Fees & Timelines

The cost of a child care license in Missouri depends on your program type and capacity. Fees vary and are set by DESE. Generally: • Family child care homes have lower application fees • Group child care homes have moderate fees • Child care centers have fees that may scale with licensed capacity Fees are subject to change. Contact DESE or your licensing specialist for the current fee schedule for your specific situation.

Background checks have their own fees: • FCSR registration — there is a fee per person (paid to DHSS) • Fingerprint-based background check — there is a fee for fingerprinting and processing These costs are per person, so multiply by the number of staff and household members who need checks. Budget for these when planning your startup costs.

The licensing timeline varies, but here's a rough idea: • Pre-application orientation and training: a few weeks to complete • Background checks: FCSR results can come back in days to weeks; fingerprint results can take several weeks • Facility preparation: varies widely based on your space • Application processing: once submitted with all requirements met, typically several weeks • Inspection scheduling: depends on DESE's schedule Overall, plan for the process to take at least 2–4 months from start to finish, sometimes longer. Starting your background checks and training early is the best way to avoid delays.

Licenses must be renewed periodically. Renewal involves fees and an inspection. Start your renewal process well before your license expires — your licensing specialist will send reminders, but don't wait for them.