How to start a home daycare in South Dakota.

South Dakota Department of Social Services oversees home daycares in South Dakota. 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 South Dakota allows

  • Registered family day care home

    Up to 12 children

    Your own children under 6 who live there count toward the 12.

    Source: Registered Family Day Care

  • Group family day care home

    13 to 20 children

    This kind of home needs a state license.

    Source: Child Care Data

Starting a home daycare in South Dakota, step by step

  1. Start in the OLA Constituent Portal

    Begin the process in the Office of Licensing & Accreditation Constituent Portal.

    Source: Registered Family Day Care

  2. Get fingerprinted

    Get your fingerprints taken before you request your background check.

    Source: Guide to Child Care Licensing Rules and Resources for Family Child Care

  3. Send out-of-state forms if needed

    If you lived outside South Dakota as an adult in the past 5 years, you need out-of-state screening.

    Source: Guide to Child Care Licensing Rules and Resources for Family Child Care

  4. Request your background check online

    Complete the background check request in the provider portal.

    Source: Guide to Child Care Licensing Rules and Resources for Family Child Care

  5. Get first aid and CPR training

    Take pediatric first aid training. Get pediatric CPR certification with a hands-on skills test.

    Source: Guide to Child Care Licensing Rules and Resources for Family Child Care

  6. Pass the first visit

    Licensing staff review your papers and visit your home before you are registered.

    Source: Guide to Child Care Licensing Rules and Resources for Family Child Care

  7. Finish orientation training

    Complete orientation training within 90 days of starting work.

    Source: Guide to Child Care Licensing Rules and Resources for Family Child Care

At a glance

Who oversees home daycares
South Dakota Department of Social Services, Office of Licensing & Accreditation (OLA). Registers family day care providers who choose to register, and licenses larger programs.Source: Child Care Services
When registration is required
When you are paid with public fundsSource: Registered Family Day Care
When it is your choice
12 or fewer children and no public fundsSource: Registered Family Day Care
Registration certificate
Lasts two yearsSource: Registered Family Day Care
Provider age
18 or olderSource: Registered Family Day Care
Background checks
Assistants 14 and older, and household members 18 and olderSource: Guide to Child Care Licensing Rules and Resources for Family Child Care

Good to know

  • Sioux Falls homes with 7 to 12 children also need a city health registration and zoning permit.Source: Daycare Licensing
  • In Sioux Falls, a home with 6 or fewer children needs a city health registration.Source: Daycare Licensing

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Questions, answered

How do I start a home 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 oversees home daycares in South Dakota?

South Dakota Department of Social Services, Office of Licensing & Accreditation (OLA). Registers family day care providers who choose to register, and licenses larger programs.

How many children can a home daycare in South Dakota care for?

Registered family day care home: Up to 12 children. Group family day care home: 13 to 20 children.

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.

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