Finding the right child care for your family is a significant decision. In Michigan, the state provides robust resources and a structured licensing system to ensure children are in safe and nurturing environments. This guide will walk you through how to find a list of state-licensed daycares in Michigan, understand the licensing requirements, and what it takes to become a provider.
Michigan offers several official and partner-supported tools to help parents locate licensed child care programs that fit their needs. These resources provide comprehensive lists and detailed information about providers across the state.
The state government provides direct access to search for licensed child care. Parents can use the Statewide Search for Licensed Child Care Centers/Homes to find providers in their area. An alternative tool is the Provider Map for Licensed Child Care Centers/Homes, which offers a geographical view of options.
For transparency and safety, the state also maintains public information about Child Care Providers Closed/Suspended Due to Disciplinary Action. This allows families to make fully informed decisions.
Great Start to Quality is a key resource committed to helping Michigan families find safe, high-quality, and educational child care, preschool, and school-age programs. It makes the search process easier by allowing users to search all licensed programs in Michigan by area, cost, and other specific needs.
The platform also provides checklists from Child Care Aware® of America, including a Child Care Center Checklist, Child Care Home Checklist, and Preschool Program Checklist. These are valuable resources to use when visiting and evaluating potential programs. Additionally, Great Start to Quality provides an Eligibility Calculator and information to help families determine if they qualify for support with paying for child care.
To operate legally in Michigan, child care providers must meet minimum standards established by the state. These rules are designed to protect the health, safety, and welfare of children in care.
In Michigan, the Child Care Licensing Bureau is responsible for issuing licenses to Family Child Care Homes, Group Child Care Homes, and Child Care Centers. The authority to create these licensing rules comes from the Child Care Organizations Act, 1973 PA 116.
All providers must read the licensing rules before applying. These rules are written by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and provide minimum standards for regulated care. The state provides several versions of these rules, including:
Michigan continuously updates its regulations, with a FINAL 2025 Child Care Center Licensing Rule Set and DRAFT 2024 Child Care Home Licensing Rule Revisions available for review. A Rule Violation Review Process also exists to address compliance issues.
The licensing rules reference several key Michigan statutes that providers must be aware of. These include laws related to child protection, vehicle safety, and zoning.
A critical component of Michigan's child care licensing is the comprehensive background check. This process is mandatory for anyone associated with a licensed child care facility who may have contact with children.
A child care background check is required for a wide range of individuals involved with a licensed facility. The licensee is responsible for entering all information into the Child Care Background Check (CCBC) System to begin the process.
Those who must undergo a check include:
An adult member of the household is not permitted to move into a licensed child care home until they have completed the background check and been found eligible by the department.
The background check is both fingerprint-based and name-based, providing a thorough review of an individual's history. Each person must complete a Consent and Disclosure form and provide all necessary information.
The check includes searches of the following databases:
For individuals who have lived outside of Michigan in the past five years, additional checks are required. These include state-level criminal history checks, child abuse and neglect registry checks, and a National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) check for each state or country of previous residence.
Navigating the complex licensing and background check process can be challenging, which is why we provide resources and toolkits to help aspiring providers start their own child care program.
The applicant or licensee pays for the background check. The cost is $65.00 if the person has not lived outside Michigan in the past five years. All fingerprinting must be scheduled through the CCBC System using the state-approved vendor, Idemia.
If out-of-state checks are needed, the department will mail instructions for the additional forms and fees, which the applicant must submit and pay for. Occasionally, the department may receive funds to assist with fingerprinting costs and will provide licensees with coupons.
Paying for child care is a significant expense for many families. Michigan provides resources to help determine eligibility for financial assistance.
Great Start to Quality offers an Eligibility Calculator to help families see if they qualify for support. As of February 25, 2024, Michigan has removed the requirement to work with the Office of Child Support to receive help paying for child care, simplifying the process for families seeking aid. The GSQ search tool can also be used to find free GSRP and Head Start programs as part of Michigan's PreK for All initiative.
For those inspired to provide high-quality child care, Wonderschool offers a comprehensive platform to help you launch, manage, and grow your own program in Michigan. We streamline and modernize the business of child care, allowing you to focus on what matters most: the children. We help providers navigate licensing, create a business plan, and connect with a community of thousands of fellow directors.
We provide the tools and guidance to help you learn the basics of starting a child care program. Our Wonderschool Academy is a business training program designed for new providers. In partnership with MiLEAP, we offer user-friendly toolkits to assist you, including the Caring for Mi Future, Childcare, Business Plans, and Licensing toolkits.
With our free website builder, you can create a beautiful, fully functional website in minutes. This professional site allows families to find your program, schedule tours, and enroll online, helping you get discovered by parents looking for care. To see what your earning potential could be, you can use our income calculator.
Wonderschool helps you manage, run, and grow your business without stress. Our administration tools are designed to handle the backend of your program so you can spend more time with children and families. You can track family leads, site tours, enrollments, and waitlists all in one place.
Our platform also helps you manage expenses and billing, organize student information, and message families. Whether you are just starting or looking to grow an existing program, we provide the support to help your child care business thrive.
Find a child care program that meets your needs from thousands of listings using our Child Care Finder. If you're a provider, create a listing to get discovered by families near you!