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

035, Child Day Care Facilities, opens by making clear that its city standards apply on top of, not instead of, the licensing requirements imposed by the California State Department of Social Services: every facility must be licensed by the State regardless of what the zoning code separately requires. Subsection B addresses day nurseries and nursery schools specifically, the commercial center model of child care as distinct from a home-based large or small family day care governed elsewhere in the same Section. 1 require continuous compliance with all applicable State of California regulations, and place the burden on the business operator to obtain and keep current every State license and permit needed to run the facility; a lapsed State license puts the center out of compliance with the City's zoning approval as well.

2 sets a physical site requirement: a single green, landscaped, outdoor play area of at least 600 square feet for up to six children, with an additional 75 square feet required for every child enrolled beyond six, so a larger center must provide proportionally more outdoor play space. That play area may sit on the same lot as the center or on an adjoining lot, giving some flexibility for centers without enough room on a single parcel, but it can never be located within the property's required front yard, keeping play space out of view from and access to the street.