Blaine, MN Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Operating a child care home in Blaine is governed largely by Minnesota statute, which preempts cities from excluding licensed family day care from residential areas. Under Minn. Stat. 462.357, subdivision 7, "a licensed day care facility serving 12 or fewer persons" and "a group family day care facility licensed under Minnesota Rules, parts 9502.0315 to 9502.0445 to serve 14 or fewer children" are each considered a permitted single-family residential use for zoning purposes. That means a properly licensed in-home daycare within those sizes is allowed in Blaine's residential zones the same as any single-family home, and the city cannot require a special rezoning to permit it. Larger programs, a licensed day care serving 13 through 16 persons, are treated as a permitted multifamily residential use under subdivision 8 and may be subject to additional local conditions. The statute also lets a city require a conditional or special use permit to assure proper operation, but it may not impose conditions more restrictive than those placed on comparable conditional uses in the same zone unless needed to protect health and safety. The licensing itself, capacity, child-to-adult ratios, background studies, and provider qualifications, is handled by the State of Minnesota under Chapter 245A and DHS Rule 2 (Minnesota Rules chapter 9502), not by Blaine. Providers should obtain the state family child care license and confirm with the Blaine Planning Department whether any local registration or conditional use process applies to their specific situation.