How to start a daycare in Vermont.
Vermont Department for Children and Families licenses child care centers in Vermont. 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 Vermont, step by step
Pick your program type
First, decide the kind of child care program you want to offer.
Source: Apply To Be A Child Care ProviderApply on the Division's forms
Apply for a license on the forms and in the way the Division sets.
Source: Center Based Child Care and Preschool Program Licensing RegulationsSend background check forms
Send a Records Check Authorization form for yourself and every staff person with your application.
Source: Center Based Child Care and Preschool Program Licensing RegulationsGet zoning approval
Record your zoning approval at the town office. Send a copy with your application.
Source: Center Based Child Care and Preschool Program Licensing RegulationsMeet fire safety rules
Meet the rules of the Vermont Division of Fire Safety and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Source: Center Based Child Care and Preschool Program Licensing RegulationsGet water permits if needed
If your water system needs permits, send them or proof of an approved system.
Source: Center Based Child Care and Preschool Program Licensing RegulationsGet liability insurance
Carry liability insurance that protects your program and the children. Send proof to the Division.
Source: Center Based Child Care and Preschool Program Licensing RegulationsHave your application reviewed
A Division representative reviews your application, talks with you and may inspect your site.
Source: Center Based Child Care and Preschool Program Licensing Regulations
At a glance
- Who licenses centers
- Vermont Department for Children and Families, Child Development Division (CDD). Licenses child care programs. No one may run one without a license unless the law exempts them.Source: Apply To Be A Child Care Provider
- License needed for
- Care outside a private homeSource: Apply To Be A Child Care Provider
- Pre-K in schools
- Public and private school pre-K programs count as centersSource: Center Based Child Care and Preschool Program Licensing Regulations
- Full license
- Good for 3 yearsSource: Center Based Child Care and Preschool Program Licensing Regulations
- Current rules
- Apply to applications received on or after April 17, 2022Source: Center Based Child Care and Preschool Program Licensing Regulations
Good to know
- A program in an approved public or independent school building need not send zoning papers.Source: Center Based Child Care and Preschool Program Licensing Regulations
- A building put up before 1978 must meet the Vermont Lead Law, unless found lead free.Source: Center Based Child Care and Preschool Program Licensing Regulations
Run a program in Vermont? Bloomily handles enrollment, billing, check-in and family messages. See how it works
Plan your program
- How to start a home daycare in Vermont
The kinds of home daycare the state allows, and the steps.
- Vermont licensing guide
Ratios, trainings and the checklist the state asks for.
- Child care grants in Vermont
Grants the state runs for providers.
- Daycare startup costs in Vermont
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 Vermont?
The first step: Pick your program type. All 8 steps are on this page, each with the state's own link.
Who licenses child care centers in Vermont?
Vermont Department for Children and Families, Child Development Division (CDD). Licenses child care programs. No one may run one without a license unless the law exempts them.
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 Vermont?
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