Licensing rules · Alaska
Daycare ratios in Alaska
In an Alaska daycare center, one adult may care for up to 5 babies, 6 children at 35 months, 10 children at ages 3 and 4, and 14 at age 5. Groups run from 10 babies up to 20 children at ages 3 and 4.
- Babies (6 weeks)
- 1:5
- Toddlers (18 months)
- 1:5
- 3-year-olds
- 1:10
- 4-year-olds
- 1:10
Daycare centers
Ratios and group sizes in Alaska centers
The most children one adult may care for, and the largest group allowed in one room, at each age. From Alaska's licensing rules as compiled in the 2025 national database.
| Child's age | Adults to children | Largest group |
|---|---|---|
| 6 weeks | 1:51 adult for 5 children | 10 children |
| 11 months | 1:51 adult for 5 children | 10 children |
| 18 months | 1:51 adult for 5 children | 10 children |
| 35 months | 1:61 adult for 6 children | 12 children |
| 3 years | 1:101 adult for 10 children | 20 children |
| 4 years | 1:101 adult for 10 children | 20 children |
| 5 years | 1:141 adult for 14 children | 28 children |
| 6 years | 1:141 adult for 14 children | 28 children |
| 7 years | 1:181 adult for 18 children | 36 children |
| 8 to 9 years | 1:181 adult for 18 children | 36 children |
| 10 years and older | 1:181 adult for 18 children | 36 children |
The national database reads each state's rule at these sample ages; Alaska's own rules give the exact age bands.
In the room
What the ratio means for your child
A ratio is the most children one adult may care for at the same time. With babies at 1:5, a full infant group of 10 needs at least 2 caregivers; at 35 months, 1:6 means a group of 12 also needs 2.
The ratio is a minimum. Rooms can run short when staff take breaks or at the edges of the day, so count the adults and children yourself on a tour, and ask how the daycare staffs early mornings and late afternoons.
When a room mixes ages, Alaska's rules set the ratio by the age of the youngest child or by the age of most of the children.
Home daycares
Rules for home daycares in Alaska
Alaska home daycares have their own limits, shown below. A family home with one provider may care for up to 8 children, and a group home needs 2 adults for a full group of 12 (written as 12:2, meaning 12 children to 2 adults).
Ask a home provider how many of the children are babies, when a second adult is there, and who covers if the provider is sick.
- As the national database records them
- Family child care home (one provider): up to 8 children.
- Group child care home (two or more providers): 12 children to 2 adults. Largest group: 12 children.
Enforcement
How Alaska checks these rules
- Centers: Alaska reported routine inspections twice a year, without notice.
- Family child care homes: routine inspections twice a year, without notice.
Inspection schedules are from a 2017 national survey of state licensing agencies.
On the tour
Ask about ratios on a tour
- How many adults are in my child's room, and how many children?
- How do staff keep track of every child during outdoor play, nap and pick-up?
- Who may pick up my child, and how do you check?
- Is the ratio the same at the start and end of the day, when fewer staff are in?
More questions: the daycare tour checklist.
Questions
Questions about daycare ratios in Alaska
What is the infant ratio for daycare centers in Alaska?
1:5. One adult may care for up to 5 babies, with no more than 10 in a group.
What is the toddler ratio in Alaska?
1:5 at 18 months, with groups of up to 10, and 1:6 at 35 months, with groups of up to 12.
What is the ratio for 4-year-olds in Alaska daycares?
1:10, with up to 20 children in a group, the same as at age 3.
How many children can an Alaska home daycare have?
A family home with one provider may care for up to 8 children. A group home may have up to 12 children with 2 adults.
How do I check whether a daycare keeps to the ratio?
Count the adults and children in the room on your tour, and ask the director how breaks, early mornings and late afternoons are staffed.
Rules change. Before you rely on a number here, check Alaska's current licensing rules or ask the state licensing agency.
Source: National Database of Child Care Licensing Regulations, Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families (licensingregulations.acf.hhs.gov), 2025 tables, retrieved October 7, 2026.