Facility Sizing Calculator

Infants and toddlers require more indoor square footage per child than preschoolers do, mainly because of cribs, diaper-changing stations, and the lower child-to-caregiver ratios most states mandate for younger ages -- this model uses 50 sq ft per infant, 45 for toddlers, and 35 for preschoolers, with a mixed-age program averaged at 40 sq ft. Switching Age Group changes the per-child rate the calculator multiplies by Licensed Capacity, even though Licensed Capacity itself stays the same.

Most state licensing standards don't require every enrolled child to be outside simultaneously -- they require enough outdoor space for the children who ARE outside at one time, commonly estimated at about a third of total enrollment. So Outdoor Space multiplies roughly one-third of Licensed Capacity by 75 sq ft per child, not the full roster, which is why it's smaller than a naive per-child calculation would suggest.

No -- they're typical figures used across many state childcare licensing frameworks, but every state (and sometimes every county or city) sets its own indoor and outdoor space-per-child requirements, and some run noticeably higher or lower than the numbers used here. Confirm the exact figures with your state's childcare licensing agency before signing a lease or submitting a facility for licensing inspection.

Outdoor Space and its contribution to Total Space both drop to zero, and Total Sq Ft Per Child is recalculated using only the Indoor Space figure. This is useful for facilities that use an off-site playground or shared community outdoor space rather than an on-premises play yard, but most states still require documented access to some qualifying outdoor space even when it isn't on your own site.