Doral, FL Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)

Section 74-342 requires every day nursery, after-school center, kindergarten and private school to meet both the standards of Division 2 and the requirements of whatever zoning district the facility sits in, so a child care use cannot rely on the district's base zoning alone. Section 74-343 then sets the physical standards that come with the use. The outdoor area provided for a licensed child care facility can be counted toward the site's total required open space, but only if the plot use or site plan establishes direct proximity or protected access between the child care facility and that outdoor area, adequate provisions for safety within it, and reasonable provisions for integrating its use and enjoyment with both the child care operation and any other uses on the site.

The section also gives an incentive for dedicating space to child care: for every square foot of floor area devoted to the child care use, the property gets an additional three square feet of floor area for other, non-child-care uses when calculating the site's maximum floor area ratio. To draw on that bonus, the director of the planning and zoning department must first approve the plot use or site plan, and as a condition of approval requires a recorded covenant that sets out the calculations and conditions behind the extra square footage and restricts the area designated for child care to child care use only.

Section 74-318 separately defines the covered facility types, including day nurseries for children up to age six, family day care homes capped at five children, and after-school care for children over five.