Rochester Hills, MI Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Section 138-4.435 governs all state licensed residential facilities, defining family day care homes, foster family homes, foster family group homes and adult foster care family homes as facilities with fewer than seven residents, and group child day care homes and adult foster care small group homes as facilities with more than six but not more than 12 residents. Every such facility must be registered with or licensed by the State of Michigan and comply with applicable state standards, and must be maintained in a manner consistent with the visible residential character of the neighborhood.

New facilities housing seven or more residents must sit at least 1,500 feet from any other such facility, measured property line to property line, unless the Planning Commission finds a shorter separation will not over-concentrate these facilities in one neighborhood or citywide. Once a home crosses into group child day care home territory (seven to twelve children), subsection 4 layers on specific standards: a fenced, screened outdoor play area in the rear yard of at least 150 square feet per child at licensed capacity, with an overall minimum of 1,500 square feet; adequate on-site parking and pickup/drop-off space that avoids pedestrian-vehicle conflicts and doesn't disrupt street traffic; and a hard cap of 16 hours of operation per day.