Day Care Planning Resources
Day Care Planning Resources
The child care facility regulations for Child Care Centers, Group Child Care Homes and Family Child Care Homes became effective on Sept. 22, 2008 and updated on Dec. 19, 2020. The documents and links listed below are resources to help you understand the changes to the regulations as well as important information you will need in order to comply with these new regulations.
55 Pa. Code, Chapter 20, Licensure or Approval of Facilities and Agencies. This regulation provides the rules regarding applying for a certificate of compliance (license), frequency and content of DHS inspections, preparing and issuing a certificate of compliance, conditions under which a certificate of compliance may be denied, not renewed, or revoked and the DHS licensure or approval decisions that may be appealed. Chapter 20 applies to child day care centers and group day care homes.
55 Pa. Code, Chapter 3270, Child Care Centers. This regulation provides the rules regarding operation of a child day care center. A child care center is a facility in which seven or more children unrelated to the operator receive child care services. A child day care center must have a certificate of compliance (license) from DHS in order to operate.
55 Pa. Code, Chapter 3280, Group Child Care Homes. This regulation provides the rules regarding operation of a group day care home. A group care home is a facility in which seven to 12 children unrelated to the operator receive child care services. A group day care home must have a certificate of compliance (license) from DHS in order to operate.
55 Pa. Code, Chapter 3290, Family Child Care Homes. This regulation provides the rules regarding operation of a family care home. A family day care home is a facility in which four, five or six children unrelated to the operator receive child care services. A family care home must be located in a home and must have a certificate of registration from DHS in order to operate.