Licensing rules · Indiana
Daycare ratios in Indiana
In an Indiana daycare center, one adult may care for up to 5 babies, 6 children at 18 months, 11 three-year-olds or 13 four-year-olds. Rooms are capped at 12 babies and 29 four-year-olds.
- Babies (6 weeks)
- 1:5
- Toddlers (18 months)
- 1:6
- 3-year-olds
- 1:11
- 4-year-olds
- 1:13
Daycare centers
Ratios and group sizes in Indiana centers
The most children one adult may care for, and the largest group allowed in one room, at each age. From Indiana'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 | 12 children |
| 11 months | 1:51 adult for 5 children | 12 children |
| 18 months | 1:61 adult for 6 children | 14 children |
| 35 months | 1:91 adult for 9 children | 17 children |
| 3 years | 1:111 adult for 11 children | 25 children |
| 4 years | 1:131 adult for 13 children | 29 children |
| 5 years | 1:171 adult for 17 children | 31 children |
| 6 years | 1:201 adult for 20 children | 40 children |
| 7 years | 1:201 adult for 20 children | 40 children |
| 8 to 9 years | 1:201 adult for 20 children | 40 children |
| 10 years and older | 1:201 adult for 20 children | 40 children |
The national database reads each state's rule at these sample ages; Indiana'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. At 1:5 for babies, a full room of 12 infants needs at least 3 caregivers. A room of 29 four-year-olds, the largest group Indiana allows at that age, needs 3 as well.
The ratio is a minimum to check, not a promise. It is easiest to slip at the start and end of the day. On your tour, count the adults and children yourself. Supervision and ratio rules were 7.3% of the rules Indiana inspectors cited since October 2023, and 21% of the daycares visited had one cited.
When a room mixes ages, Indiana's rules set the ratio by the age of the youngest child.
Home daycares
Rules for home daycares in Indiana
For homes where one provider cares for children, the national database lists no licensing rules in Indiana, although Indiana's inspection records on DaycarePal do include many home daycares. For larger group homes, it lists a ratio that depends on the children's ages, with up to 12 children plus a few school-age children.
Ask any home daycare whether it is licensed, which rules it follows, how many babies are in the group and who helps the provider through the day.
- As the national database records them
- Family child care home (one provider): no licensing rules listed for this setting in Indiana.
- Group child care home (two or more providers): the rule reads (children to adults): “4:1 for infants; 6:1 for birth to 2 years, with 2 or more 16 months and older and walking; 10:1 for birth to 6 years, with no more than 3 younger than 16 months; 12:1 for 3 years and older.”
Enforcement
How Indiana checks these rules
- Centers: Indiana reported routine inspections once a year, without notice.
- In the inspection records: rules on supervision and ratios were 7.3% of the rules Indiana inspectors cited since October 2023, and 21% of the daycares visited had one cited.
What Indiana inspectors cite shows the rule areas cited most often.
Inspection schedules are from a 2017 national survey of state licensing agencies.
On the tour
Ask about ratios on a tour
- of the 597 Indiana daycare websites we read post a staff-to-child ratio
- 2.5%
- 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 Indiana
What is the infant ratio for daycare centers in Indiana?
1:5, as the national database lists it. One adult may care for up to 5 babies, and a room of babies may hold no more than 12.
What is the toddler ratio in Indiana?
1:6 at 18 months and 1:9 at 35 months, just before age 3, with groups of up to 14 and 17 children.
What is the ratio for 4-year-olds in Indiana daycares?
1:13, with up to 29 children in a group. At age 3 it is 1:11, with up to 25.
How many children can an Indiana home daycare have?
A larger group home may care for up to 12 children, plus 3 school-age children. For single-provider homes, the national database lists no rules, so ask the home which rules it follows.
How do I check whether a daycare keeps to the ratio?
Count the adults and children in the room on your tour, and read the daycare's inspection record. Only 2.5% of the 597 Indiana daycare websites we read post a ratio.
Rules change. Before you rely on a number here, check Indiana'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. Website figure: daycare websites read in 2026.