Jefferson Parish, LA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Sec. 2 (Definitions) defines a day care home as a residential dwelling where a family member living there is paid to provide care, supervision, and guidance to six or fewer children unrelated to the caregiver, and specifically excludes homes offering overnight care. Sec. 4(7) authorizes day care home as a home occupation but modifies the general Sec. 3 standards to fit it: the 15 percent gross-floor-area cap in subsection (b) is calculated using only the indoor play area rather than the whole business space, and subsection (c)'s requirement that the occupation be conducted entirely inside the residence does not apply at all, since daycare inherently needs outdoor space.

In its place, the code requires an outdoor play area of at least 75 square feet per child using the space at one time, or whatever the state requires if that is stricter, and the play area has to be enclosed by a permanent opaque fence or barrier at least 6 feet high. Every other home occupation standard still applies: only a resident of the home can operate the daycare, one added off-street parking space is required, and no dust, odor, noise, or traffic impact can reach beyond the property line.

A day care home is distinct in the code from a day care center, which is a standalone facility not run out of a family's residence and is not covered by these home occupation standards at all.