Home daycare is licensed by the PA Department of Human Services, not York County. A family child care home caring for four to six unrelated children needs a DHS Certificate of Compliance under 55 Pa. Code Chapter 3290, plus municipal zoning approval.
York County does not license childcare; the PA Department of Human Services (DHS) does. Under 55 Pa. Code Chapter 3290, a "family child care home" provides care for four, five, or six unrelated children age 15 or younger and must hold a DHS Certificate of Compliance, renewed annually with unannounced inspections. Caring for seven or more children makes it a "group" or "child care center" under stricter chapters. Caring for three or fewer unrelated children is generally unregulated by DHS. Separately, your borough or township zoning ordinance may treat a home daycare as a home occupation needing a zoning permit.
Operating a family child care home without a DHS certificate is a violation subject to DHS enforcement, closure orders, and penalties; zoning noncompliance is separately enforced by the municipality.
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