Eastvale, CA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Family child care in Eastvale is controlled by California state law, which strongly preempts local restrictions. The Eastvale Zoning Code's permitted-use matrix already lists both 'Family Day Care, Small' and 'Family Day Care, Large' as permitted uses (P) in the city's residential districts. State law goes further: SB 234, the Keeping Kids Close to Home Act (2019), provides that the use of a home as a small or large family day care home 'shall be considered a residential use of property and a use by right for the purposes of all local ordinances, including zoning ordinances,' and prohibits a local jurisdiction from imposing a business license, fee or tax for the privilege of operating one. A small family day care home serves up to eight children, and a large family day care home serves 7 to 14 children (in each case including the provider's own resident children, per Health & Safety Code definitions). Because of SB 234, older local provisions - such as a 300-foot spacing requirement between large day care homes or a conditional/use-permit process - are now superseded; the home must simply be treated like any other residence. Operators must obtain the appropriate state license from the California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division, and comply with state fire and life-safety standards (Health & Safety Code section 1597.46 and Title 24), which the city cannot override except as they apply to all similarly zoned residences. Providers should still meet basic state requirements for staffing ratios and child safety.