Fairfield, CA Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)

5 (Child Day Care Facilities and Private Schools) establishes City review standards for child day care facilities, private schools, preschools, nursery schools, and day care centers, working alongside state law. It expressly excludes small and large family day care homes, which the California Department of Social Services licenses and regulates directly rather than the City. Subsection A sets three operating standards. and must occur within an area enclosed by a six-foot solid or chain-link fence; where the play area borders any residential property, the facility must install a six-foot-high heavy wood fence or masonry wall between the play area and that residential parcel, a standard aimed squarely at protecting Fairfield's residential neighborhoods from noise and visual intrusion.

Ambient noise at the boundary of any outdoor play area cannot exceed the maximum levels the Fairfield Noise Ordinance sets for playgrounds in Table 25-1401 (Chapter 25, Article X), and the Director can require the applicant to demonstrate compliance with that noise standard. Play area size is fixed at a minimum of 75 square feet per child outdoors and 35 square feet per child indoors, and only outdoor areas or interior rooms with a minimum dimension of 10 feet in depth or width count toward meeting that ratio.

Subsection B requires the operator to obtain all other necessary state and county permits and approvals, such as Solano County or California Department of Social Services licensing, before opening.