Calculate staff needed
calculate_staff_neededRead-onlyIdempotent
Work out the minimum number of staff a licensed childcare center needs for a group of children in one US state, from that state's staff-to-child ratio for 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds or school-age children. Returns staff needed (children divided by the ratio, rounded up), the ratio, the maximum group size where the state sets one, caveats and backpr.com links. If BackPR couldn't confirm a ratio for that age group, it says so instead of guessing. General information, not legal advice.
Input Schema
TableJSON Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| state | Yes | US state name or 2-letter code, case-insensitive, such as "Texas" or "TX". "DC" and "District of Columbia" also work. | |
| children | Yes | Number of children in the group, from 1 to 1000. | |
| age_group | Yes | "3_year_olds", "4_year_olds" or "school_age" (children enrolled in school). |
Output Schema
TableJSON Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| ages | No | The state's label for this age band | |
| ratio | Yes | Children per adult; null if BackPR couldn't confirm it | |
| state | Yes | ||
| caveats | Yes | ||
| checked | Yes | ||
| cite_as | Yes | ||
| children | Yes | ||
| age_group | Yes | ||
| source_url | Yes | The ratios section of the state's backpr.com rules page | |
| state_code | Yes | ||
| ratio_label | No | For example "1:15" | |
| national_url | No | ||
| staff_needed | Yes | Minimum staff: children divided by the ratio, rounded up | |
| calculator_url | No | ||
| max_group_size | No | ||
| minimum_groups | No | Fewest groups the children must be split into under the maximum group size |