Day Care Centers
What is the purpose of the Day Care Unit?
The purpose of the Cleveland Department of Health Day Care Unit is to ensure a healthy and safe environment for children in child care settings and to improve the quality of their care through regulation and consultation. Our department ensures that licensing requirements are met through ongoing inspections of child care facilities, thus preventing the continued operation of substandard child care programs.
We regulate all day care centers to protect the health, safety, and well-being of children in care, largely by reducing the risk of injury, abuse, and communicable disease.
We also serve as a resource to day care providers in the City of Cleveland by providing information on pertinent health issues such as immunizations, communicable diseases and outbreak prevention, and nutrition. Our program offers general training on a variety of issues in childcare centers on such topics as: immunizations, asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and common childhood illnesses.
If your center would be interested in having an in-service conducted, please call (216) 420-7952 to schedule.
What do I need to open up a day care center in the City of Cleveland?
You will need a permit to operate a day care center in the City of Cleveland. You will need to also obtain a license from the Ohio Department of Health, and we strongly suggest that you contact the Ohio Department of Health at 1-800-248-4040 for information on their rules and regulations. Request that they send to you a copy of the State of Ohio Day Care Licensing Law and Administrative Rules.
In order to receive a day care permit, you will have to receive approval from several departments within the City of Cleveland. These departments include:
- Fire
- Building and Housing (including zoning )
- Environmental Health ( if you plan to serve food )
- Health
In general, passing the Building and Housing zoning codes is the most difficult because remodeling and equipment may be needed.
These are suggested steps in preparing for the opening of your day care center:
a) Preparing Application: Complete the application and return to the Cleveland Department of Public Health, Day Care Licensing Unit 1925 St. Clair Ave, Cleveland , Ohio 44114.
b) Obtaining a Building Permit: The first step in getting a Certificate of Occupancy is getting a Building Permit. You must submit architectural drawings to the Building Department. These drawings must include: plot plans, floor plans, sections, elevation, electrical, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and plumbing details. If the day care center will be serving meals, the plans must also include drawings for the kitchen. If you choose, you can hire an architect who will have information regarding building codes. This architect may physically inspect the building and propose plans to improve the building which will meet all building codes. You then submit the drawings in triplicate to the Division of Building and Housing, Room 505, Cleveland City Hall for approval.
If the plans meet all requirements, then the permit will be issued to a General Contractor registered within the City of Cleveland. This method is fairly quick, especially when the building is used for the day care center and is currently owned by prospective operator. When the plans are submitted to the Building Department, the plan examiner will review the plans for compliance with all applicable codes. If the plans meet all requirements, a building permit will be issued only to a General Contractor registered within the City of Cleveland. At this point you can begin remodeling.
If the permit is denied by the plan examiner for incompliance with applicable codes, you have the right to appeal the decision for a variance before the Board of Zoning Appeals.
c) Applying for Certificate of Occupancy: After the remodeling work is completed, you must apply for a Certificate of Occupancy from the Division of Building and Housing. Once this application has been made, the building will be inspected by Building, Fire, and Environmental Health inspectors to verify if the changes meet the codes. If the codes have been met, a Certificate of Occupancy will be issued. NO BUILDING MAY BE OCCUPIED UNTIL THIS PERMIT HAS BEEN ISSUED.
d) Acquiring Permit to Operate a Day Care Center: After the Division of Assessments and Licenses has received written approval from all of the departments involved, they will notify you of approval or a disapproval . If you are approved, you will be issued a permit to operate a day care center for a fee of $50.00. A permit must be renewed each year. During the year, the District Nurse will visit your day care center at least once to be certain that the day care center codes continue to be met. The Building and Fire Departments will also inspect the day care center on a yearly basis.
What does the Cleveland Department of Public Health Day Care look for when conducting an inspection?
Once your day care center has received it’s initial permit to operate a day care center, the inspectors will call and make an appointment to inspect the center.
View the inspection form
Day care centers are inspected every year to make sure that the center is in compliance of all codes. These annual inspections are unannounced. If a violation is found during the inspection or complaint follow up, the center will be given a written violation notice. You will be given a certain amount of time to correct the violation and the inspector will conduct another inspection to ensure that the problem has been rectified.
How do I file a day care center complaint?
Do you have a concern regarding a child care provider? If so, it may be necessary to file a complaint.
Download the day care center complaint form
Once a complaint reaches our department, an inspector is deployed to the center within in 48 hours. If the complaint voiced is that of an urgent matter, the inspector will be sent out to the day care center immediately.
You can also call (216) 420-7952 to talk to an inspector regarding a complaint, or if no one is available at the time of your call, please call the Director of Nursing at (216) 857-7455.