Local planning and zoning decisions shape access to child care. Thoughtful municipal policies can help child care providers open, expand, and serve working families—strengthening communities and local economies.
Navigating Municipal Requirements
Local governments play a critical role in shaping the conditions that allow child care providers to operate successfully. Zoning, land use, and permitting decisions directly affect whether providers can open new programs, expand capacity, or remain sustainable—impacting families, employers, and workforce participation across the region.
The CACCC supports municipal leaders by sharing guidance and considerations that promote child care access, affordability, and quality. The information on this page is intended to support local decision-making and should be used as guidance alongside existing municipal ordinances, planning processes, and community priorities.
Michigan based- Pulse via the W.E. Upjohn Institute has a dedicated page for municipal leaders looking to improve child care by removing barriers locally. To learn more about their recommendations click here, https://www.pulseroadmap.org/municipalities
Redevelopment Ready Communities – Child Care Readiness Toolkit
MEDC has provided a free resource, in coordination with the Michigan Association of Planning (MAP) and McKenna Associates to develop the RRC Child Care Readiness Toolkit, a variety of Quick Sheets and a Communications Strategy to support your community’s efforts to address child care challenges.
Zoning
Municipal Mapping Resources
While each jurisdiction has different requirements, below are some examples based on publicly available information to help identify what type of municipal zone in which an address is located.
LEAP is available to help you navigate these processes. If you are unsure where to begin, please reach out to us. We can assist in making sure you get connected with the right municipal-level government.
- BS&A municipal data: Determine in what municipality an address is located
- Ingham County Geographic Information System (GIS) map: Identify the municipal zoning for Ingham County addresses
- Eaton County GIS map: Identify the municipal zoning for Eaton County addresses
- Clinton County GIS map: Identify the municipal zoning for Clinton County addresses
Zoning by Facility Type + Zoning Approval + Fees
Across the municipalities represented in the survey, most child care centers, family homes, and group homes are zoned as residential.
Though residential zoning was most common for family and group homes in the municipalities surveyed, some places allow for providers to be zoned in other ways.
The ways in which a provider can obtain zoning approval varies by setting and municipality. Most municipal officials surveyed said centers and group homes require at least a special- or conditional-use permit, sometimes in addition to a site plan. For family homes, some municipalities allow use by right (where no approval is needed because the property use falls within the allowable uses of a zoning district), while most others require only one approval type.
Respondents reported that on average, zoning approval is an approximately four-week process across all setting types.
Most municipalities responded that they have a fee schedule that includes typical zoning fees.
- Special- or conditional-use permit fees ranged from $150 to $1,180, with an average of $518.
- Residential permit fees ranged from $0 to $500, with an average of $94.
- Site plan review fees ranged from $0 to $1,770, with an average of $571.