Iowa Licensing Standards for Day Care Centers

Child Care Workers or Teachers: Must be at least 16 years old.

Age Range Ratio For Center-based Care

Infants (1:4)

2 years (1:6)

3 years (1:8)

4 years (1:12)

5 - 10 years (1:15)

Mixed age group ratio for youngest child in group

Age Range Ratio For Family Child Care

All ages (1:6)
(includes provider's preschool children and providing there are no more than 4 children under 2 years of age at any time)

Child Care Licensing Agency
Iowa Department of Human Services
1305 East Walnut Street, 5th floor
Des Moines, IA 50319-0114
Phone: (515) 281-5657
Fax: (515) 242-6036

Child Care Subsidy Agency
Bureau of Family and Community Services
Hoover State Office Building
1305 E. Walnut, Division of BDPS, 5th Floor
Des Moines, IA 50319-0114
Phone: (515) 281-7272
Fax: (515) 242-6036

Head Start - State Collaboration Office
Iowa Department of Education
Bureau of Children, Families, and Community Services
Grimes State Office Building, East 14th Street & Grand
Des Moines, IA, 50319-0146
Phone: (515) 242-6024
Fax: (515) 242-6019

Child Care Food Program Agency
Bureau of Food and Nutrition
Department of Education
Grimes State Office Building
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0146
Phone: (515) 281-4757
Fax: (515) 281-6548

Office of Child Support Enforcement
Collection Services Center
PO Box 9125
Des Moines, IA 50306
Phone: (888) 229-9223

State Child Care Resource & Referral Contact
Bureau of Collections
Department of Human Services
400 S.W. 8th Street Suite M
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-4691
Phone: (515) 281-5647
Fax: (515) 281-8854

Child Abuse Reporting
To report suspected child abuse in Iowa, call Toll-Free: (800) 362-2178.

For national child abuse information, call the Childhelp®, 800-4-A-CHILD (800-422-4453), or your local CPS agency.