How to start a home daycare in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) oversees home daycares in Oklahoma. These are the kinds it allows and the steps, each with the state's own page.

Steps checked on the state's own pages, November 4, 2026.

The kinds of home daycare Oklahoma allows

Family child care home
Up to 7 children
Care takes place in a family home, for part of the day.
Source: Licensing Requirements for Family Child Care Homes and Large Child Care Homes
Large family child care home
8 to 12 children
Care takes place in a residential family home, for part of the day.
Source: Licensing Requirements for Family Child Care Homes and Large Child Care Homes

Contact your county licensing specialist
Contact the child care licensing specialist at your county Oklahoma Human Services office.
Source: Frequently Asked Questions for Providers or Parents
Check city license and zoning
Some cities and towns also require a local city license or zoning approval.
Source: Understanding the Licensing Process: Rights and Responsibilities
Get CPR and first aid
The primary caregiver needs current CPR and first aid before permission to operate.
Source: Licensing Requirements for Family Child Care Homes and Large Child Care Homes
Take health and safety training
Before caring for children, caregivers take health and safety training.
Source: Licensing Requirements for Family Child Care Homes and Large Child Care Homes
Submit your request for license
Send a completed request for license to your licensing staff. You are then on application status.
Source: Understanding the Licensing Process: Rights and Responsibilities
Have the on-site visit
Licensing staff visit to check that your program meets all the minimum requirements.
Source: Understanding the Licensing Process: Rights and Responsibilities
Get background checks
Get the background checks that licensing requires.
Source: Understanding the Licensing Process: Rights and Responsibilities
Get a six-month permit
Most programs get a six-month permit once they meet the minimum requirements.
Source: Understanding the Licensing Process: Rights and Responsibilities

Who oversees home daycares: Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS), Child Care Services. County licensing specialists guide you through becoming a licensed home provider.Source: Frequently Asked Questions for Providers or Parents
When you can start care: Only after DHS gives permissionSource: Licensing Requirements for Family Child Care Homes and Large Child Care Homes
Your own children: Children under 5 who live with you count when presentSource: Licensing Requirements for Family Child Care Homes and Large Child Care Homes
Primary caregiver: In the home at least 80 percent of open hoursSource: Licensing Requirements for Family Child Care Homes and Large Child Care Homes
To get a license: At least 3 monitoring visits, all required training and meeting the rulesSource: Understanding the Licensing Process: Rights and Responsibilities
License length: It does not expireSource: Understanding the Licensing Process: Rights and Responsibilities

Informal care that parents arrange with neighbors or friends is not a family child care home.Source: Licensing Requirements for Family Child Care Homes and Large Child Care Homes
A license does not pass to a new owner. A new owner must apply for a new license.Source: Understanding the Licensing Process: Rights and Responsibilities
Licensing staff keep visiting after you are licensed, at different times of day.Source: Understanding the Licensing Process: Rights and Responsibilities

Run a program in Oklahoma? Bloomily handles enrollment, billing, check-in and family messages. See how it works

How to start a daycare in Oklahoma
Opening a child care center: the steps and the agency.
Oklahoma licensing guide
Ratios, trainings and the checklist the state asks for.
Child care grants in Oklahoma
Grants the state runs for providers.
Daycare startup costs in Oklahoma
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.

How do I start a home daycare in Oklahoma?

The first step: Contact your county licensing specialist. All 8 steps are on this page, each with the state's own link.

Who oversees home daycares in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS), Child Care Services. County licensing specialists guide you through becoming a licensed home provider.

How many children can a home daycare in Oklahoma care for?

Family child care home: Up to 7 children. Large family child care home: 8 to 12 children.

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.