Worcester County MA home childcare is licensed by the MA Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) under 606 CMR 7.00. Family childcare homes serve up to 6 children (with up to 3 additional school-age during after-school hours) per licensed provider; large family childcare serves up to 10 with an assistant. Fire and health inspections required. Local zoning under MGL c. 40A, §3 recognizes family childcare as a residential use with limited local restriction authority.
Home-based childcare in Worcester County is regulated primarily by state law under the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) per MGL c. 15D and 606 CMR 7.00. Family Child Care (FCC) home license allows up to 6 children under 14 years old (with certain age restrictions — maximum 3 children under 2, maximum 2 under 15 months, maximum 1 under 9 months), plus up to 3 additional school-aged children during non-school hours, for a total ratio not exceeding 9:1 with qualifying assistants. Large Family Child Care (LFCC) license with a qualified assistant serves up to 10 children. Requirements per 606 CMR 7.04: (1) CORI background check and fingerprinting for all household members 15+; (2) Pre-service orientation and 20 hours annual training; (3) CPR and First Aid certification; (4) Minimum 150 sq ft outdoor play area, 35 sq ft indoor play per child; (5) Fire inspection with working smoke/CO detectors per MGL c. 148, §26F; (6) Health inspection; (7) $500K liability insurance strongly recommended. Home Visit and unannounced inspections by EEC licensors. Critically, MGL c. 40A, §3 (10th paragraph) provides that family day care homes 'shall be considered as a matter of right' in residential zoning districts — meaning Worcester County towns cannot require a special permit or variance for licensed family childcare. However, towns may regulate parking, signage, and traffic impacts in a neutral manner. Large family childcare with commercial-scale traffic may trigger site plan review.
Unlicensed family childcare (more than 1 unrelated child for pay): MGL c. 15D, §10 criminal penalty, EEC closure. Safety violations: license suspension or revocation. Exceeding capacity: immediate corrective action, possible license action. Failing CORI: exclusion from child-contact roles. Serious injury or negligence: criminal charges possible.
Worcester, MA
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