Montana Child Care Centers and Homes License: Requirements, Cost & How to Apply (2026)
Quick answer
Required hours: Orientation for staff counted in ratios: infant/child/adult CPR and pediatric first aid within 30 days; Infant Safety Essentials (2 hours) within 30 days unless the facility serves only children age 5 or older; New Staff Health & Safety Orientation (6 hours), Together We Grow (3 hours), and in-person Early Childhood Essentials within 90 days.
16 hours
Continuing education
When do I have to have my 16 hours of annual training completed by? The training must be complete by the time your Practitioner Registry Level expires each year.Official source
Verified Oct 25, 2026 · 1 official source
How to get a child care centers and homes license in Montana
Application steps: Not verified yet. See the official instructions.
What are the Montana child care centers and homes license requirements?
Required hours
Orientation for staff counted in ratios: infant/child/adult CPR and pediatric first aid within 30 days; Infant Safety Essentials (2 hours) within 30 days unless the facility serves only children age 5 or older; New Staff Health & Safety Orientation (6 hours), Together We Grow (3 hours), and in-person Early Childhood Essentials within 90 days.
Within 30 days of hire: Infant, Child, Adult CPR/First Aid Certification Infant Safety Essentials - 2 hours Within 90 days hire: New Staff Health & Safety Orientation - 6 hours Together We Grow – 3 hours Early Childhood Essentials – in person at local R & R The Infant Safety Essentials course is not required for staff that work at facilities that provide care exclusively to children age 5 and over.Official source
Licensing agency and application
Board
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Child Care Licensing
Child Care LicensingOfficial source
Apply with the agency
Child Care Provider Portal (apply online)Official source
Verified Oct 25, 2026 · 2 official sources
What else should I know?
Agency guidance
Family homes providing regular care for 3–8 children are registered; centers caring for 16 or more children are licensed.
Family Home: is a private residence in which care is provided for 3-8 children on a regular basis and is considered Registered Center: is an out-of-home place in which care is provided to 16 or more children on a regular or irregular basis and is considered LicensedOfficial source
Agency guidance
Group homes caring for 9–15 children are registered.
Group Home: is a private residence or other structure in which care is provided for 9 to 15 children on a regular basis and is considered RegisteredOfficial source
Agency guidance
Practitioner Registry participation applies to staff counted in ratios; staff working fewer than 500 hours annually and those at facilities approved only for ages 5 and up are exempt.
Staff that are counted in ratios and provide care to children. Staff that work less than 500 hours per year will be exempt. Also, staff that work at facilities that are only approved to provide care to children ages 5 and upOfficial source
Verified Oct 25, 2026 · 2 official sources
How do I renew my child care centers and homes license in Montana?
Continuing education hours
16 hours
When do I have to have my 16 hours of annual training completed by? The training must be complete by the time your Practitioner Registry Level expires each year.Official source
Verified Oct 25, 2026 · 1 official source
View renewal deadlines, fees and CE
Have a license or permit? Use the expiration date printed on it to set up your calendar and reminders.
How do I look up a child care centers and homes license in Montana?
License lookup link: Not verified yet. Check the licensing agency or browse license lookup by state.
Which official sources support this guide?
Verified Oct 25, 2026 · 2 official sources
Official sources and verification (8)
Last verified Oct 25, 2026. Each quotation supports the corresponding published value.
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Child Care Licensing
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Child Care Licensing
Child Care LicensingOfficial source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
https://dphhs.mt.gov/ecfsd/childcare/childcarelicensing/
Child Care LicensingOfficial source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
https://dphhs.mt.gov/ecfsd/childcare/childcarelicensing/
Child Care Provider Portal (apply online)Official source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Family homes providing regular care for 3–8 children are registered; centers caring for 16 or more children are licensed.
Family homes providing regular care for 3–8 children are registered; centers caring for 16 or more children are licensed.
Family Home: is a private residence in which care is provided for 3-8 children on a regular basis and is considered Registered Center: is an out-of-home place in which care is provided to 16 or more children on a regular or irregular basis and is considered LicensedOfficial source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Group homes caring for 9–15 children are registered.
Group homes caring for 9–15 children are registered.
Group Home: is a private residence or other structure in which care is provided for 9 to 15 children on a regular basis and is considered RegisteredOfficial source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Practitioner Registry participation applies to staff counted in ratios; staff working fewer than 500 hours annually and those at facilities approved only for ages 5 and up are exempt.
Practitioner Registry participation applies to staff counted in ratios; staff working fewer than 500 hours annually and those at facilities approved only for ages 5 and up are exempt.
Staff that are counted in ratios and provide care to children. Staff that work less than 500 hours per year will be exempt. Also, staff that work at facilities that are only approved to provide care to children ages 5 and upOfficial source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Orientation for staff counted in ratios: infant/child/adult CPR and pediatric first aid within 30 days; Infant Safety Essentials (2 hours) within 30 days unless the facility serves only children age 5 or older; New Staff Health & Safety Orientation (6 hours), Together We Grow (3 hours), and in-person Early Childhood Essentials within 90 days.
Orientation for staff counted in ratios: infant/child/adult CPR and pediatric first aid within 30 days; Infant Safety Essentials (2 hours) within 30 days unless the facility serves only children age 5 or older; New Staff Health & Safety Orientation (6 hours), Together We Grow (3 hours), and in-person Early Childhood Essentials within 90 days.
Within 30 days of hire: Infant, Child, Adult CPR/First Aid Certification Infant Safety Essentials - 2 hours Within 90 days hire: New Staff Health & Safety Orientation - 6 hours Together We Grow – 3 hours Early Childhood Essentials – in person at local R & R The Infant Safety Essentials course is not required for staff that work at facilities that provide care exclusively to children age 5 and over.Official source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
16 hours
16
When do I have to have my 16 hours of annual training completed by? The training must be complete by the time your Practitioner Registry Level expires each year.Official source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Not yet verified: license fee, exam, renewal — see the official agency.
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Family and center child care in neighboring states
Neighboring states use Census adjacency data, including water and point boundaries.
Last verified Oct 25, 2026.
Official sources (2)
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