Catoosa County, GA Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)

Section 4.09.08 conditions any application to operate a child day care facility in Catoosa County on proof of registration and licensing from the Georgia Department of Human Resources, covering all three tiers the UDC's definitions section, 1.08.00, recognizes. A family day care home is defined as a private residence operated as day care for up to six children; a group day care home covers not less than seven nor more than 18 children; and a child day care center covers 19 or more children. The definitions section further describes child day care generally as establishments licensed or commissioned by the Georgia Department of Human Resources to care for infants and preschool children for less than 24 hours a day without transfer of legal custody, some of which add pre-kindergarten or older-child programming.

Because Section 4.09.08 sits among the UDC's additional-use requirements in Article IV, it layers on top of, rather than replaces, the zoning-district permitted-use table that determines where each of the three day care tiers can locate; the Zoning Administrator checks both the zoning permission and the state registration proof before a facility can open its doors. This is a local paperwork gate tied to a state credential, not a separate county inspection or licensing scheme of its own.