Iowa allows an unregistered "child care home" to care for five or fewer children (or six or fewer if one is school-aged). A "child development home" providing care to seven or more children must register with Iowa HHS under 441 IAC 110. Polk County zoning treats it as a Day
Under 441 IAC 110.1, a "child care home" is a program "not registered" that cares for "1. Five or fewer children. 2. Six or fewer children, if at least one of the children is school-aged." A "child development home" is "a person or program registered under this chapter that may provide child care to seven or more children at any one time." Registration requires a compliance visit for health, safety and fire standards, with at least annual unannounced visits. Polk County's Zoning Ordinance separately defines a "Day Care Facility" as "A place that provides for the care of children or adults" who do not reside there and are present primarily daytime.
Caring for seven or more children without HHS registration violates 441 IAC 110 and Iowa Code 237A; registration can be denied or revoked for safety hazards or record-check findings.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Polk County allows backyard composting but regulates it through the Health Nuisance Regulation: a compost pile that harbors vermin, produces offensive odors,...
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Polk County has no ordinance for or against artificial turf on residential lots. Installation on unincorporated land is generally unrestricted; cities and HO...
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Polk County has no ordinance banning native or prairie landscaping, and the county promotes native roadside vegetation. The one legal limit: your planting ca...
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Iowa has no state ban on collecting rainwater, and Polk County sets no rain-barrel ordinance. Residents may capture roof runoff in barrels or cisterns; only ...
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Polk County sets no lawn-watering schedule. Central Iowa's water is managed by Central Iowa Water Works / Des Moines Water Works, which can impose voluntary ...
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Iowa Code 317.10 requires every landowner to destroy all noxious weeds on their land as directed by the county board of supervisors. Polk County's Weed Commi...
See how Polk County's home daycare rules stack up against other locations.
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