Springfield, OR Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitted districts
- R-1, R-2, R-3 and NC, CC, MRC, GO
- Governing tables
- SDC Table 3.2.210 (residential), Table 3.2.320 (commercial)
- Extra standard required
- None cited, unlike Child Care Center's SDC 4.7.340
- State definition
- Family Child Care Home defined via ORS 329A.440
- Enforcing agency
- Development and Public Works code enforcement officer
- Violation penalty
- Up to $1,000 Class 1 civil infraction forfeiture
Summary
In the City of Springfield, Oregon, a Family Child Care Home is listed as its own permitted land use in every residential zone and every commercial district, with no site plan, discretionary permit, or additional development standard attached. Springfield Development Code Table 3.2.210 and Table 3.2.320 both mark the use P outright, a lighter track than the Child Care Center category next to it.
Table 3.2.210 Permitted Uses Uses Districts Applicable code standards R-1 R-2 R-3 ... Family Child Care Home P P P ... Table 3.2.320 Permitted Uses Land Use Commercial District Applicable code standards NC** CC MRC GO ... Family Child Care Home P P P P
Full Breakdown
Springfield Development Code section 3.2.210, Table 3.2.210, lists Family Child Care Home as a permitted use in the R-1, R-2, and R-3 residential districts, marked P for permitted in each column with no applicable code standard cited, unlike Duplex, Triplex/Fourplex, Cottage Cluster Housing or Courtyard Housing rows in the same table, which all carry an asterisk and a cross-referenced SDC section. Table 3.2.320, section 3.2.320, repeats the identical treatment in the Neighborhood Commercial, Community Commercial, Major Retail Commercial and General Office districts, listing Family Child Care Home as P in all four commercial columns.
By contrast, the Child Care Center use directly beneath it in both tables is only permitted subject to cited code standards and must comply with Springfield Development Code section 4.7.340, which requires an off-street child drop-off and pick-up spot, or an on-street spot approved by the City Traffic Engineer that does not block a travel lane or sit in a vision clearance area, plus an ADA-compliant pedestrian path from the drop-off point to the main entrance. Because Family Child Care Home carries none of those cross-referenced standards, operating one inside a house in any Springfield residential district, or inside a qualifying commercial building, does not require a Type 1, Type 2, or discretionary land-use review of its own.
The Development Code's own definitions chapter, section 6.1.100, defines Family Child Care Home by reference to Oregon's own child-care statute, ORS 329A.440, rather than writing a separate local definition. That state law is what actually sets registration, capacity and safety requirements for the home itself; Springfield's zoning code only confirms the use is allowed by right wherever a dwelling or qualifying commercial building already stands.
Violations & Fines
Operating a use beyond what Table 3.2.210 or Table 3.2.320 permits, for example running a full Child Care Center without meeting the drop-off standards of section 4.7.340, is a Development Code violation under Springfield Municipal Code section 5.604(2), enforced as a civil infraction under sections 5.606 to 5.624. A code enforcement officer can issue a warning citation, then a Class 2 forfeiture up to $500 or a Class 1 forfeiture up to $1,000 for a repeat violation, with each continuing day counted as a separate infraction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a home daycare in Springfield, Oregon?
Is a Family Child Care Home the same as a Child Care Center under Springfield's code?
What state law governs the daycare itself in Springfield?
What happens if I exceed what the zoning table allows?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Springfield
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Home Daycare in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle home daycare.