You need to contact Eldonna Chesnut at 913-477-8366 to set up an appointment for a one-on-one meeting.

Please call 913-477-8339 to talk with our staff.

If you are thinking of starting an in-home child care business, you need to contact your city. Cities have different requirements and regulations which they will explain to you. You will also need to contact your fire department to make sure that your home meets their requirements.

There are four circumstances where licensing is not required:

1. When child care is provided for not more than two children unrelated to the provider for 20 hours per week or less and the home has not been closed as a result of enforcement action. Total time is determined by adding the hours each child is cared for weekly.
2. When irregular child care is arranged between friends and neighbors on an exchange basis.
3. When child care is provided in the child's own home.
4. When the child care is provided in the home of the child's relative.

Yes, but you will be subject to an annual inspection including meeting required training and regulations. Best practice would be to close and re-apply when you are taking children again. If you are a school year only child care, please contact us for more information by calling 913-477-8339.

The county fee is due upon receipt of the letter sent by the county. Both homes and centers will receive invoices for annual fees and compliance checks. If you need to discuss payment options, please call the contact number on the invoice to talk with someone in the Child Care Licensing Division.

You are required to call your local fire department to let them know that you will continue providing child care in your home. The fire marshal will tell you if another inspection is required. If not, the current FLSA and date of the last inspection is sufficient. A copy of the FLSA needs to be sent to KDHE with your renewal papers.

The requirements are located on the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's website.

All new applicants are required by regulation to have child care facility orientation training. For information on classes, please call 913-477-8339.

Centers and homes have different requirements. Clock hours approved by KDHE are required each licensing year, not calendar year. Extra in-service hours cannot be carried over to the next licensing year.

Yes, all substitutes, volunteers, and staff counting in the ration must have required training, including first aid and signs and symptoms.

In order for the provider to administer the medication, the parents have to sign the KDHE medication authorization form. The provider has to sign the same form every time the medication is given to the child. The parent should indicate on the form when and why the medication is to be given.

Wooden swing sets are still allowed. You need to know if the swing set is treated with arsenic sealant or other sealant. The wooden sets will follow the same regulations as all swing sets. Ground cover rules apply to all swing sets in homes.

Kansas State University Research and Extension provides information about head lice in this document. Also, the Kids Health website offers some information especially related to children. Additional information from the CDC on head lice treatment can be found here.

Babies shall sleep on their backs unless the provider has been granted an exception from KDHE (Kansas Department of Health of Environment). Providers are required to have a safe sleep policy and two hours of training on safe sleep practices and SIDS. Call us for sample policies and/or questions.

"Play" sand, pea gravel, some mulches. Make sure that you are using an approved product before you install it. Call 913-477-8339 if you have any questions.

Look for or ask to see their license. The license must be posted if they are currently providing care and/or accepting new children. Licenses have an expiration date, so look for the date to make sure it is current. You may also call us at 913-477-8339 to obtain this information.

Please call the Child Care Licensing division at 913-477-8339. All regulatory questions will be answered and investigated if indicated.

No. The provider is not allowed to wash out any soiled diapers, training pants or clothing. The provider is required to place soiled items into a plastic bag or covered container and send it home with the parent. They must do the same thing for their own children's soiled items until the end of the daycare day. This is important to reduce the risk of spreading diseases.

No, you are allowed access to the day care during all hours of operation. If you are told to call before pick up or that you cannot look in rooms that used for daycare, report this to the Child Care Licensing division at 913-477-8339.

KDHE has an online system for reviewing licensed facilities' compliance history. Data entry into the system began in October 2011, so it may be necessary to also send in the written open records request as described below. 

The system will show violations (regulations not being followed) and consultations (technical assistance given to provider) for annual and initial visits, as well as other information.

Alternatively, and for records earlier than October 2011, contact KDHE in writing (letter, FAX or email). Give them the name and address of the facility and request complaint reports, last annual survey, all enforcement actions, and all Notice of Survey Findings (NOSF) forms.

One to two years worth of history should be sufficient. Be sure to include your name, address, and phone number. KDHE will let you know the cost of providing this information to you. This is usually $7.00 per hour and $0.25 per page for printing costs. However, if less than 10 pages, there might not be a charge.

Please contact one of these Johnson County resource and referral agencies: The Daycare Connection at 913-529-1200 or The Family Conservancy at 913-573-2273. Kansas statute does not allow JCDHE staff to make provider recommendations. Contact us at 913-477-8339 if you have additional questions about finding care.