Child care for visitors to Las Vegas

Short answer: visiting families usually choose between a resort’s own kids’ program and an outside sitter who comes to the hotel room. Nevada licenses child care facilities, so a kids’ club or center can be looked up in the state’s licensee search, but an in-room sitter can’t. Ask questions before you hand over your child, and know the local rules for minors on the casino floor and after dark.

This page is general information for visitors. We don’t name, rate or recommend any hotel, sitter or agency.

Option 1: A kids’ program at your resort

Some resorts and attractions run supervised programs for children. Nevada licenses a type of care it calls an accommodation facility: care run by a business that is licensed for something other than child care, offered to its customers while they stay on the premises, for up to three hours. Nevada law also says these facilities must let a parent attend to a child’s needs in a single-person restroom.

What to do:

1. Ask the program whether it holds a Nevada child care license and what type.
2. Look it up in the state’s licensee search, linked from the Find a Child Care Facility page. The record shows inspections, complaints and investigations.
3. Ask how long children can stay, whether you need to stay on property, and how staff reach you.
4. Bring proof of your child’s immunizations if the program asks. Nevada law has immunization requirements for accommodation facilities.

Option 2: A sitter who comes to your hotel room

Outside sitter services send a caregiver to the guest’s room. The state’s licensee search lists child care facilities, so individual in-room sitters aren’t in it. Childcare.gov’s general warning about unlicensed in-home care is worth keeping in mind: when a caregiver isn’t licensed, no state agency monitors background checks, health and safety practices or first-aid training.

Questions worth asking the service before you book:

• How do you screen sitters? Do you run criminal background checks, and through whom?
• Are sitters trained in CPR and first aid? Can I see proof?
• Will I get the sitter’s name and the service’s emergency contact in advance?
• Does the sitter have experience with my child’s age and any medical needs?
• What’s your policy if the sitter can’t make it or I’m running late?

Ask the hotel, too. Some hotels have their own rules about outside caregivers coming to rooms. Get the details in writing, and leave clear written instructions, your phone number and your room number with the sitter.

Kids and the casino floor

Nevada law (NRS 463.350) says a person under 21 may not gamble and may not loiter, or be permitted to loiter, in or about any room or premises where licensed gaming is conducted. A licensee or other person who permits a violation can also be charged with a misdemeanor. If you need to cross a casino to reach a restaurant, show or elevator, keep children with you and keep moving, and ask hotel staff about the property’s own rules.

Curfews for minors

According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, both the City of Las Vegas and Clark County have curfews for minors under 18 who aren’t with a parent or guardian:

• 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday
• Midnight to 5 a.m. Friday and Saturday
• On the Strip: from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and legal holidays, and from 6 p.m. on December 31. The Strip curfew covers Las Vegas Boulevard South between Sahara Avenue and Sunset Road and several connecting streets, plus adjoining parking lots and walkways that are open to the public.

LVMPD says a violation can mean a citation, fines up to $300, or being held until a parent is reached. The city code lists exceptions, including a minor accompanied by a parent or by an adult over 21 approved by the parent. Downtown Las Vegas has its own special curfew area. Check LVMPD’s page before you go out, since rules and boundaries can change.

In an emergency

• Call 911 if a child is in danger or missing.
• To report a concern about a licensed child care facility, call Nevada Child Care Licensing at (702) 486-3822.

If you live here instead

Locals looking for regular care should start with how to find licensed child care and the types of care Nevada licenses.