Information for families

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Division of Licensing and Background Checks (DLBC) helps protect the health and safety of children by establishing basic health and safety standards and monitoring child care programs for compliance with these standards.

This page provides an overview of:

  • Why choosing regulated care is important
  • General standards regulated programs are required to follow
  • What types of child care programs exist

There are also a few helpful resources linked at the bottom of this page.

Why choose regulated care?


Although some programs are exempt from licensing requirements, most child care programs operating in Utah are required to obtain a license, certificate, or approval from, and be regulated by, DLBC. Being regulated by DLBC means a few different things.

First, it means the child care program is meeting basic health and safety standards set by a regulatory agency (DLBC). To receive and retain a license, certificate, or approval, programs must demonstrate ongoing compliance with required health and safety standards.

Second, it means the program is subject to regular inspections. DLBC makes sure that regulated programs are complying with standards by conducting a variety of inspections throughout the year. Some inspections are scheduled and some are unscheduled. All are used to make sure that the basic needs of children in care are being met.

And third, it means the program is able to access additional funding resources that may be unavailable otherwise. For example, child care programs are only able to access Department of Workforce Services (DWS) child care subsidy payments if they are regulated by DLBC.

These advantages are only available when choosing child care regulated by DLBC.

What standards are regulated programs required to follow?


The standards a child care program is required to follow are based on the type of license, certificate, or approval the program has been issued (see "What are the different types of child care?" section below for more information). There are standards critical to protecting the health and safety of children in any setting though, which is why a few general standards are outlined below.

Inspections
As described in the previous section, every program regulated by DLBC must allow representatives from DLBC to regularly conduct on-site inspections of their child care program to maintain their license, certificate, or approval. These inspections occur on an announced and unannounced basis throughout the year. DLBC representatives inspect child care programs for compliance with minimum standards, and will issue providers corrective actions if these standards are not being met.

Training
DLBC understands that well-trained individuals are better prepared to prevent, recognize, and correct health and safety concerns. Training requirements vary by program type, but generally speaking, each caregiver must receive training prior to starting work in child care, and must complete a minimum number of training hours each year to ensure they stay up-to-date on best practices and current standards.

Background checks
Each person associated with child care programs regulated by DLBC is required to complete a comprehensive background check. This is to make sure people permitted to be around children in care do not have a history of endangering others, or engaging in unlawful behavior. The drop-down below provides more information about the background check process and what offenses typically disqualify someone from employment in child care.

What are the different types of child care?


There are a few different types of licenses, certificates, and approvals. These different types allow child care programs to be more flexible in how they are structured and operate. The standards established by DLBC are largely consistent for each type of program, though there are slight differences that may make one type a better fit for you and your child.

There are 4 commercial types of child care programs. These include commercial preschool programs, hourly child care centers, out-of-school-time child care programs, and child care centers. These programs are labeled as commercial types, because they typically operate out of a commercial setting.

There are 2 residential types of child care programs. These include residential certificate child care and licensed family child care. These programs operate out of a person's home or residence.

Lastly, there are 2 types of approvals. These include license exempt and family, friend, and neighbor approvals. Programs granted an approval are exempt from receiving a child care license, though they choose to follow requirements established by DLBC in order to qualify for Department of Workforce Services (DWS) child care subsidy payments and other grants. These requirements are based on the standards set for licensed child care programs, so programs with an approval must still meet a basic standard for child health and safety in order to qualify for these programs.

The drop-down menus below provide a brief overview of each type. Blue are commercial, purple residential, and green are the 2 types of approvals.

Additional resources


Here are links to a few resources that may be helpful.

The search for child care button will take you to the Care About Childcare website, where you can search for quality child care programs using your address or zip code. This is an easy way of finding what options for child care are in your area.

You may also search the DLBC database to view a child care program's licensing record for the past 3 years by selecting the search licensing records button. This record will show the compliance history for each program, including if they have been issued any citations or other penalties from DLBC, as well as supporting documentation.

Do you have a concern that the child care program your child attends is noncompliant with standards set by DLBC? Are you aware of an unlicensed child care program that should be licensed by DLBC? You can notify us of your concerns by selecting the file a complaint button.