Childcare CPR & first aid requirements

First Aid & CPR Minnesota

If you work in childcare in Minnesota — whether at a daycare, preschool, home-based care, or camp — first aid and CPR certification is not optional. It's a licensing requirement, and for good reason: children are among the most vulnerable to choking, allergic reactions, and injuries. Being prepared to respond can mean everything.

Requirements at a glance

Regulatory frameworkMinnesota Statutes § 245A.40, subd. 3-4 (Child Care Center Training Requirements — pediatric first aid and CPR): the director, all staff, substitutes, and unsupervised volunteers must complete pediatric first aid and CPR training (CPR before unsupervised direct contact, not to exceed the first 90 days of employment; repeated at least every second year).
Governing authorityMinnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)
Renewal periodEvery 2 years
New hire deadlineWithin 90 days of hire
Min. certified staffThe director, all staff persons, substitutes, and unsupervised volunteers must complete pediatric first aid and CPR training (CPR before unsupervised direct contact, not to exceed the first 90 days of employment; repeated at least every second year).
Online training acceptanceOnline courses accepted
Every 2 yearsOnline courses accepted

What Minnesota requires

Minnesota Statutes § 245A.40, subd. 3-4, administered by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, require the director, all staff, substitutes and unsupervised volunteers to complete pediatric first aid and CPR training. CPR must be finished before an employee has unsupervised direct contact with children and no later than the first 90 days of employment, and the training must be repeated at least every second year.

Anaphylaxis and medication administration

Minnesota requires a written medication plan — physician instructions for prescription drugs, written parental permission and storage children cannot reach (Rule 9503.0140) — and an individual program plan with an emergency response for each child's allergy (Rule 9503.0065). A licensed program may even obtain and stock an epinephrine auto-injector without a prescription, provided an authorized individual completes anaphylaxis training and EMS is called every time epinephrine is used.

How our courses meet these requirements

A recognized, standards-based certification — online theory paired with a hands-on skills check — meets Minnesota’s requirement and keeps your team ready to act.

Don't wait for renewal day

Anaphylaxis and cardiac arrest give you only seconds, and a caregiver who has trained on CPR and an auto-injector responds with confidence while hesitation costs lives. The families who trust you with their children deserve that assurance. A recognized, standards-based certification — including blended online-and-in-person courses — keeps your whole team compliant and genuinely ready.