Request a Home Day Care License

Home day cares are allowed in residential areas in the City, but not allowed in apartment complexes. City ordinance limits the number of children per home day care for a maximum of six (6) children. No more than three (3) of these children can be under the age of 18 months. Included in the limit are the owner's own children under the age of 16. Please note that this is slightly more restrictive than State law. A Special Use Permit is required for owners who wish to care for more than six (6) children. Special Use Permits must be approved by both the Planning Commission and City Council. A Special Use Permit allows an owner to operate a Day Care Home and a Group Day Care Home.

Day Care Home - A home day care business may provide care for a maximum of 10 children under 14 years of age, not more than 6 of which are under kindergarten age. This includes the owner's children.
Group Day Care Home - A home day care business may provide care for a maximum of 12 children under 14 years of age. The children of the provider are counted.

Licensing A Home Day Care Brochure (pdf)
Home Business License Application (pdf)
Home Day Care Handbook (pdf)
Smoke CO Alarm Test and Evacuation Log (pdf)
Tornado Drill Log (pdf)

Must be a one (1) or two (2) family dwelling.
Child care must be compliant with all exiting requirements.
The primary or secondary means of escape may not exit through any hazardous area such as garage, storage, etc.
Every required exit door can be easily opened from the inside at all times when the facility is operating.
Every escape path including all stairways are clear of obstacles and all doors are in proper working condition.
Working smoke alarms are located in every exit pathway, in each sleeping room used for child care.
Daycare homes and group daycare homes that start after 01/13/2014 shall have either wired interconnected or wireless interconnected smoke alarms throughout the home. Daycare homes and group daycare homes in operation prior to 01/13/2013 can still use battery operated single station smoke alarms but are highly recommended to upgrade to either wireless or hard wired interconnected smoke alarms.
Smoke alarms must be tested monthly and records kept on file for review.
Smoke alarms shall be replaced after they have reached ten years of age.
A copy of the current FIRE/LIFE SAFETY AGREEMENT is posted next to the license.
Children can open every closet door from the inside at all times.
Written emergency procedures for fire evacuation are provided and practiced monthly.
Monthly fire drills must be documented. Drills shall be conducted and completed within four (4) minutes. The inspector may ask for a demonstration of proficiency.
Written procedures for tornadoes must be provided and practiced monthly from April through September.
Every bathroom door can be unlocked from the outside at all times. The key or unlocking device must be readily available to the provider.
All unused electrical outlets in the licensed areas must have child resistant protective covers.
All natural gas, kerosene, wood, propane heaters, etc., are properly vented to the outside of the home and a barrier that prevents children from getting too close or burned must be in place.
A carbon monoxide alarm shall be installed.
Owners may employ up to the equivalent of one full-time employee (up to 40 hrs. per week combined if more than one employee). Owners should check with their homes association (if applicable) first as some have stricter regulations than the City.

An annual Residential Day Care Inspection is required for all home day cares operating in the City of Shawnee. Inspections can be scheduled by contacting the Fire Department at (913) 631-1080. There is no fee for the inspection. The Fire Department will inspect the home and complete the form required for State registration. The completed form will be returned to the owner after the City Clerk's office receives the application for the Business License and the licensing fee. When conducting inspections, the Fire Department follows the 2019 Edition of the Johnson County, Kansas Home Day Care Handbook.

Every room used by children for sleeping, activity or dining purposes has a primary means of escape and any floor used by children for sleeping, activity or dining purposes has a secondary means of escape that is approved by the Shawnee Fire Marshal prior to occupancy.
Every bathroom door can be unlocked from the outside at all times and the unlocking key device is readily accessible to you. Every closet door can easily be opened from the inside by children at all times.
Every required exit door to the outside is easily opened from the inside at all times.
Daycare homes and group daycare homes that start after 01/13/2014 shall have either wired or wireless interconnected smoke alarms throughout the home. Daycare homes and group daycare homes in operation prior to 01/13/2014 may still use battery operated single station smoke alarms but are highly recommended to upgrade to either wireless or hard wired interconnected smoke alarms.
Smoke alarms are provided in each sleeping room and on each level of the facility and tested monthly with documentation kept for review.
Smoke alarms shall be replaced after they reach ten years of age.
All unused electrical outlets in licensed area have child-resistant protective covers.
A carbon monoxide alarm shall be installed.
All natural gas, kerosene, wood or propane space heaters are vented to the outside of your home. All vented fuel-fired (natural gas, kerosene, wood, or propane) room heaters are protected by a barrier which prevents children from getting close to the heater. Any water heater is equipped with a properly installed pressure relief valve.

A Special Use Permit requires a $50 application fee in addition to the Business License fee, a certificate of ownership from a certified title company for your property, the owner and legal descriptions for all property within 200 feet, and 18 copies of your site plan. The fee must accompany the application for approval of the Special Use Permit.

The first step in seeking approval of a Special Use Permit is to request a pre-application conference with a member of Planning. Staff will provide the applicant with a sign identifying the request and the date of the public hearing. This sign must be posted on the applicant's property in a location where it can be read by the public. The sign must be posted at least 20 days before the Planning Commission hearing and must remain posted until after the City Council has taken action on the request.

The applicant for the Special Use Permit and all property owners within 200 feet of the site will be notified of the time, date and place of the public hearing, 20 days prior to the hearing. For additional information about Special Use Permits, contact the Planning Department (913) 742-6011.

In order to obtain a license to operate a day care in the City of Shawnee, owners must be licensed with the State of Kansas. The Kansas Child Care Licensing law requires anyone providing care for children other than those related by blood, marriage or adoption to be licensed with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Application can be made through the Child Care Facilities Program at the Johnson County Health Department, (913) 477-8068 or 477-8339. In order to obtain a license, applicants must attend an informational meeting conducted by the Johnson County Health Department. Meetings are held monthly at 11875 S. Sunset, Olathe, Kansas.

The Johnson County Health Department diligently pursues childcare providers who are not licensed with the State of Kansas. Violators are prosecuted in District Court. Residents who operate a home day care without a City license are prosecuted in Municipal Court.

The completed application and a copy of a valid State license or Registration must be submitted by mail or in person to City Clerk's office, 11110 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS 66203.

The fee is $40.00 per year and is pro-rated throughout the year.