Family Child Care Home Licensing in North Carolina

Under NC law, a family child care home is a residence caring for three to eight children. Operators must be licensed by the Division of Child Development and Early Education, complete background checks, training, and CPR certification. State law treats licensed family child care homes as residential uses for zoning purposes, limiting cities' ability to exclude them. Operators must follow staff-child ratios, safe sleep rules, and facility standards regardless of locality. Local zoning may still address parking and traffic but not ban the use itself.

Operating without a license, exceeding the eight-child cap, failing background checks, or violating ratios can lead to license revocation and civil penalties.