How to start a daycare in South Dakota.
South Dakota Department of Social Services licenses child care centers in South Dakota. 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 South Dakota, step by step
Start in the OLA Constituent Portal
Begin the licensing process in the Office of Licensing & Accreditation Constituent Portal.
Source: Licensed Child Care ProgramGet your building plan approved
Send your building or renovation plan to the department. Get it approved before you apply.
Source: Guide to Child Care Licensing Rules and Resources for Licensed ProgramsMeet the construction rules
Your building must meet the state's construction rules for day care centers, ARSD 61:15:05.
Source: Licensed Child Care ProgramGet fingerprinted
Complete your fingerprints first. Then request the background check online in the Provider Portal.
Source: Guide to Child Care Licensing Rules and Resources for Licensed ProgramsClear background checks before hiring
Each provider and staff member needs cleared background check results before starting work.
Source: Guide to Child Care Licensing Rules and Resources for Licensed ProgramsPass the pre-licensure inspection
The department inspects your program before it is licensed.
Source: Guide to Child Care Licensing Rules and Resources for Licensed ProgramsOpen only once you are licensed
State law requires a license before a child care program operates.
Source: Licensed Child Care Program
At a glance
- Who licenses centers
- South Dakota Department of Social Services, Office of Licensing & Accreditation (OLA). Licenses child care programs. Family day care providers may choose to register with it.Source: Child Care Services
- Licensed child care program
- 13 or more children, counting your own under 6 who live thereSource: Licensed Child Care Program
- Day care center
- 21 or more childrenSource: Child Care Data
- Inspections each year
- Two: a program inspection and a facility safety inspectionSource: Guide to Child Care Licensing Rules and Resources for Licensed Programs
- Background checks
- Staff 14 and older, and household members 18 and olderSource: Guide to Child Care Licensing Rules and Resources for Licensed Programs
- Location
- Your own home or a separate buildingSource: Licensed Child Care Program
Good to know
- Plan renovations ahead. New floor plans need approval before the work begins.Source: Guide to Child Care Licensing Rules and Resources for Licensed Programs
Run a program in South Dakota? Bloomily handles enrollment, billing, check-in and family messages. See how it works
Plan your program
- How to start a home daycare in South Dakota
The kinds of home daycare the state allows, and the steps.
- South Dakota licensing guide
Ratios, trainings and the checklist the state asks for.
- Child care grants in South Dakota
Grants the state runs for providers.
- Daycare startup costs in South Dakota
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 South Dakota?
The first step: Start in the OLA Constituent Portal. All 7 steps are on this page, each with the state's own link.
Who licenses child care centers in South Dakota?
South Dakota Department of Social Services, Office of Licensing & Accreditation (OLA). Licenses child care programs. Family day care providers may choose to register with it.
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 South Dakota?
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