Child Care

Child care can be an vital part of family life. Having a safe, educational place where your children can thrive is important to you and to DHW. 

Idaho Child Care Program

Eligibility
To qualify for the Idaho Child Care Program, a family must meet the eligibility requirements below.
Licensing and exemptions
Information available for those interested in learning how to become a licensed child care provider in Idaho.
Additional resources and training materials
Child care providers can find helpful resources and information on this site that support licensing requirements as well as improve quality of care in your facility.
Continuing education
Resources are available to Idaho licensed child care providers to either complete the required continuing education credits or participate in the professional development program.
IdahoSTARS

IdahoSTARS is the leading expert and resource for quality child care in Idaho. We empower parents and early childhood professionals to make safe, healthy, nurturing and educational child care a top priority. We support child care professionals to continually improve early care and education practices.

Daycare licensing and complaints

Licensing and exemptions
Information available for those interested in learning how to become a licensed child care provider in Idaho.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare takes complaints about child care providers very seriously. We want to make sure we act quickly and fairly when conducting our complaint investigations. We partner closely with local health districts, Child Welfare, IdahoSTARS and law enforcement to make sure we provide the supports needed to address issues and improve the quality of care in our state.