Cleveland, OH Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5104 classifies in-home child care into Type A (7 to 12 children, up to 4 under age 2) and Type B (up to 6 children, no more than 3 under age 2, including the provider own). Type A homes require a license from the Ohio Department of Children and Youth and are inspected annually. Type B homes must be certified if they receive publicly funded child care payments or if they care for more than three unrelated children, and they are inspected by the county JFS agency. Providers must complete background checks through BCI and FBI, CPR and first aid training, communicable disease training, and 30 hours of pre-service and ongoing training. Fire, sanitation, and safety inspections are required, and homes must have working smoke alarms, a carbon monoxide detector, emergency exits, safe outdoor play space, and secure storage of medications and cleaning chemicals. Cleveland zoning allows a Type B home daycare as a home occupation without special permit. A Type A home with up to 12 children is typically treated as a child day care center and may require zoning review depending on the district. Lead-safe certification is increasingly expected for homes built before 1978 serving young children.