirements
Good to know
- Think your program may not need a license? Read the Indiana Code on licensing exemptions.Source: Become a Child Care Provider
- Child care run by a tax-exempt church or religious ministry is called a child care ministry.Source: 2026 Indiana Code, Title 12
- An unlicensed registered child care ministry gets at least two unannounced inspections a year.Source: The Monitoring Process for Child Care Programs in Indiana
- A child care program run by a public or private school may now qualify for a licensing exemption.Source: Early Child Care and Education Legislative Changes
Run a program in Indiana? Bloomily handles enrollment, billing, check-in and family messages. See how it works
Plan your program
- How to start a home daycare in Indiana
The kinds of home daycare the state allows, and the steps.
- Indiana licensing guide
Ratios, trainings and the checklist the state asks for.
- Child care grants in Indiana
Grants the state runs for providers.
- Daycare startup costs in Indiana
Revenue, staff pay and rent from your own numbers.
- Daycare business plan
How to write a plan for funding and licensing.
- Tuition calculator
Typical rates by state and age group.
- Ratio calculator
Staff needed for each age group, by state.
Questions, answered
How do I start a daycare in Indiana?
The first step: Fill out the referral form. All 6 steps are on this page, each with the state's own link.
Who licenses child care centers in Indiana?
Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL). Regulates child care in Indiana, including licensed child care centers.
About this page
Steps checked on the state's own pages, November 4, 2026.
This page is a summary of the state's own pages. It is not legal advice, and rules change.
Questions about childcare in Indiana?
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