Childcare Centers

Childcare centers provide care for sixteen or more children on a regular basis. These facilities are licensed by Early Childhood and Family Support Division (ECFSD) and are annually inspected by a Registered Environmental Health Specialists (REHS) from City-County Health Department's (CCHD) Environmental Health Division (EH).

Licensing

New childcare centers must go through plan review and be approved by EH before they can be licensed. A plan review application must be filled out and submitted, along with a $150 plan review fee, before any new construction or remodel of an existing building takes place.

Failure to submit the city or county plan review application plans before construction or remodel may lead to costly mistakes; ECFSD will not license a new facility without approval from EH. EH should also be contacted before any major remodel or change of ownership to determine if a plan review and/or inspection is necessary.

2023_Great Falls Plan Review Application

2023_County Plan Review Application

Resources

For additional information on childcare center inspections or plan reviews, call CCHD Environmental Health Division at 406-454-6950.

Group & Family Daycares

Group Daycares (9 to 15 children) and Family Daycares (3 to 8 children) must be registered as a daycare facility through ECFSD, but they are not inspected by a REHS.

For Child Care Licensing/Registration information in Cascade County, please contact our local ECSFD Child Care Licensor.

Jodi Linne, Child Care Licensor
Phone: 453-0526
Fax: 453-0504
E-mail: jlinne@mt.gov

Resources

For additional information about licensing and daycare regulations, you can call ECFSD Child Care Licensing at 406-444-2012.