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SPACE REQUIREMENTS

The child care facility shall provide adequate space indoors and out for the daily activities of the children. This must include a minimum of 35 square feet per child indoors and a minimum of 75 square feet per child outdoors. Indoor space considered must exclude bathrooms, pantries, passageways leading to outdoor exits, and space children are not permitted to occupy. If available outdoor play space does not accommodate the licensed capacity of the child care facility at one time, the operator shall prepare a written schedule of outdoor playtime which limits use of the play area to its capacity, giving every child an opportunity to play outdoors.

Contact your local licensing agency to determine the number of children your facility can be licensed for.

SQUARE FOOTAGE RECOMMENDATIONS

Space Standard(Quality)	Primary Activity Space in Each Group Room	*Secondary Activity Space in Each Group Room() ()	Adult and Common Space(Outside the Group Rooms)	Tertiary (Non-assignable Space)	Total Building Square Footage
Minimum (Insufficient)	35 sq ft/child	20 sq ft/child	15 sq ft/child	17.5 sq ft/child (25%)	88 sq ft/child
Workable	42 sq ft/child	20 sq ft/child	18 sq ft/child	20 sq ft/child (25%)	100 sq ft/child
Better	46 sq ft/child	20 sq ft/child	22 sq ft/child	26 sq ft/child (30%)	115 sq ft/child
Recommended	50 sq ft/child	22 sq ft/child	24 sq ft/child	29 sq ft/child (30%)	125 sq ft/child

* In infant rooms, an additional 30 sq. ft./child is needed for each crib as well as 2-3 foot clearance required between adjacent cribs.
** Because toddlers need both diapering and toileting, an additional 3 sq. ft./child are desirable.

DEFINITION OF SPACE

Primary Space—space needed for children’s developmental activities and play.

Secondary Space—space that is not primary but essential to support caregiving aspects of the program: bathrooms, diapering areas, kitchenettes, storage, cubbies, laundry and built in furniture.

Tertiary Space—space essential for the architecture such as entries, corridors, stairways, mechanical and electrical and wall thickness.

**A high quality program that operates from 8-10 hours a day really requires 115-125 square feet per child overall.

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