"Child day camp" means a program in which only school children attend or participate, that operates for no more than 12 hours per day and only during school breaks or no more than 15 weeks during the summer. "School-age child" means a child who is enrolled in or is eligible to be enrolled in a grade of kindergarten or above but is less than 15 years old or, in the case of a child who is receiving special needs child care, is less than 18 years old. 

 Registered Child Day Camps - Registration of child day camps with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) is required by sections 5104.21 and 5104.22 of the Ohio Revised Code. Registrations must be submitted through the Ohio Child Licensing and Quality System (OCLQS). 
 Approved Child Day Camps - Approved child day camp means a child day camp that is approved to enter into a provider agreement to provide publicly funded child care (PFCC) pursuant to rule 5101:2-16-09 of the Administrative Code. Approved child day camps shall meet one of the following requirements:    

• Be accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA).   
• Be accredited by any nationally recognized organization that accredits child day camps by using standards that the ODJFS has determined are substantially similar and comparable to those of the ACA. 

If you are interested in opening a Child Day Camp Program, please click here.
For an overview of the background check process for child day camps, please click here.   

To complete staff orientation training for Approved Day Camp staff members, please click here.

• If you have completed the pre-camp orientation training as a day camp owner and are required to take the staff orientation training, you do not need to take the training again as the pre-camp orientation meets the rule requirement.  

Bureau of Child Care Licensing and Monitoring Registered Day Camp Summary  

Web Based Search for Child Day Camps  

For more information contact:

Child Care Help Desk
Phone: 1-877-302-2347 option 4
Email: childcarepolicy@jfs.ohio.gov