How to start a daycare in Mississippi.
Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) licenses child care centers in Mississippi. 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 Mississippi, step by step
Call the Child Care Licensure office
The office helps with each step and the information you need. Call it first.
Source: New Child Care Facility License Application: Start HereWait before you sign a lease
Do not lease or buy a building until a licensing inspector has visited and inspected it.
Source: New Child Care Facility License Application: Start HereApply online
Fill out the online application. A licensing inspector then contacts you about next steps.
Source: How to Get a Child Care LicenseStudy the regulations
Read the state rules for child care facilities before you go further.
Source: How to Get a Child Care LicenseGet building plans reviewed
Building new or renovating? Your licensing official must review your plans before construction.
Source: How to Get a Child Care LicensePass fire and health inspections
Your local health department and fire department must inspect the building.
Source: How to Get a Child Care LicenseGet background checks
Each worker who starts when you open needs a Letter of Suitability for Employment.
Source: How to Get a Child Care LicenseTake the required training
The owner and director take training on the rules, Directors Orientation and Playground Safety.
Source: How to Get a Child Care License
At a glance
- Who licenses centers
- Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), Bureau of Child Care Licensure. Sets the minimum rules for child care facilities under the state licensing law.Source: Regulations Governing Licensure of Child Care Facilities
- License needed
- 6 or more children under 13 who are not related to youSource: New Child Care Facility License Application: Start Here
- Before you open
- You must have a temporary licenseSource: How to Get a Child Care License
- Director
- A qualified director is needed before a temporary licenseSource: How to Get a Child Care License
- Lead testing
- Every playground, and buildings built before 1978Source: How to Get a Child Care License
- Renewal
- Every yearSource: Regulations Governing Licensure of Child Care Facilities
Good to know
- Your city may also require a building inspection or a business license before you open.Source: How to Get a Child Care License
Run a program in Mississippi? Bloomily handles enrollment, billing, check-in and family messages. See how it works
Plan your program
- How to start a home daycare in Mississippi
The kinds of home daycare the state allows, and the steps.
- Mississippi licensing guide
Ratios, trainings and the checklist the state asks for.
- Daycare startup costs in Mississippi
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 Mississippi?
The first step: Call the Child Care Licensure office. All 8 steps are on this page, each with the state's own link.
Who licenses child care centers in Mississippi?
Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), Bureau of Child Care Licensure. Sets the minimum rules for child care facilities under the state licensing law.
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 Mississippi?
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