Fresno, CA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Section 15-2725 of the Citywide Development Code defines two tiers of Family Child Care Home: a Small Family Child Care Home serving eight or fewer children (including the caregiver's own children under 10), and a Large Family Child Care Home serving 7 to 14 children inclusive. The Code states plainly that operating a small home "shall be considered a residential use of property for the purposes of all local ordinances, and shall not require an entitlement or business tax certificate", meaning no zoning permit and no city business license are needed to run one out of a house.

Large homes are treated differently under subsection D: every large family child care provider is required to obtain a Conditional Use Permit through the Article 53 process, though the Code caps what conditions the Planning Commission can attach at what Section 15-2725 itself already spells out. Large homes must also sit no closer than 300 feet from the lot line of another already-permitted large family day care home, unless the Director finds a closer spacing won't harm surrounding properties or traffic safety, and must pass a Fresno Fire Department fire safety clearance.

Both large and small operators must hold a license from the California Department of Social Services regardless of the local permit status, and large homes must meet the play-structure setback and placement standards in Section 15-2004 that apply to accessory structures on any single-unit lot. Both facility types must provide off-street parking under Article 24, Parking and Loading, on top of any state licensing requirements.