The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) Office of Child Care Licensing shared a rules update for child care centers effective August 3, 2025. The new rules reflect current research about safe and healthy environments for young children.
These updates only apply to child care centers, not group homes. Rules for group homes are still under review.
Summary of key rule updates
R-9-5-20.A.5 f, g When submitting documents for a new license or license update, you must submit site plans of the facility and floor plans of the building(s). The updated rules no longer require an architect’s seal. Plans may be drawn to scale by an architect, draftsman or contractor.
NEW R9-5-209.2 Providers must notify ADHS within 24 hours of a business closure, whether planned (like a holiday) or unplanned. You can share your school calendar with your compliance officer and contact them directly for unexpected closures.
R9-5-301.F New staff are no longer required to submit a negative Mantoux tuberculosis test. Instead, staff are required to complete the department-provided tuberculosis self-screening form. Programs may still require a Mantoux test if they choose.
ADHS is developing further guidance around the self-screening form, including when additional testing is recommended.
R-9-5-302.A Programs must have written suspension and expulsion policies that include prevention strategies.
R-9-5-304.B Child records must include all required information, but programs now have the option to use their own form instead of the department-provided Emergency Information and Immunization Record. If using your own form, include all required items in no more than two pages and add parent email addresses. The child’s phone number is no longer required.
R9-5-306.A In addition to a parent or authorized staff member’s signature, attendance records can now include a “signature or other unique identifier.” This includes fingerprints, passcodes and other technology available by electronic attendance software systems.
R9-5-401.3, 4 Staff titles have been updated:
- From Teacher-Caregiver → Child Educator
- From Assistant Teacher-Caregiver → Assistant Child Educator
R9-5-403.A New staff training within the first 10 days must now cover additional topics. The new topics apply to programs providing care to infants and include:
- Infant tummy time
- Prevention of sudden infant death syndrome and use of safe sleep practices
- Prevention of shaken baby syndrome, pediatric abusive head trauma and child maltreatment
R9-5-403.B.1 Annual required training hours have increased to 24 hours per year. Programs have until August 2026 to meet the new requirement.
R9-5-502.A.8.c Infants’ cribs may no longer have blankets. Only a clean, sanitized crib-size fitted sheet is allowed.
R9-5-510 The section is now called Positive Discipline and Guidance. It includes additional guidance strategies to support children’s self-regulation, like building relationships, using proactive approaches, giving positive feedback, considering routines and the learning environment, plus others.
Additional resources
ADHS has created tools to help you navigate the rules update:
- Definitions Crosswalk: New, removed and updated definitions
- Chapter 5 Crosswalk: Crosswalk of rule changes for all age groups (Infants to school-age)
- Child Care Center Rules Instrument 2025 Checklist: A tool to help you navigate the new rules
Questions?
Contact your Compliance Officer. ADHS also hosts monthly virtual Chit & Chat sessions. These sessions are for you to meet with the licensing team, ask questions and hear from other providers.
- Centers: first Wednesday of each month from 10-11 am
- Group Homes: First Wednesday of each month from 1-1:30 pm
To join, email Nicholas.Ortega@azdhs.org for the meeting link.