Provider Resources
Getting Licensed as a Child Development Facility in the District of Columbia
Providing early care and education for the District’s youngest learners in quality, healthy and safe environments is very important. No person shall either directly or indirectly operate a child development facility without first obtaining a license issued by OSSE. Below is information on how you begin the process to become a licensed child development facility.
- Determine the kind of child development program you want to offer. This is important because the process is based on the type of program.
- Attend an in-person orientation or view the orientation and complete the quiz with a score of 80 percent or higher. You can find the online orientation on the OSSE website. If you require additional assistance please do not hesitate to contact OSSE directly at (202) 727-1839.
Licensing Resources
As you move through the licensing process, you will need to obtain permits and inspections from other District agencies. Below is a list of agencies and the documents you will need to obtain prior to submitting a licensing application packet to OSSE.
| Document | Agency |
|---|---|
Certificate of Occupancy or Home Occupancy Permit Should include the following information: name of child development facility, the maximum number of infants and children to be cared for, hours of operation and number of staff. |
District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Address: Phone: Visit DCRA’s website for more information |
Fire Safety Inspection Certification Certifies that the facility to be licensed meets fire safety requirements. |
District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Address: Phone: Visit FEMS’s website for more information |
Lead-based Paint Certification or Clearance Report Certifies that the facility has a safe level of lead-based paint. Must be completed not more than 30 days prior to the application date. |
District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment Address: Phone: Visit DOEE’s website for more information |
Certificate of Clean Hands Certifies that the applicant does not owe more than $100 to the District government in taxes. Must be completed not more than 30 days prior to the application date. |
District of Columbia Department of Tax and Revenue Address: Phone: Apply online or visit OTR’s website for more information |
Exemptions to Licensure
The following early care and education services shall be exempt from obtaining a license to operate a facility:
- Occasional babysitting in a babysitter’s home or a child’s home for the children of one family;
- Care provided in a child’s home by a caregiver paid for by a child’s family;
- Care provided for more than one child in a nanny share;
- Informal or occasional parent-supervised play groups;
- Adult gyms or clubs that provide temporary babysitting as a benefit in order for members to use services;
- Adult education programs that provide child care services while parents are on the same campus as the child attending a class or education program for a temporary period of time;
- Child-centered businesses that solely provide sessions, classes or activities including, but not limited to, tutoring, music, dance, sport, or art, while parents or guardians remain on the business’ premises;
- Care provided in places of worship during religious services;
- Care provided by a related person;
- Facilities operated by the Federal Government on Federal Government property, except that a private entity utilizing space in or on Federal government property is not exempt unless Federal law specifically exempts the Facility from the District of Columbia’s regulatory authority;
- A District of Columbia public school or public charter school providing education services to children in pre-K-3 through grade 12 during a full school day;
- A private school providing education services to children in pre-K- through grade 12 during a full school day;
- A community-based organization providing only pre-K education services to pre-K age children pursuant to the Pre-K Act and funded by OSSE; and
- Facilities that provide only before school care, only after school care or only summer camp to school age children.
For the complete licensing process and forms, please click here to visit OSSE’s website.
