DESE distinguishes forms sent to its Office of Childhood from sample records retained by providers. Family homes, group homes and centers share some forms but select their facility type and follow the appropriate rules.
Agency: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Office of Childhood Paperwork source review: September 14, 2026
Use your print window to print on paper or save as a PDF. The organizer is a planning aid for your files.
Check the form and your provider type.
An official agency form is issued or listed by the agency; that label alone does not establish mandatory use. A required state form is identified as mandatory in the cited instructions. A required record identifies information you must maintain; its format may be flexible. An optional template is a suggested format. Official instructions / portal links explain the application or record process.
Read “Applies to” and “Format and applicability” for each item. Home, group-home, center, local licensing, food-program, and subsidy requirements can differ.
Application & renewal
01
Official agency form
Application for License to Operate a Child Care Facility
Form MO500-3293
Identify ownership, premises, requested capacity, ages and operating hours.
Applies to
Family homes, group child care homes and centers
Who completes it
Owner, board chairperson, LLC member or authorized designee
Where it goes
Office of Childhood Child Care Compliance; retain a copy of correspondence.
When to use or update
Initial licensing; form says application is void if rules are not met within six months of filing.
Format and applicability: One-page state PDF; a submitted application does not itself authorize care.
Selected official forms and public instructions were reviewed on September 14, 2026. This is a practical starting list, not a complete certification of every record, retention period, local rule, or individual application.
DESE's sample forms are not themselves required submissions; providers must maintain the underlying records specified by applicable rules.
Home/group/center requirements differ; the annual declaration labels some attachments as group-home/center only.
Use the agency’s current original and revision instructions. Keep confidential child and staff records in your own secure record system.
Use this sheet to check which items apply to your program. A listed item or a checked box does not establish that your program meets licensing requirements.
Program / provider type:
Licensing office / reviewer:
Date checked / rule or packet edition:
Form or instruction
Applies? Yes / No / Ask
Received / completed
Location / next review
1. Application for License to Operate a Child Care Facility (MO500-3293)
2. Annual Declaration for Licensed Facility (MO500-3291)
3. Child Care Enrollment Form (MO500-3317)
4. Fire/Tornado Drill Record (MO500-3310)
5. Infant and Toddler Feeding and Care Plan (MO500-3306)
6. Listing of Child Care Staff Members/Household Members (MO500-3309)
Other local or agency document
Food-program / subsidy documents
Questions and next steps
Ask about required format, signatures, submission, update triggers, and retention. Record the agency’s answer and the person or written source that confirmed it.
Companion to the Missouri source review dated September 14, 2026. Provider Path educational planning sheet.
Use your existing tools alongside these sources.
Keep official licensing records with your program’s business records. Provider Path’s editable agreement, handbook, and daily forms can help organize your work; check the state instructions before choosing a format.
