How Many Children Can You Have in Your Home Before You are a Day Care?

Hi,
I was wondering how many children can I have in my home, in the State of Pennsylvania before I am considered a day care? I guess what I am trying to ask is if I watch my friends two kids and my two kids are here and if my other friend decides to have me watch her two kids full time do I need to get a liscense? Do I need to call someone? I don't want to do anything illegal, or have any of my neighbors thinking im doing anything illegal. I just get paranoid. Can anyone help me with this question?

You need to look up the law for your state. It is diff everywhere.
But serioulsy I would not be so paranoid. CPS doesnt have time to go knocking on the doors of sahm's watching their neighbors kids.

You can have 5....

[GretasLittleFriends]

It is different from state to state. For example in Minnesota I could only take care of one family's children without a license legally. How would the county know? I suppose if I advertised or a family was unhappy with me and decided to report me. Needless to say, I only took care of the one boy until I had my license.

I did a little google research and found this...
http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/ServicesP.../003670907.htm

It states:
"Child Care Center - A child care facility in which seven or more children who are not related to the operator receive child care. A child care center must have a certificate of compliance ("license") from the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) in order to legally operate."

Hope this helps!

I'm in PA, and we can watch 3 children who are not our own. At 4 kids, we would need to be licensed.

Originally Posted by GretasLittleFriends

It is different from state to state. For example in Minnesota I could only take care of one family's children without a license legally. How would the county know? I suppose if I advertised or a family was unhappy with me and decided to report me. Needless to say, I only took care of the one boy until I had my license.

I did a little google research and found this...
http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/ServicesP.../003670907.htm

It states:
"Child Care Center - A child care facility in which seven or more children who are not related to the operator receive child care. A child care center must have a certificate of compliance ("license") from the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) in order to legally operate."

Hope this helps!

I heard the same for here in Florida that you can only watch one family's kids w/out being licensed. But what if that one family has many kids like 5+? That's ok? It doesn't make sense.

Do i need some kind of license to watch children in my home?

State of PA says:
You can care for up to 3 children unrelated to you at a time w/out a licence.
4 to 6 is a family daycare that need to be licenced.
7 or more i s a center needing licencing.
No limit on hours.

But check your township. I can only have 4 to 5 in a family care here by their standards. And hours of licenced is 7am to 7 pm. So after that I have to stick to the 3 limit form 7 pm to 7 am.

It is ok and legal to have 3 in am and 3 in pm as long as not more than there at the same time.

I persoanlly have 2 in am 8:30 to 4:30 pm, 1 from 5:00 pm to 2:00 am and another child comes different times either 7 am to 5 pm or 7 pm to 7 am. so it changes but I do not have more than 3 at a time.

My bio children as well as foster, custody care and respite care children do not count towards the ratio.

I am currantly working on my licencing but wonderin if it is worth it. (been unlicenced for over 10 years, pay my taxes, have EIN number as well as a Fictious name) So far I put out over $1000 for lawyer fees just to get approval from the Township.

But I will get rembursed for meal & snacks plus pay is more thru CCIS.

Here's a list of the licensing agencies by state - http://www.daycarematch.com/resources.asp Most list on the website what the rules are for each state.

Mel

[Michael]

You can find Pennsylvannia ratios and contact numbers here: https://www.daycare.com/pennsylvania/

I was wondering if i watched children in my home, how many can i take care of without being licensed in California?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi,
I was wondering how many children can I have in my home, in the State of Pennsylvania before I am considered a day care? I guess what I am trying to ask is if I watch my friends two kids and my two kids are here and if my other friend decides to have me watch her two kids full time do I need to get a liscense? Do I need to call someone? I don't want to do anything illegal, or have any of my neighbors thinking im doing anything illegal. I just get paranoid. Can anyone help me with this question?

[sharlan]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I was wondering if i watched children in my home, how many can i take care of without being licensed in California?

One non related family.

[Meeko]

In my state you can tend up to four unlicensed. But it's different for each state

My wife and I recently had our daughter with three other children in the care of a women and her own three children. Total of six, We thought she was FL licensed and it turns out she is not. I have looked @ the state laws and requirements but I cannot find information regarding this matter? Do you have any suggestions on who to call or to report this person to the proper authorities?

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

My wife and I recently had our daughter with three other children in the care of a women and her own three children. Total of six, We thought she was FL licensed and it turns out she is not. I have looked @ the state laws and requirements but I cannot find information regarding this matter? Do you have any suggestions on who to call or to report this person to the proper authorities?

https://www.daycare.com/florida/
Try here. You can find the state licensing laws for each state on this sites homepage.
https://www.daycare.com/states.html

[permanentvacation]

In Florida, at least, in Palm Coast, Florida (Flagler County), when I lived there a couple of years ago, you had 3 options. I can only assume the law is the same now - they don't usually change the laws too often. 1. You can babysit for one family at a time in your own home ( which means you can have one family worth of kids during the day, another family's kids in the evenings, another family's kids overnight, all 7 days/week. Yes, if a mother and father have 1 or 10 kids that really are all siblings, you can watch all 10 at a time because they are all from the same parents (just one family worth of kids). 2. You can be a registered daycare provider. To be a registered provider, you have to take the same daycare classes as a licensed provider and you are allowed the same ratios as a licensed provider but the licensing department never checks on you - unless you are reported for something. And you are not required to have a fence. 3. You can be a licensed provider. To be a licensed provider, you take the same daycare classes as a registered provider, are allowed the same ratios as a registered provider, but you must have a fenced in yard and the licensing department checks on you on a regular basis.

Here in Maryland, you can only babysit a non-related child in you home for - I get it messed up - either 20 hours a month or 20 hours per year. But basically, you are not legally allowed to watch not even one child in your own home who is not related to you on a consistant basis. Your only option for watching children in your home consistantly is to become a licensed provider. If you don't want to become a licensed provider but want to watch children, you are supposed to either be a nanny (consistant usually full-time caretaker in the child's home) or a babysitter which is more of non-consistant or part-time care in the child's home.

[care-care]

Where do you read how many you can have in your state with out a lisense? Im in michigan

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by care-care

Where do you read how many you can have in your state with out a lisense? Im in michigan

This is from your States site.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dh...4_212611_7.pdf

[care-care]

ya I have this book I dont think it says anywheres what i am asking

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by care-care

ya I have this book I dont think it says anywheres what i am asking

Found it:

THE REGISTRATION PROCESS

Registration is the process the Department of Human Services (DHS), Bureau of Children and Adult Licensing (BCAL) uses to regulate family child care homes for the care of 1-6 unrelated children. The process requires that family child care home providers certify to DHS that they and their home are in compliance with the rules for family child care homes.

Note: It is illegal in the State of Michigan to care for unrelated children in your home without being licensed or registered by the Department of Human Services.

[care-care]

so the bold part was in there?? Thanks for taking time to look it up. where did u find this?

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by care-care

so the bold part was in there?? Thanks for taking time to look it up. where did u find this?

Sorry, hun...was having dinner.

Yes, the bold part was from your States website.

http://www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7...2366--,00.html

[care-care]

Hey no need to be sorry !! i feel bad not being able to find it for myself LOL.. I thought so but wanted to read it for myself. I watched my sisters kids along time ago when they were babies and I claimed it and filed taxes with it and took meals etc. and wondered if it was cuz they were family that I was able to or what . Thanks

Originally Posted by Unregistered

My wife and I recently had our daughter with three other children in the care of a women and her own three children. Total of six, We thought she was FL licensed and it turns out she is not. I have looked @ the state laws and requirements but I cannot find information regarding this matter? Do you have any suggestions on who to call or to report this person to the proper authorities?

So she was only getting paid for 3 children and you want to report her, I'll bet from day one you knew she wasn't licensed, lol. So what really happened....she wanted to be paid on time or something you decided you didn't like lol.

Not much they will do, send a certified letter is about it. They have their hands full with licensed daycares, babysitters with a few kids is not on their radar.

Does anyone know how many kids you can have in South Carolina before you need to be licensed?

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Does anyone know how many kids you can have in South Carolina before you need to be licensed?

If you care for more than one unrelated family.

http://childcare.sc.gov

I was wondering how many kids you can keep in your home in Charleston, South Carolina? Thanks for any of your input!

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

https://www.daycare.com/states.html
Try here. You can find the state licensing laws for each state on this sites homepage.

If the women isn't hurting your children and taking good care of them what is the difference. Let her make a living enjoying what she dose best.

How many kids can I have in Texas before I have to b licensed??

[renodeb]

If I wasnt licensed I would only be allowed to care for one child but its diffrent in every state.
Debbie

[Sunchimes]

In Texas, you can be a listed home and have 3 children. It requires a background check anda small fee--I think it's $20. No inspections or paperwork requirements. Anything over 3 is more involved.

Hello, I have been trying to find out what my states requirement (West Virginia) is on how many children I can watch without a licence. I am in the works to get one but I do not have one yet. Thank you so much for your reply.

If I have 2 blood related children in my home (IIllinois) how many children can I watch in addition if I am NOT licensed?

[DCBlessings27]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

If I have 2 blood related children in my home (IIllinois) how many children can I watch in addition if I am NOT licensed?

From what I could tell from Illinois' website, you would only be allowed to watch 1 unrelated child if you have 2 blood related children in care. The wording said that a daycare home needed to be licensed if more than 3 blood related and unrelated children were in care.

hey. i was wondering how many kids i can have in my home for a homedaycare in paducah kentucky

Illinois' Childcare Laws are worded very poorly on their website...that being said the way I read and understand it, if the children are not related to you, you can only keep children from one other family, whether they have 1 or 10 I assume. So long as it is for less than 24 hours. If they are related to you, it doesn't matter.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

hey. i was wondering how many kids i can have in my home for a homedaycare in paducah kentucky

I think it depends on the day care center. Because it varies from one daycare to the other daycare canter. But I think it is three/four.

[NikkiRegal]

that's great i cant do anything, because my HOA won't let me even though i am zoned for it.