Exit Requirements?

[LeslieG]

I haven't been on here for a while... it's good to be back! I had my first baby in April of this year and quit daycare shortly after. Now my husband, son and I have moved to a different state and am preparing to start the licensing process here.

We have to rent for a couple years before we can buy a house, so we've been looking at rental homes that would be a good fit for having a daycare in it.

I am just curious, what are the exit requirements in your state/county?

We're currently looking at a home that is a rambler, so daycare would be in the finished basement. There is no egress window in the largest main room, but there is an egress window in the bedroom that is off of the main room. I'm really hoping this is okay... I will be calling licensing to ask them when they open today.

[NoMoreJuice!]

My regs state that there must be two means of escape in a basement. The house we ended up buying has a walk out door, but some houses I looked at had egress windows, and they would have been approved as a means of escape. The bedroom door would have to remain open and there would have to be a small set of stairs leading up to the window. I think I'd contact your local fire marshal to make sure before signing a lease.

[Febby]

The official regulation for certified homes is

(3) A new applicant or a provider who changes location shall have at least two (2) unblocked exits to the outside on each floor level used for child care.

For Type I (regular) and Type II (in-home) centers, the center has to be inspected and approved by the state fire marshal, which uses NFPA codes for inspection. That one is a whole different headache.