Free tool
How many staff does your state require?
Pick your state and enter your enrollment by age group. The calculator applies your state's staff-to-child ratios and rounds up per group, the way licensing counts a room.
Michigan note: Michigan applies 1:4 through 30 months; 30 months to 3 years is 1:8 and 3-year-olds are 1:10.
Staff are counted per age group (children divided by the ratio, rounded up), the way licensing counts a room. Mixed-age rooms usually follow the youngest child's ratio. See Michigan's full requirements or the official Michigan resources on childcare.gov.
Ratios shown are the commonly cited center-based licensing requirements, simplified into four age bands. States define age bands differently (often by month), and family/home programs, license-exempt programs, and local rules can differ. This information is provided for general reference only, is not legal or licensing advice, and Seedling makes no guarantee of its accuracy or completeness. Staffing and licensing decisions are your responsibility: always verify current requirements with your state licensing agency. Last reviewed July 2026. Full tables on the ratios-by-state pages.
Ratios drift all day. Seedling watches them live.
This calculator is a snapshot. In a real center, ratios change every time a child arrives or a teacher steps out. Seedling tracks every room live from check-ins and flags the moment a room needs another adult, for a flat $40/month.
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