Daycare Licensing in Missouri: Violations, Inspections & License Lookup
How child care licensing works in Missouri: who regulates it, the rules providers answer to, how often they are inspected, and the exact steps to look up a daycare's violations and verify its license. Sourced from Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Childhood.
Last verified 2026-08-03
How do I look up daycare violations in Missouri?
- Open the Missouri Child Care Provider Search at https://healthapps.dhss.mo.gov/childcaresearch/.
- Search by facility name, address, city, county, or ZIP code.
- Select the facility type such as Child Care Center, Family Home, or Group Home.
- Open the provider record to confirm license status and type.
- For full compliance and inspection history, submit a public records request to the DESE Office of Childhood, since the online search does not display every inspection report.
- Contact the Office of Childhood at Childcare@dese.mo.gov or 573-751-2450 to request records.
State portal: Missouri child care search
How do I verify a Missouridaycare's license?
- Go to the Missouri Child Care Provider Search at https://healthapps.dhss.mo.gov/childcaresearch/.
- Search by facility name, address, city, county, or ZIP.
- Filter by facility type if you know it.
- Open the matching record to confirm the provider is licensed and see the facility type.
- Cross-check the address to be sure you have the right location.
State portal: Missouri license search
Who regulates daycares in Missouri?
Child care licensing in Missouri is administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Childhood, under 5 CSR 25-500. It licenses providers, inspects them, and records the violations found.
How often are Missouri daycares inspected?
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Childhood, inspects licensed child care providers for compliance at least twice a year. Fire safety and environmental sanitation reviews happen at least once a year. License-exempt facilities are reviewed about once a year. Complaints prompt additional investigations outside the routine schedule.
Missouri does not publish a public severity scale for its violations.
What our Missouridata covers, and what it doesn't
We track Missouri's licensed providers from the state's public records: license number, status, and capacity. For a provider's full inspection and violation history, follow the steps above at the state's own source.
| Missouri child care data | On record |
|---|---|
| Licensed providers tracked | 2,631 |
| Independently scorable (Confidence Index) | Not yet scorable |
| Inspection history on this site | Roster only, use state source |
Missouri daycare licensing: common questions
- How do I look up daycare violations in Missouri?
- Start with the Missouri Child Care Provider Search at healthapps.dhss.mo.gov/childcaresearch to confirm the facility and its license status. The search does not show every inspection report. For a facility's full compliance and violation history, request the public records from the DESE Office of Childhood at Childcare@dese.mo.gov or 573-751-2450.
- How often does Missouri inspect licensed daycares?
- The Office of Childhood inspects licensed providers for compliance at least twice a year. Fire safety and sanitation reviews happen at least once a year. License-exempt facilities are reviewed about once a year, and complaints trigger extra investigations.
- Which agency licenses child care in Missouri?
- The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Office of Childhood, licenses and inspects child care in Missouri under rules in 5 CSR 25-500. Licensing moved to the Office of Childhood from the former Department of Health and Senior Services program. Records are open for public inspection.
- How do I verify a Missouri daycare's license?
- Use the Missouri Child Care Provider Search at healthapps.dhss.mo.gov/childcaresearch. Search by name, address, city, county, or ZIP, then open the record to confirm the license status and facility type. You can also call the Office of Childhood at 573-751-2450 to confirm.
This page republishes the public licensing record and labels every absent field plainly. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.