Rowlett, TX Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Home-based child care in Rowlett is layered between the city's zoning code and Texas state regulation. The Development Code's accessory use chart lists a 'Family home' as an allowed accessory use in residential districts and defines it as a home that regularly provides care in the caretaker's own residence for not more than six children under 14 years of age (excluding the caretaker's own children), and that provides after-school care for not more than six additional elementary school children, with the total number of children, including the caretaker's own, not exceeding 12 at any time. The land use table similarly references 'Day care for not more than six children, including the caregiver's own under-aged children.' Larger operations fall under the code's 'Day care' use category, split into General Day Care (20 or more enrolled) and Limited Day Care (fewer than 20, excluding a Family Home), which require site plan approval ('S') in most districts. On top of zoning, Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation requires the appropriate permit: a Registered Child Care Home covers up to six children under 13 (plus six more after school, max 12 total), while a Licensed Child Care Home serves 7-12 children; providers must be at least 21, have a diploma or equivalent, and carry liability insurance. Operators should match both the Rowlett zoning category and the correct HHSC permit.