Health and Safety
Child Care Licensing Keeps Children Safe
Kansas is dedicated to the safety of children in care. All providers are required to undergo ample training and background checks to provide parents with a higher level of confidence in the care they are providing.
To obtain a child care license, all program facilities must undergo annual surveys, licensing compliance checks, and fire safety checks. In addition, all staff – as well as anyone over the age of 16 living onsite- must pass required background checks, health exams, and TB tests. If you suspect a health or safety problem at your child’s care facility, file a complaint now.
State Training Requirements for Providers
The health and safety of you and your children are vitally important. Child care professionals undergo orientation and extensive training required by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to ensure your child can grow in the best environment.
Training includes:
Kansas Child Care Safety Statistics
These tables have the total cases in a year of serious injury, death, and substantiated child abuse for licensed child care centers, licensed child care homes, and DCF enrolled providers. The tables cover a three-year period.
Children in Care
FFY 2023
Serious Injury
FFY 2023
Death in Child Care
FFY 2023
Substantiated Child Abuse
FFY 2023
Licensed Child Care Center Capacity
School Age Program, Child Care Center, Head Start Child Care Center, Preschool, School Age Drop-In Program (includes all school age types under school age program)
107,570
19
0
9
DCF Subsidy Children
7,437
13
0
1
Licensed Child Care Home Capacity
Group Day Care Home, Licensed Day Care Home
34,883
16
0
2
DCF Subsidy Children
4,878
6
0
1
License-exempt Center
Child Care Center
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Slide for more >
*Serious Injury – An injury to a child that requires treatment by a health care professional.
*Death in child care – Any injury or illness which results in the death of a child in care.
*Substantiated Child Abuse – Defined as when a reasonable person weighing the facts and circumstances would conclude it is more likely than not (preponderance of the evidence) the alleged perpetrator’s actions or inactions meet the abuse and/or neglect definition per applicable K.S.A. and K.A.R. and criterion for a substantiated case finding is met.
Updated January 25, 2024
Children in care
FFY 2022
SERIOUS INJURY
FFY 2022
DEATH IN CHILD CARE
FFY 2022
SUBSTANTIATED CHILD ABUSE
FFY 2022
Licensed Child Care Center Capacity
School Age Program, Child Care Center, Head Start Child Care Center, Preschool, School Age Drop-In Program (includes all school age types under school age program)
104,914
27
0
3
DCF Subsidy Children
7,144
13
0
1
Licensed Child Care Home Capacity
Group Day Care Home, Licensed Day Care Home
34,616
23
0
6
DCF Subsidy Children
4,491
2
0
0
License-exempt Center
Child Care Center
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Slide for more >
Children in Care
FFY 2021
Serious Injury
FFY 2021
Death in Child Care
FFY 2021
Substantiated Child Abuse
FFY 2021
Licensed Child Care Center Capacity
School Age Program, Child Care Center, Head Start Child Care Center, Preschool, School Age Drop-In Program (includes all school age types under school age program)
99,944
24
0
11
DCF Subsidy Children
6,479
9
0
1
Licensed Child Care Home Capacity
Group Day Care Home, Licensed Day Care Home
34,886
19
1
5
DCF Subsidy Children
4,127
3
0
1
License-exempt Center
Child Care Center
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Slide for more >
Kansas Child Care Inspections
Every child care provider must undergo yearly inspections and compliance checks in order to keep their license. These inspections are available for public review at any time.
Learn more about inspectionsKansas Provider Background Checks
Parents need to be confident that individuals caring for their children do not have prior records of behavior that could endanger children. For the safety of Kansas children, all licensed providers and each individual residing, working, or regularly volunteering in a licensed child care facility must pass a variety of background checks, including in-state checks, applicable interstate, criminal, sex offender, and child abuse and neglect checks.
Background checks are conducted through KDHE. These checks lower the risk of neglect or abuse in child care settings, helping to protect children and giving confidence to parents about the care they receive.
What’s Covered
Common Prohibiting Offenses
Here are a few of the most common offenses a regulator may find on a background check that would make a child care staff member ineligible for employment:
Misdemeanors:
Family Resources
These resources can provide you with the information necessary to keep your family safe while at home, outdoors, and on the go.