Supervision: Ratios and Group Sizes

Child Care Provider Reading to Children

Federal law requires states and territories to establish standards for child group sizes (by child care setting and child age) and staff-to-child (staff:child) ratios for each age group of children receiving care.

Standards for staff:child ratios and group sizes are a way to ensure the safety, well-being, and development of children in child care programs.

Required ratios and group sizes help staff provide better supervision and care and provide children with more opportunities to develop social skills by allowing them to consistently interact with a smaller group of children and staff.

Staff:child ratio is the number of children for whom each child care staff member (or family child care provider) is responsible for supervising. Required staff:child ratios differ by age. For example, a staff:child ratio of 1:10 for 4-year-old children means that one staff member must be assigned to supervise no more than 10 4-year-old children.
Group size is the maximum number of children allowed to be in the care of a staff member, provider, or a team of staff members in a specific setting (such as a classroom or family child care home) or area (such as a playground). For example, the requirement could be that a group of 4-year-old children not exceed 16 children in a preschool classroom no matter how many staff members are present. Note: In a family child care home, the group includes all children who are receiving care at any one time.

Low staff:child ratios and small group sizes help ensure children get enough one-on-one attention from their teacher or caregiver. In general, children who are younger should have more adults present and smaller group sizes.

One-on-one attention helps children feel safe and secure and reduces feelings of being overwhelmed—for both children and adults. This responsive caregiving is very important to your child’s social-emotional development, physical well-being, and overall learning.
A smaller group size allows adults to interact more easily with each child and quickly respond to each child’s unique needs.

Staff:child ratio and group size requirements vary by state and type of program. Check your state’s or territory’s staff:child ratio and group size requirements for licensed child care programs by selecting your state or territory and reviewing the “Understanding and Finding Child Care Resources” page.

The chart below provides some general recommendations from early childhood experts for safe staff:child ratios and group sizes.*

Recommended Staff:Child Ratio and Group Size: Child Care Centers

Ages	Staff:Child Ratio	Group Size
Infants: Younger than 12 months old	1 adult should care for no more than 3 infants	No more than 6 infants in a group or class
Toddlers: 13–35 months old	1 adult should care for no more than 4 toddlers	No more than 8 toddlers in a group or class
Preschoolers: 3 years old	1 adult should care for no more than 7 preschoolers	No more than 14 preschoolers in a group or class
Preschoolers: 4 years old	1 adult should care for no more than 8 preschoolers	No more than 16 preschoolers in a group or class
Preschoolers: 5 years old	1 adult should care for no more than 8 preschoolers	No more than 16 preschoolers in a group or class
School-age children: 6–8 years old	1 adult should care for no more than 10 school-age children	No more than 20 school-age children in a group or class
School-age children: 9–12 years old	1 adult should care for no more than 12 school-age children	No more than 25 school-age children in a group or class

Recommended Staff:Child Ratios and Group Sizes: Large Family Child Care Homes

Ages	Staff:Child Ratio	Group Size
Infants: Younger than 12 months old	1 adult should care for no more than 2 infants	No more than 6 infants in a group or class
Toddlers: 13–23 months old	1 adult should care for no more than 2 young toddlers	No more than 8 young toddlers in a group or class
Toddlers: 24–35 months old	1 adult should care for no more than 3 older toddlers	No more than 12 older toddlers in a group or class
Preschoolers: 3 years old	1 adult should care for no more than 7 preschoolers	No more than 12 preschoolers in a group or class
Preschoolers: 4–5 years old	1 adult should care for no more than 8 preschoolers	No more than 12 preschoolers in a group or class
School-age children: 6–8 years old	1 adult should care for no more than 10 school-age children	No more than 12 school-age children in a group or class
School-age children: 9–12 years old	1 adult should care for no more than 12 school-age children	No more than 12 school-age children in a group or class

Note: In family child care home programs, providers should include their own children under the age of 6—as well as any other children in the home temporarily requiring supervision—in the staff:child ratio. Family child care home programs with mixed-age groups that include infants and toddlers should maintain a maximum staff:child ratio of 1:6, and no more than two of these children should be 24 months or younger.

* American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, & National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education. (2019). Caring for our children: National health and safety performance standards: Guidelines for early care and education programs (4th ed.).