Due to the passage of HB 243, the city will no longer be allowed to license childcare workers or facilities starting 7/1/25. Learn more.
Providers
We believe that Boise’s children are among its most valuable assets – that is why the work you do is so vital to our community. The City of Boise provides you with the necessary resources to successfully meet all the city's licensing requirements. Additionally, we are proud to offer training and other resources to continue your education.
Information is available for child care centers interested in earning the City of Boise Healthy Child Care Provider designation.
Child Care Worker License
The Office of the City Clerk licenses all child care workers operating within city limits. In order to gain and maintain a child care license in good standing, a child care provider must complete specific requirements.
See More Child Care Facility License
The Office of the City Clerk licenses all child care facilities operating within city limits. In order to gain and maintain a child care license in good standing, a child care provider must complete specific requirements
See More Healthy Initiatives Training
The purpose of this training is to aid child-care providers in laying a foundation for an active, healthy lifestyle for our young people. If you are a new in-home provider, or new facility owner- City Code requires you to take this training.
See More Staffing Requirements
When determining the worker:child ratio (number of staff to children) within a licensed child care facility, each and every child under the age of thirteen (13) present at the facility shall be counted.
See MoreCredentialing
Child care facilities and workers are encouraged to receive certain accreditation to provide high-quality care.
Facilities
Accreditation for Family Care
The National Association for Family Child Care accredits family day care homes that offer high-quality child care services. The purpose of the accreditation is to offer professional recognition and consumer distinction to those providers who meet these high standards of quality child care. Accreditation is intended for those licensed providers who have demonstrated a commitment to reach beyond these minimum requirements to achieve standards of excellence.
National Association for the Education of Young Children
The purpose of NAEYC accreditation is to improve the quality of care and education provided for young children in group programs in the United States. Find out about the accreditation process, criteria, application, and NAEYC resources for accreditation
American Montessori Society
The American Montessori Society (AMS) is the foremost advocate for quality Montessori education, an innovative, child-centered approach to learning. AMS sets the high professional standards that inform Montessori education as practiced in AMS-accredited schools and taught in AMS-affiliated teacher education programs.
Child Care Workers
Child Development Associate
The Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition offers the Child Development Associate credential to individuals who work with young children. In order to qualify, a candidate must :
- demonstrate a working knowledge of, and competence in, early childhood education
- complete a minimum of 480 hours of on-the-job experience
- participate in formal training.
This credential is offered to individuals working in center-based settings with either preschool or infant/toddler endorsement, family child care, and by home visitors. Bilingual specialization is also available. For more information, call 1-800-424-4310 (Council for Professional Recognition) for a brochure.
Annual Training Requirements
Child care facility directors and workers have various vocational, academic, and experience levels. To allow formal education to count in place of experience for teacher level, the degree must be in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or Psychology. Education and experience are reviewed each year and establish the level of teacher and number of training hours required to obtain/maintain a child care facility or child care worker license. All child care facility directors and workers need to meet training standards based on their designated teacher level.
| Level | Experience | Hours of Required Training |
| Level I | Less than 5 years; No formal degree | 14 Hours |
| Level II | 5-10 years; Associate's degree | 10 Hours |
| Level III | 10+ years; BA degree | 8 Hours |
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