Ceres, CA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Small family day care (≤8 kids)
- By-right, no city permit
- Large child care facility
- Conditional use permit required
- R-1 setback for CUP child care
- 40-ft front, 30-ft rear yard
- Governing code
- Ceres Municipal Code § 18.08.040
Summary
Family day care homes for eight or fewer children are a permitted use in every Ceres residential zone under state law; Ceres Municipal Code lists larger licensed child care facilities as a conditional use requiring Planning Commission approval.
The following uses may be permitted in the R-1 zone subject to a conditional use permit:
A.Country clubs and related uses.B.Horticulture.C.Schools.D.Public utility substations.E.Churches on a lot size of less than one acre.F.State licensed general hospitals.G.State licensed sanitariums.H.State licensed child care facilities.I.Public parks and playgrounds.J.Temporary tract sales office and tract signs, for subdivisions less than 20 lots and as permitted in chapter 18.38 of this title.K.Aviaries subject to section 18.28.050 of this title. (Ord. No. 2020-1059, § 1, 3-23-2020)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
California's Family Day Care Home Act makes a home caring for eight or fewer children a matter-of-right residential use statewide, so Ceres cannot require a business license, conditional use permit, or discretionary hearing for one, the same rule that lets any single-family home operate. Ceres' own zoning code never singles out family day care; instead, Ceres Municipal Code § 18.08.040 lists 'state licensed child care facilities', freestanding centers, preschools, and similar operations, among the conditional uses in the R-1 zone, subject to Planning Commission approval and, per § 18.08.060, 40-foot front and 30-foot rear yard setbacks well beyond a typical home's 20-foot front setback.
Violations & Fines
Opening a licensed child care center or preschool in an R-1 zone without Planning Commission approval is a zoning violation the City can cite under Title 19; a small family day care home faces no such exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ceres require a permit for a home daycare?
What about a bigger licensed child care center in a house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ceres
California rules heatmap·Compare Ceres to another location·View the California home business overview
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