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Childcare Centre vs Home-Based Childcare

A childcare centre means the use of premises for the care, education and minding, but not residence, of children.
Examples include before- and after-school care, crèche, early childhood centre, kindergarten, and vacation care.

A home-based childcare is defined as a home-based business. If you want to operate a daycare from your home, compliance with your Council’s home-based business restrictions need to be considered.

In Queensland, the requirements for home-based and commercial childcare establishments differ between Councils. When designing a commercial establishment it is critical to have a team that not only understands the Council requirements, but the State licensing requirements also.

Having worked on numerous childcare centre projects, we have established a network of consultants who specialise in this area and deliver accurate and prompt advice.

Requirements to get Council approval for home daycare centres

Home-based childcare, also referred to as family day care, falls under the defined use and subsequent code requirements of a home-based business.

The permitted operating restrictions for a home based business differ from Council to Council region and it is best to contact our town planner to obtain specific information relating to your particular site and Council region.

An example of home-based business requirements for a family day care centre in Brisbane include but are not limited to the following:

  • The use of subordinate to the primary use of the dwelling as a private residence

  • The use is conducted by one or more of the permanent residents (either owner occupiers or the legitimate residential tenants) of the dwelling

  • If conducted in a dwelling house, a maximum of 1 non-resident employee is on site at any one time

  • If conducted in a dual occupancy or multiple dwelling, no non-resident employees are allowed on site and any time

Establishing a home based business in most instances does not require Council development approval on the basis that the business operates within the identified restrictions.

Requirements to get Council approval for childcare centres

The requirements for commercial childcare centres differ greatly from Council to Council.
In the instance that you're seeking information on the approval process or assistance with reviewing a potential site, we’d recommend contacting us to discuss your site and the anticipated operating specifics of the centre.

Some of the fundamental Town Planning considerations for establishing a commercial childcare centre include:

  • Total number of children - ideally tallied into respective age groups

  • Total number of staff required

  • Waste Collection Management

  • Car parking requirements

  • Acoustic requirements

  • Anticipated hours of operation

  • Privacy & Amenity protection measures for neighbours if located near residential properties

Contact Doyen’s Town Planning consultants today

Take advantage of our no cost initial consultation and get advice on Council approval for a home daycare centre or commercial childcare centre today. During this initial consultation we’ll advise on the likelihood of obtaining approval for your dwelling project, and outline any key areas of concern.

Contact our Town Planners in Brisbane today

Request your free consultation valued at $450

You'll receive

  • Initial discussion and advice

  • Advice on immediate pain points

  • Advice on the process

  • Advice on timeframes and costs

  • Likelihood of success

  • An outline of opportunities and constraints

  • An understanding which other consultants need to be involved in the process

This will all be documented in a comprehensive report.

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