Leominster, MA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Districts allowed by right
- All 11 underlying zoning districts
- Child capacity
- 10 children under 14 (16 if special needs)
- Licensing requirement
- 606 CMR 7.02, state Dept. of Early Education
- Permit needed
- None; use is by-right citywide
- Governing table
- Sec. 22-17 Underlying Districts Table of Uses
Summary
Family child care and adult day care are allowed by right in every zoning district in Leominster, from Rural Residence and Agriculture through the Village district, under the city's Table of Uses at Leominster Code of Ordinances Section 22-17. The zoning ordinance defines family child care at Section 22-4 as licensed in-home care for up to ten children under fourteen.
Family child care. Temporary custody and care provided in a private residence during part or all of the day for no more than ten children younger than fourteen years old or children younger than sixteen years old if such children have special needs. Family child care does not mean an informal cooperative arrangement among neighbors or relatives, or the occasional care of children with or without compensation therefore. As defined in 606 CMR 7.02, and as licensed or approved by the department of early education and care, or its successor. ... RR RA RB RC BA BB C I MU1 MU2 V ... Day care center, Family child care, adult day care Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 24).
Full Breakdown
Section 22-4 of the zoning ordinance defines family child care as temporary custody and care provided in a private residence for no more than ten children younger than fourteen, or younger than sixteen if the children have special needs. 02 and licensed or approved by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. Section 22-17's Underlying Districts Table of Uses then lists 'Day care center, Family child care, adult day care' with a 'Y' (allowed by right) in all eleven underlying districts: Rural Residence and Agriculture, Residence A, B and C, Business A and B, Commercial, Industrial, Multi-Use 1 and 2, and Village.
No special permit, site plan approval, or board hearing is required anywhere in the city solely because a dwelling is used for licensed family child care. This citywide as-of-right status is unusual among the table's institutional uses; comparable facilities such as assisted living and long-term care require a planning board special permit in most residential districts, while family child care does not.
Violations & Fines
Operating a family child care business that exceeds the ten-child cap, or that fails to meet the state licensing definition in 606 CMR 7.02, falls outside the zoning ordinance's protected use and can be enforced under the general zoning penalty in Sec. 22-15: up to three hundred dollars per violation, or a noncriminal disposition schedule of one hundred, two hundred and three hundred dollars for repeat offenses, with each day a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a special permit to run a home daycare in Leominster?
How many children can a Leominster home daycare care for?
Is babysitting for a neighbor's kids the same as family child care under Leominster zoning?
Which zoning districts in Leominster allow adult day care?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Leominster
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