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Proposed legislation introduced last week would amend the City of Pittsburgh’s Zoning Code to allow for child care facilities within single-family residentially zoned neighborhoods and accessory structures and to eliminate parking requirements for such facilities. 

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The Zoning Code defines a child care facility as “an establishment that provides care,  protection and supervision for children on a regular basis away from their primary residence for less than 24 hours per day.” It currently requires a “Special Exception,” to be reviewed by  the Zoning Board of Administration, to allow for child care facilities in single-family  residentially zoned neighborhoods.  

The proposed legislation will: 

• Allow facilities that will care for up to six children to be permitted by-right within R1D (single-unit detached residential) and R1A (single-unit attached residential) zoning districts. 
• Exempt child care accessory units from current home occupation standards when they take care of three or fewer children and where the home is the primary residence of the child care provider.
•  Remove off-street parking minimums and maximums for child care facilities.
• Add accessory in-home child care for three or fewer children where the home is the primary  residence of the child care provider to the list of exemptions for a record of zoning approval. 

Emily Neff, Director of Public Policy at Trying Together, applauded this effort by the Pittsburgh  City Council to make these crucial changes to the Zoning Code.

“Home-based providers play a  critical role in the early care and education landscape—offering smaller group sizes, more  flexible schedules, and usually, more affordability,” Neff said in a news release. “Often home-based providers serve the  families in their neighborhood, providing a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment for  children while families go to work. The proposed changes to remove barriers in the Zoning Code will allow for more home-based providers to open and operate. This will help the city increase access to quality child care and expand the options available to families.” 

For details, read the full news release distributed by the City of Pittsburgh.