Farmington Hills, MI Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Michigan's Child Care Organizations Act (MCL 722.111 et seq.) defines two home-based license categories: (a) a Family Child Care Home, providing care for 1 to 6 minor children for less than 24 hours per day, and (b) a Group Child Care Home, providing care for 7 to 12 minor children with at least one qualified assistant in addition to the licensee. Licensing is administered by the Bureau of Community and Health Systems under MiLEAP through the MIChildCare licensing portal. State law (MCL 722.115b) preempts local zoning from prohibiting a Family Child Care Home as a use of property where single-family dwellings are otherwise permitted — meaning Farmington Hills cannot zone these out of single-family districts. Group Child Care Homes (7-12 children) are also generally protected but may be subject to reasonable land-use conditions. Farmington Hills treats the operation as a home occupation under Sec. 34-4.15, so applicants should file a Home Occupation Registration with Planning. The 15%-floor-area cap and one-client-at-a-time rule in Sec. 34-4.15 do not override the state preemption for licensed family child care, but other reasonable site standards (parking, off-street drop-off, fire safety) apply. Operators must also meet state fire-safety and health inspections.