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

100 governs child care facilities citywide, layered on top of licensing by the California Department of Social Services. The operator must first secure and maintain a state DSS license before the facility can operate. Site design is dictated in detail: a minimum six-foot high solid decorative fence or wall is required on all property lines except the front yard or a traffic sight area, with a three-foot landscaped strip against the fence planted with a dense hedge of 15-gallon evergreen shrubs. Indoor play space must meet the state standard of 35 square feet per child, and outdoor play space must meet 75 square feet of fenced area per child; any pool on site must be enclosed by a fence at least five feet high.

unless the use permit says otherwise, and no individual child may stay a continuous 24 hours or more. 64 plus extra area for loading and unloading; parking areas cannot double as play areas at the same time. Separation standards require the main assembly building to sit at least 30 feet from an adjacent residential property line, and the facility cannot locate within 500 feet of another licensed large family child care home or child care center. Where possible, the Development Code steers new centers toward existing institutional buildings or sites along major streets. The section was last amended by Ord. 2025-06-03-1601 on June 3, 2025.