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EEC launches pilot to test expanding family child care group size to 12; applications to open in June
Summary
EEC unveiled a pilot to evaluate allowing licensed family child care providers to care for up to 12 children. The pilot will select about 25–30 programs statewide, require good standing and documentation from providers, and collect data on staffing, quality, costs and family impacts to inform future regulation.
The Department of Early Education and Care on May 13 presented a pilot designed to test whether and how licensed family child care (FCC) providers can safely expand group size to 12 children.
The pilot follows a 2025 statutory change that removed a prior group‑size cap, and EEC staff said the pilot will generate operational, business and quality evidence to inform permanent regulatory changes. Staff estimate roughly 1,400 FCC programs meet minimum eligibility; the pilot will accept about 25–30 programs statewide to ensure geographic and program diversity.
Eligibility criteria include: a family child care license in good standing with no pending enforcement, documented operation at a 10‑child capacity for at least the prior three years, and readiness to partner on data collection. Staffing rules for the pilot require the licensee to reside in the home and be the lead caregiver, a certified family child care assistant as a secondary staff member, and additional assistants allowed when needed for infants or higher ratios. Square footage and outdoor space minimums were adjusted to the 12‑child capacity (e.g., minimum activity area of 420 sq ft) and programs must coordinate with local fire departments and CCR&Rs.
The pilot’s learning goals include effects on staffing groupings and ratios, program quality and health and safety outcomes, operational and business impacts (insurance, costs, revenue), and family access (sibling continuity and community demand). Applications will open in June, applications will be reviewed regionally in July, and the pilot start is targeted for August.
Board members supported the pilot’s co‑design approach and suggested including qualitative interviews and business‑model analysis to capture how added capacity affects provider income and operations. Staff agreed and said they will convene participating providers periodically to share learnings and inform regulation development.
