Childcare CPR & first aid requirements
First Aid & CPR Missouri
If you work in childcare in Missouri — 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.
What Missouri requires
Missouri's child care licensing rules (5 CSR 25-500), administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Office of Childhood, require pediatric CPR and first aid — covering adults, children and infants and including AED use — with at least one certified caregiver for every 20 children in the licensed capacity. New staff generally complete certification within 90 days of hire, and it is renewed every two years.
Anaphylaxis and medication administration
All medication must be stored out of children's reach or in a locked container and given only with a signed parental medication-authorization form. Under Missouri law (RSMo 196.990), trained lay staff may administer an epinephrine auto-injector, so a caregiver prepared to recognize anaphylaxis can respond in the moment it matters.
How our courses meet these requirements
A recognized, standards-based certification — online theory paired with a hands-on skills check — meets Missouri’s requirement and keeps your team ready to act.
Don't wait for renewal day
When a heart stops or a severe allergic reaction sets in, the first minutes decide everything, and a caregiver who has practised CPR, AED and auto-injector use acts while hesitation would cost a life. The families you serve are trusting you with their children. A recognized, standards-based certification — including blended online-and-in-person courses — keeps your center staffed to the ratio and genuinely ready.