Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Department of Human Services Office of Health and Human Services

Apply to be a Child Care Provider in Rhode Island

The Department of Human Services is excited to welcome new providers into the state. The supply of child care providers never equals the demand for families looking for quality child care, and if you are passionate about keeping children healthy and safe, we would love for you to consider this as a career. 

Use this webpage to better understand the steps to becoming a licensed child care provider.  

Please note that the process to open a child care program, regardless of type, can take anywhere from 3-6 months. DHS requires up to fourteen days to review applications and documents submitted as part of this process. No program will be licensed without all requirements outlined in both regulations and statute. For a review of all child care regulations, please visit our regulations page. 

We encourage all potential providers to read the regulations carefully that are on our website - regulations are constantly changing and it's important as you begin to be referencing the most recent child care regulations. 

All new Center Child Care and School Age Program owners and/or Family Child Care providers are first required to complete a self-paced, online Orientation specific to the type of program they would like to open. This Orientation can be found here in both English and Spanish. This orientation is designed to lay out the steps to become licensed and provide new and updated information on regulations. 

For new potential Center Based and School Age Program owners:

Upon completion of mandatory Orientation, you will receive next steps in your email which include creating a profile in the RISES Workforce Registry. For more information about our workforce registry, please see the RISES page on the DHS website. 

After completion of the Orientation and creation of yourself and your Owner/Organization in the RISES system, you will be enrolled in First Steps.

  • First Steps is designed as a "Child Care Licensing 101" training for new providers and is a requirement for any new owners or operators. 

Upon completion of the Orientation, and after finding a potential child care location, please complete a technical assistance request with LISC using this link. Space is one of the most important parts of licensing a child care center and it is important to ensure that your space follows all regulations. 

Little Learners teacher and child

For new potential Family Child Care Providers:

Upon completion of this Orientation, you will receive next steps which include creating a profile in the RISES Workforce Registry. For more information about our workforce registry, please see the RISES page on the DHS website. 

After completion of the Orientation and creation of yourself and your Family Child Care Program in the RISES system, you will be enrolled in First Steps. 

  • First Steps is designed as a "Child Care Licensing 101" training for new providers and is a requirement for all new family child care providers. This is also for any providers who have closed since 2020 and are looking to re-open. 

 

For those purchasing an already established, licensed child care program:

For individuals that are not currently an owner/operator of a child care center in Rhode Island, you are also required to complete the Center and School Age Orientation (link found above).

  • If you are an already existing Child Care Center owner and would like to open a new program at a new location, you are not required to complete an Orientation.  To learn more about adding a program to an already existing profile, please visit Rhode Island Start Early System (RISES) webpage found here to access training guides and user manuals.

Please note that licenses are not transferable. If a program is sold prior to DHS receiving and approving an application from the new owner, the program will be closed until DHS has approved and completed all requirements related to licensing. 

It is also important to note that all purchases of already existing child care centers are required to adhere to all current regulations, particularly when it comes to physical facilities. 

For questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to our DHS Office of Child Care Licensing Unit at 401-462-3009 or email DHS.Childcarelicensing@dhs.ri.gov.