Part 1: Understanding Types of Child Care Available in Maine

[Español] [Français] [Português] [Soomaali]

A multi-ethnic group of toddlers sitting on the floor playing with plastic blocks.

What are the types of child care in Maine?

Family Child Care – A program operated in the applicant’s or provider’s private residence, caring for consideration, for 3 to 12 children under 13 years of age who are not the children of the provider or who are not residing in the provider’s home.

Child Care Facilities – Child Care Facility means:

A house or other place in which a person maintains or otherwise carries out a regular program, for consideration, for any part of a day providing care and protection for 13 or more children under 13 years of age.

  • Any location or locations operated as a single Child care program or by a person or persons when there are more than 12 children being cared for.
  • Any program for children under 5 years of age that is located in a private school and programs that contract with one or more Child Development Services System sites are required to be licensed as a Child Care Facility (i.e., collaborative Public Pre-K programs that include Head Start, Child Development Services, or privately funded child care).

Small Child Care Facility – A house or other place, not the residence of the operator, in which a person maintains or otherwise carries out a regularly scheduled program, for any part of a day, providing care and protection for 3 to 12 children between 6 weeks and 12 years of age.

Nursery School – A house or other place in which a person provides care for 3 or more children between 33 months and 8 years of age, for a session no longer than three-and one-half hours in duration.

License Exempt Child Care

  • Unrelated License Exempt – means a Child Care Provider who is not required to be licensed to provide Child Care Services for no more than two (2) children, who is eighteen (18) years of age or older, a Maine resident, and does not reside in the same household.
  • Related License Exempt – means a relative who is a License-Exempt Child Care Provider, a grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt, or uncle or siblings of the Child if living in a separate residence, who is eighteen (18) years of age or older, a Maine resident who provides Child Care Services to no more than two (2) children.

There are Child Care Licensing Specialists (CCLS) throughout the state of Maine who are here to support you in your journey of becoming licensed. To make a connection with the CCLS in your area, please call (207) 287-5020 or 624-7900 and ask for Child Care Licensing, or follow the link to view their website.