New here and have a question. I have been looking all over the web, but cannot find the answer. I have an opportunity to buy a house fairly cheap next to my current home. I was hoping to run my daycare out of this house with my sister, or just me if she is unable to help. I live in Florida. Is it ok to run a family daycare out of an unoccupied house.

Thanks very much,

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The first place to start will be your local zoning office for the county/city you live in. Then I'd check with social services to see if you can use all the levels in the home, etc. Good luck!

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I agree check your state!! But I don't see why you could, you could diffently have a bigger facility and make in to a very creative place, any bed rooms on the main floor are nap rooms, second floor ( if can be used) different play room, line the library for story time, art/craft room.
Then the down stairs living room the learning area!!

Good luck I hope it works out for you!!

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In NY you can only use a home if it is your home and you live there. Other than that you can open a center but not multi level and you would have to have separate rooms for ages therefore hiring more than just your sister.

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All depends on your state licensing. However, most states require that for a "home daycare" that it's run in your primary residence....otherwise, it falls under licensing as a daycare center.

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I'm in Iowa and we are required to live in the home in order to be registered. I don't know if unregistered homes can do that or not. If you are not registered you can only have five kids. The smallest license for in home registered is six.

Make sure you can even do it before you consider it.

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It's like this in CA also. Here you can only run a home-daycare in the home that you live in. The best thing to do is contact licensing and ask them. If you already run a daycare from your home now and are interested in buying the home next to it then you must already be zoned for daycare in that area so your best bet is to call licensing. If you aren't required to be licensed or registered then you should be fine.

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I am in Tennessee, and actually have a group home daycare in a house that is unoccupied. I have 12 kids per day, plus 3 school age (15 in all, never exceeding 12 preschoolers). The house actually belongs to my grandparents, and was previously my great-grandparents' house before they died. I don't know if the type of home daycare matters, but I have never been told that I couldn't do it, and neither was my grandmother, who had it for almost 25 years there. I guess it just depends on the state!
Good luck! It's really nice being able to actually LEAVE work. And like another poster said, having an entire house to use as your daycare allows you to be very creative, and the "bedrooms" are actually my nap room, school room, and diaper room.

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Thanks for the great advice. The house is one level and 3 br's so there is a lot to be creative with. I will call and see what I can find out. Thanks again!

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www.myflorida.com/childcare In Fl it has to be primary res. or its a daycare center

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What if it was registered, but unlicensed. How do they prove it is not a primary residence???

"Registered Family Day Care Homes

Though registered homes are not
licensed or inspected by the Department,
they are required to provide registration
information on an annual basis that
includes, but is not limited to: proof of
training, background screening, and
completion of a self-evaluation checklist."

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