Pennsylvania requires Department of Human Services certification for family child day care homes serving four to six unrelated children, with statewide background checks, training, and ratio standards that apply regardless of municipal zoning labels.
Under the Public Welfare Code 62 P.S. Section 1001 et seq. and 55 Pa. Code Chapter 3290, family child day care homes must obtain a DHS certificate of compliance, complete annual unannounced inspections, and maintain a 1:6 caregiver-to-child ratio with no more than two children under 24 months. Operators and household members 14 and older must clear PA State Police, Child Abuse, and FBI fingerprint clearances. Group day care homes serving 7 to 12 children require a separate certification under Chapter 3280.
Operating an uncertified home day care can result in cease-and-desist orders, civil penalties up to $500 per day, and referral for criminal prosecution under the Child Protective Services Law.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Bethlehem, PA
Bethlehem Zoning § 1322(yy)(4) expressly refers pool fencing to the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, which adopts the 2018 International Swimming Pool...
Bethlehem, PA
Bethlehem Zoning Code Article 1318 does not impose a separate list of prohibited fence materials, leaving fence-material regulation to general property-maint...
Bethlehem, PA
Bethlehem's zoning code does not require neighbor consent for a boundary fence under Article 1318, but Pennsylvania common-law partition-fence principles and...
Bethlehem, PA
Bethlehem requires a zoning permit from the Bureau of Code Enforcement for any fence installation as part of general zoning compliance under Article 1318 (he...
Bethlehem, PA
Bethlehem caps household animals at six without a permit: Section 1159.04 of Article 1159 (Animals) requires application for a permit for any household keepi...
Bethlehem, PA
Bethlehem's local wildlife-feeding enforcement runs through Article 1159 nuisance provisions (Section 1159.06) of the Codified Ordinances and property-mainte...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Lehigh County.
See how Bethlehem'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 If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.