Fountain, CO Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Child cap
- Six children at one time
- State license
- CO Dept. of Human Services required
- Floor area
- No 35% cap for daycares
- Trip allowance
- 4 trips per licensed child
- Allowed zones
- LLR, RA, R1, Mixed Use, MHS
- Not allowed
- Multifamily (MF) zoned lots
Summary
Fountain, Colorado limits a home-based daycare to six children at a time and requires Colorado Department of Human Services licensing on top of the city's own approval. Home daycares get their own floor-area and trip-count rules that differ from every other home-based business, and the use is allowed in the LLR, RA, R1 and mixed-use districts as well as mobile-home subdivisions, but not multifamily zones.
10.Home-based daycares. In addition to the standards for all home-based businesses, home-based daycares shall comply with the following:a.A maximum of six children may be served at any one time.b.Obtain necessary licensing and follow any requirements for home-based daycares as required by the Colorado Department of Human Services.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
040(A)(10) adds requirements on top of the general home-based business standards for anyone running a daycare from a residence: no more than six children may be served at any one time, and the operator must obtain and maintain the licensing the Colorado Department of Human Services requires for home-based daycares. 040(A)(6) is replaced with an allowance of up to four vehicular trips per child, based on the daycare's licensed capacity. 020 lists home-based daycare as a permitted use in the LLR, RA, R1 and mixed-use zoning districts and in mobile home subdivisions (MHS), but it is not permitted in multifamily (MF) zoned areas.
Like every home-based business, a daycare operator must still reside on the property, obtain a city business license before opening, and remain open to inspection by an authorized city official. These standards were adopted by Ord. No. 1742, § 1, effective January 14, 2020.
Violations & Fines
Serving more than six children, operating without the required Colorado Department of Human Services license, or running a home daycare in a district or zone where it is not a listed use, such as a multifamily property, violates Fountain Municipal Code § 17.19.040(A)(10). Violations can trigger city business license suspension or revocation under § 17.19.050 and Title 5 of the Municipal Code, in addition to any state licensing consequences.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many children can a home daycare in Fountain, Colorado watch at once?
Do I need a state license to run a home daycare in Fountain?
Can I run a home daycare in a Fountain apartment or condo?
Does the 35 percent floor-area limit apply to home daycares in Fountain?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fountain
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How other cities in El Paso County handle home daycare.