Redwood City addresses child care regulations

According to a 2017 study, nearly 9,500 children of residents and city employees below the age of 13 are estimated to need child care, more than 3,000 from families earning below 70% of the state median income. 

During public comment, Christine Padilla, the director of Build Up For San Mateo County’s Children, said Redwood City had roughly 148 licensed child care providers, 43 centers and 105 child care homes, small businesses hit hard by the pandemic. 

“We need all types and sizes of child care to sustain our community, especially for low-income working families,” said Padilla. “Unfortunately we have lost some of these small businesses and may continue to see closures … which makes all of these efforts directed by council and this commission to support the creation of more affordable, high quality child care slots even more critical.” 

The amendments would apply to both home facilities and commercial child care centers. Current city regulations for large child care homes require use permits, limits where a facility can be established and regulate playgrounds, pick-up and drop-off times and outdoor play time. 

Permitting large child care homes, by-right, would align the city with Senate Bill 234, legislation effective Jan. 1 which prohibits cities from requiring use permits for large family child care homes and requires the city to permit the large facilities in all dwellings regardless of zoning. Similarly, the city permits small child care homes that serve no more than eight children to operate by-right in any dwelling. 

Under the state law, large family child care homes are to be treated as a residential use of the property which doesn’t “fundamentally alter the nature of the underlying residential use” said city staff.

Child care centers in residentially zoned areas are only permitted to be operated in conjunction with a church or school and require a public hearing be held before opening the center. Staff recommended the city permit the development of facilities without requiring they be attached to a church or school, a policy supported by the Planning Commission during a study session held July 21.  

In commercial and mixed-use zoned areas, the facilities are permitted by-right when attached to businesses but are required to only serve employees. The commission supported permitting standalone facilities, removing the requirement only employee children be served and expanding the number of children allowed to be served in a center from 24 to 60, by right. 

A use permit would be required for building a facility for more than 60 children and for converting a residence into a commercial center. To encourage the establishment of child care centers, the commission suggested facilities be required to provide a parking spot for every employee with one additional spot for every 15 employees, rather than the 10 recommended by staff. 

“It’s a really good step in the right direction. Obviously based upon the 2017 report we need to be really focused on how we can bridge that supply gap and I think this is a really good step toward that future,” said former commissioner Michael Smith who was sworn in as a member of the City Council Monday night.  

sierra@smdailyjournal.com 

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