Albany County home daycares are licensed by NY Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) under Social Services Law §390 and 18 NYCRR Part 417 (Family Day Care) or Part 416 (Group Family Day Care). Family day care: up to 8 children; Group: up to 16 with assistant. Local zoning approval also required.
New York tightly regulates home daycares through the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). Family Day Care (18 NYCRR Part 417) permits up to 6 children plus 2 additional school-age under 13, operated by one provider. Group Family Day Care (18 NYCRR Part 416) permits up to 12 children plus 4 additional school-age, requiring a qualified assistant. Requirements include OCFS application, fingerprint-based background check (NY Criminal Procedure Law and Executive Law §845-b), CPR and first aid certification (15 hours training biennially), annual inspection by OCFS regional office (Albany Regional at 52 Washington St, Rensselaer), liability insurance, and fire safety inspection per 19 NYCRR Part 1226. Albany County municipalities provide zoning accommodation under NY Social Services Law §390(12), which deems home daycare a residential use by right — towns cannot prohibit it, though they may require home occupation permits. The City of Albany (Chapter 375-100) and towns of Colonie, Bethlehem, and Guilderland permit home daycare in residential zones. Drop-off/pickup traffic must not create a parking nuisance.
Unlicensed daycare: OCFS closure orders, fines up to $500/day under SSL §390(9). Background check violations: immediate license revocation. Capacity violations: license suspension. Operating illegally after shutdown: Class A misdemeanor under SSL §389.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Albany, NY
Albany Police remove abandoned vehicles under New York Vehicle & Traffic Law §1224 and the city's 72-hour street-parking rule. A vehicle is "abandoned" under...
Albany, NY
Albany's Unified Sustainable Development Ordinance (Chapter 375) restricts where boats, boat trailers, campers, travel trailers, and recreational vehicles ma...
Albany, NY
New York is one of a small group of states with a "spite fence" statute on the books. Under Real Property Actions & Proceedings Law (RPAPL) §843, any fence o...
Albany, NY
Albany requires a building permit before constructing a new fence or replacing an existing one. Under USDO §375-98 ("Location of Fences and Walls"), fences i...
Albany, NY
Albany has no breed-specific dog ban. New York Agriculture & Markets Law §107(5) expressly preempts breed-specific legislation: municipalities may run their ...
Albany, NY
Albany permits up to six hens (no roosters) at any residential dwelling with a hen license issued by the City Clerk under Chapter 115, Article VIII. The appl...
See how Albany's home daycare rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.