Childcare CPR & first aid requirements

If you work in childcare in Michigan — 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 Michigan requires

Michigan's child care rules (R 400.8131(7)-(8)), overseen by the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential's Child Care Licensing Bureau, require all program directors, lead caregivers and at least one caregiver on duty at all times to hold current first aid and CPR training with a hands-on skills component. Programs serving preschool-age and younger children need infant, child and adult CPR, and staff must be trained within 90 days of hire.

Anaphylaxis and medication administration

Michigan lets a caregiver give prescription or nonprescription medication only with prior written parental permission, kept in its original labeled container and stored out of children's reach (R 400.8152). The licensing rules do not single out epinephrine — a separate law governs stock supplies — so as a best practice a child's prescribed auto-injector should stay readily available and staff should be trained to recognize anaphylaxis and use it immediately.

How our courses meet these requirements

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

Don't wait for renewal day

A cardiac emergency or a severe allergic reaction unfolds in seconds, and the caregiver who has actually practised CPR and auto-injector use acts while others would freeze. The families who trust your program are counting on that readiness. A recognized, standards-based certification with a genuine hands-on component — including blended online-and-in-person courses — keeps your staff both compliant and truly prepared.