A family child care home may provide care for six or fewer children at any one time.
Registration is voluntary for family child care homes.
A group child care home may provide care for 7 to 11 children and is required to be registered. The Iowa Department of Human Services is responsible for registering family homes and group child care. With registration the provider completes a self-evaluation and agrees that all the minimum requirements are met. Annually about 20 percent of registered homes are checked to see if they meet the minimum requirements. Registration is different from licensing.