Alabama
Max 3 children under 12 months per home, with exceptions possible for multiple-birth siblings; group homes cap infants at 6 with one caregiver per 3. 660-5-27-.03(7)(e), -.09(4)
One age, every verified state
Daycare ratio for infants in home care, state by state
Verified September 1, 2026Infants are the number that actually binds a home daycare. Totals of 6, 8 or 12 mean little once babies join, because every verified state caps the youngest band hardest, and no two states even define infant the same way: under 12 months in Alabama, under 18 in Maryland, under 24 in California. Here is the infant math for one provider in each state we have verified.
State by state
California
Infant means under 2 here: a small home may run 4 infants alone, 3 inside a group of 6, or 2 inside a group of 8. 22 CCR 102416.5(b)
Iowa
At most 3 under 12 months, inside the broader cap of 4 under 24 months, in categories A and B. 441 IAC 110.13, 110.14
Maryland
Infant means under 18 months; a lone provider may have 2 children under 24 months, or 4 with office approval and a second adult. COMAR 13A.15.04.03
Missouri
Unlicensed care allows at most 3 under age two; a licensed home may run 4 when the entire group is under two. RSMo 210.211.1(1); 5 CSR 25-400.105
Oklahoma
A full group of 7 allows at most 2 under two; with 3 under two the group shrinks to 6, and mostly-infant groups shrink further. OAC 340:110-3-84(b)
Pennsylvania
At most 2 infants under age 1, counting related and unrelated children, inside the 5-child cap for everyone under 3. 55 Pa. Code 3290.52
Texas
Infant runs birth through 17 months, and the charts cut the whole allowable group as infants join. 26 TAC 747.1701, .1801
Virginia
Each child through 15 months costs 4 points of a 16-point caregiver budget: four infants max out one adult. 8VAC20-800-570(A)
Washington
Three under two for a first-year licensee, up to 6 with an assistant at the top level; the birth-to-24-months license runs one staff per 4. WAC 110-300-0355
Real questions, short answers
What is the most infants one home provider can watch?
Four, in the states that allow an all-infant group: California small homes (4 infants alone), Missouri licensed homes (4 when the whole group is under two) and Virginia (four 4-point infants fill the 16-point budget). Alabama and Iowa stop at 3.
Why do the answers use different infant definitions?
Because the states do: under 12 months in Alabama and Iowa, through 15 months for Virginia points, through 17 in Texas, under 18 in Maryland, under 24 in California. The band your baby lands in decides which cap applies.
Other ages
DaycareRules is an informational reference about home child care licensing rules in the United States. It reprints thresholds, capacity limits, ratios and citations from state statutes and regulations, together with the date each state was last verified. Nothing on this site is legal advice, and rules change. Confirm with your state licensing agency before acting on any number printed here.