Renting or Owning a Home JUST for Daycare...

[kendallina]

I know a few of you rent or own a house just for your daycare (Blackcat, I think you're one)...

Is the house in an otherwise residential neighborhood and what is the process to be able to use it as a commercial business? I'm not talking about licensing-is there a process through the city that you need to go through to get it zoned commercial?

[Blackcat31]

I know a few of you rent or own a house just for your daycare (Blackcat, I think you're one)...

Is the house in an otherwise residential neighborhood and what is the process to be able to use it as a commercial business? I'm not talking about licensing-is there a process through the city that you need to go through to get it zoned commercial?

Yes, I own a completely separate home for my child care business.

The house is located in a residential neighborhood.

I did not have to have any special zoning or permits as my city does not have rules against in-home businesses being operated in residential areas.

I am one of I think 5 child cares that operate out of a completely separate house in a residential neighborhood.

I would have to get a special permit or have my facility rezoned if I wanted to operate commercially.

[kendallina]

Yes, I own a completely separate home for my child care business.

The house is located in a residential neighborhood.

I did not have to have any special zoning or permits as my city does not have rules against in-home businesses being operated in residential areas.

I am one of I think 5 child cares that operate out of a completely separate house in a residential neighborhood.

I would have to get a special permit or have my facility rezoned if I wanted to operate commercially.

So technically, you are still considered in-home (is that per licensing standards?) even though no one lives there?

In my state (Ohio) someone has to live in the house in order to be considered in-home, so I guess I would be considered commercial if I didn't live in my daycare house.

[Thriftylady]

It depends on your state. Here in Ohio if you don't live in the home I don't know what they would classify it as, but it wouldn't be in In-home. That would likely mean it is a center, and may have to be zoned that way. Licensing and the city would have different views of this I am sure. I would call your city or town to find out.

[kendallina]

It depends on your state. Here in Ohio if you don't live in the home I don't know what they would classify it as, but it wouldn't be in In-home. That would likely mean it is a center, and may have to be zoned that way. Licensing and the city would have different views of this I am sure. I would call your city or town to find out.

Yeh, that's what it sounds like. Ugh...why can't Ohio have an in-home designation without actually living there??

[kendallina]

In all honesty, since I'm pregnant and due in a few weeks, I've had a sub (very good friend of mine and also an early childhood person) working with me and man, it's nice! I would love to open up something on the small-ish side with her. We work beautifully together and it's just so beneficial to have someone around to bounce ideas off of, etc.

5 years of working alone and I'm feeling the itch...

[Rockgirl]

Yeh, that's what it sounds like. Ugh...why can't Ohio have an in-home designation without actually living there??

We are not allowed here, either. The house next door was for sale a couple of years ago....know how tempting that was? Lol

[Blackcat31]

So technically, you are still considered in-home (is that per licensing standards?) even though no one lives there?

In my state (Ohio) someone has to live in the house in order to be considered in-home, so I guess I would be considered commercial if I didn't live in my daycare house.

The only options for licensing here are family care or center care.

The rules for each are different and I opted to remain family care because I didnt want to have to meet some of the requirements for center care.

I don't think my state uses the terminology "in-home" because that (literally) isn't a requirement.

I am licensed like any other provider that provides care IN her home except I do not have to fight with any of my personal space/belongings within the confines of operating my child care. A perk I believe lends itself to a higher safety factor.


Like I said, there are several providers in our community that operate similarly to me. There is even one provider who runs her childcare out of another family's home.

The mom of that family was a teacher who opened her own child care, hired "Sally" to be her assistant and then ended up taking her old teaching job back and left "Sally" to run her childcare but since my state DOES have rules as to how many total days per year the actual licensed provider can be off site, it was in "Sally's" best interest to become the license holder herself.

So she did. Now she runs the child care out of the family's house (the family's youngest ~age 2 actually attends the child care) and the rest of the family is at work all the other days.

Its an odd situation but one that works great for both "Sally" the family itself and for the clients that used the child care prior to and during the transition period of "Sally" becoming the actual license holder.

[Blackcat31]

Another member of our forum used to have a separate home for her child care business too but since her state requires the home to be an actual residence where someone lives she licensed it under another family members name and it worked great for her.

I'd mention her name but don't know if she wants that out there or not. She's still fairly active on the board so maybe she'll chime in and comment on how she managed this.

[Unregistered]

Yeh, that's what it sounds like. Ugh...why can't Ohio have an in-home designation without actually living there??

You could "live" there during the week??

[Meeko]

Another member of our forum used to have a separate home for her child care business too but since her state requires the home to be an actual residence where someone lives she licensed it under another family members name and it worked great for her.

I'd mention her name but don't know if she wants that out there or not. She's still fairly active on the board so maybe she'll chime in and comment on how she managed this.

That would be me! We had another home that we used for daycare. Utah requires a provider to live in the home where care is being provided. So our son lived there and was the licensee. He used two of the bedrooms as his living room and bedroom. The rest of the home was all daycare.

However, we changed it all a few years ago and our son moved home and we converted our basement into the daycare. I am still able to "walk away" from work, so it works for us. Two homes was great, but one is cheaper to maintain!

[lovemydaycare0912]

Quick question if you don't mind me chiming in.

Was is the difference between being residentially zoned or commercially zoned? I am in the process of expanding to group home daycare which is the same as family home just licensed for more. I have to look in the regs again, but it may have to be done in a home in a commercial zone. Trying to figure this out before I buy my house which the group home would be run out of?

Sorry to chime in, hope it's okay.

[kendallina]

Quick question if you don't mind me chiming in.

Was is the difference between being residentially zoned or commercially zoned? I am in the process of expanding to group home daycare which is the same as family home just licensed for more. I have to look in the regs again, but it may have to be done in a home in a commercial zone. Trying to figure this out before I buy my house which the group home would be run out of?

Sorry to chime in, hope it's okay.

Totally fine to chime in. I have no idea, though. I just kind of thought that if I was running a childcare out of my home then I would have to be zoned commercially...I really don't know? Hopefully someone else can answer...

[Blackcat31]

Totally fine to chime in. I have no idea, though. I just kind of thought that if I was running a childcare out of my home then I would have to be zoned commercially...I really don't know? Hopefully someone else can answer...

Residential means its an area strictly meant for residing.

Commercial usually means business only. No "residing".

I think child care is considered residential because it is most often done/operated within the confines of someones home.

I dont think family daycare has come far enough that everyone automatically defines/recognizes it as a business.
I think it is still considered "glorified babysitting" in many ways.

I assume thats why there aren't any special permits or zoning change requirements for a child care operating out of a house (regardless of whether I actually live here or not) in my county/state.

I suppose if I was a neighborhood problem I might have issues but in all the years Ive been here, no one's ever complained or had issues with us.
As a matter of fact 2 other providers (who live in their homes) are within sight of my yard.

[Meeko]

Residential means its an area strictly meant for residing.

Commercial usually means business only. No "residing".

I think child care is considered residential because it is most often done/operated within the confines of someones home.

I dont think family daycare has come far enough that everyone automatically defines/recognizes it as a business.
I think it is still considered "glorified babysitting" in many ways.

I assume thats why there aren't any special permits or zoning change requirements for a child care operating out of a house (regardless of whether I actually live here or not) in my county/state.

I suppose if I was a neighborhood problem I might have issues but in all the years Ive been here, no one's ever complained or had issues with us.
As a matter of fact 2 other providers (who live in their homes) are within sight of my yard.

Actually where we were before required us to get our zoning changed. We had to have approval for a large in home business. We could either ask every resident in the neighborhood to sign a form or we could post a sign in the front of the house saying when there would a public hearing. We went the hearing route. Nobody showed up and we were approved in two minutes!!!

Our current home doesn't require that at all. Depends on the city (we are the next city south from our previous home.)