Reading, PA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Cap
- 4-6 children or 6 adults
- Min. floor area
- 480 sq ft
- Quiet hours
- 11 p.m.-6 a.m.
- State license
- required before occupancy
- Citation
- § 600-1202D(1)
Summary
Reading zoning caps in-home family child care and adult care homes at four to six children or up to six adults, requires 480 square feet of dedicated floor space, and bars noisy operation between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
(a) There may be permitted at any one time four, five, or six children in family child care homes, and up to six adults in adult care homes in addition to sons or daughters of the on-site caregiver. ... (c) A minimum of 480 square feet of habitable floor area exclusive of halls, bathrooms, offices, kitchens, locker rooms, and related areas must be maintained on the premises. ... (d) In a residential district, the use shall not operate in a manner perceptible to the neighbors between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-8: Current through August 10, 2026).
Full Breakdown
A family child care home or adult care home run out of a residence is treated as an accessory use under the Zoning Ordinance's care-facility standards. Where allowed, it may serve at most four, five, or six children (or up to six adults) beyond the caregiver's own sons or daughters, and the home must keep a minimum of 480 square feet of habitable floor area exclusive of halls, bathrooms, offices, kitchens and locker rooms. In residential districts the use cannot be perceptible to neighbors between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. In the C-N Commercial Neighborhood District it is permitted by right, capped at four cared-for persons, on lots under 2,500 square feet.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the caregiver cap, falling short of the 480-square-foot floor-area minimum, operating without proof of the required state license before occupancy, or running the use audibly overnight can trigger zoning enforcement and jeopardize the certificate of occupancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a daycare from my home in Reading?
Does Reading set a minimum room size for a home daycare?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Reading
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