Licensing rules · Tennessee
Daycare ratios in Tennessee
In a Tennessee daycare center, one adult may care for up to 4 babies, 6 children at 18 months, 9 three-year-olds or 13 four-year-olds. Rooms are capped at 8 babies and 24 four-year-olds.
- Babies (6 weeks)
- 1:4
- Toddlers (18 months)
- 1:6
- 3-year-olds
- 1:9
- 4-year-olds
- 1:13
Daycare centers
Ratios and group sizes in Tennessee centers
The most children one adult may care for, and the largest group allowed in one room, at each age. From Tennessee's licensing rules as compiled in the 2025 national database.
| Child's age | Adults to children | Largest group |
|---|---|---|
| 6 weeks | 1:41 adult for 4 children | 8 children |
| 11 months | 1:41 adult for 4 children | 8 children |
| 18 months | 1:61 adult for 6 children | 12 children |
| 35 months | 1:71 adult for 7 children | 14 children |
| 3 years | 1:91 adult for 9 children | 18 children |
| 4 years | 1:131 adult for 13 children | 24 children |
| 5 years | 1:161 adult for 16 children | 24 children |
| 6 years | 1:201 adult for 20 children | No limit in the rules |
| 7 years | 1:201 adult for 20 children | No limit in the rules |
| 8 to 9 years | 1:201 adult for 20 children | No limit in the rules |
| 10 years and older | 1:201 adult for 20 children | No limit in the rules |
The national database reads each state's rule at these sample ages; Tennessee'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 1:4 for babies, a full room of 8 infants needs at least 2 caregivers. At 1:13 for 4-year-olds, a room of 24 needs 2 as well.
These are minimums. A center that meets them on paper can still fall short at drop-off, nap or pick-up, when fewer staff are in. Count the adults and children in the room on your tour, and ask how the daycare covers breaks.
When a room mixes ages, Tennessee's rules set the ratio by a ratio written for mixed-age groups.
Home daycares
Rules for home daycares in Tennessee
Tennessee home daycares have their own limits. A family home is kept to 7 children or fewer, with only a few under age 2, and a group home can care for more, up to 12 children plus a few school-age children. The exact rules depend on the children's ages.
Because a home mixes ages, ask how many babies and toddlers are in the group, how many adults are there through the day and who covers when the provider needs a break.
- As the national database records them
- Family child care home (one provider): the rule reads: “Seven (7) or fewer children; and No more than four (4) under two (2) years.”
- Group child care home (two or more providers): the rule reads (children to adults): “One provider can care for 12 to 15 children (any number over twelve (12) must be school-age) No more than twelve (12) children three (3) years of age or older.”
Enforcement
How Tennessee checks these rules
- Centers: Tennessee reported routine inspections more than three times a year, without notice.
- Family child care homes: routine inspections more than three times 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
- of the 793 Tennessee daycare websites we read post a staff-to-child ratio
- 2.4%
- 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 Tennessee
What is the infant ratio for daycare centers in Tennessee?
1:4. One adult may care for up to 4 babies, and a room of babies may hold no more than 8.
What is the toddler ratio in Tennessee?
1:6 at 18 months and 1:7 at 35 months, just before age 3, with groups of up to 12 and 14 children.
What is the ratio for 4-year-olds in Tennessee daycares?
1:13, with up to 24 children in a group. At age 3 it is 1:9, with up to 18 in a group.
How many children can a Tennessee home daycare have?
A family home daycare may care for 7 children or fewer, with no more than 4 under age 2. A group home may care for up to 12, plus 3 school-age children.
How do I check whether a daycare keeps to the ratio?
Count the adults and children in the room on your tour. Only 2.4% of the 793 Tennessee daycare websites we read post a staff-to-child ratio, so ask the director directly.
Rules change. Before you rely on a number here, check Tennessee'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.