What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Chester County Pa?

Certified Food Manager (CFM) Certificate

CCHD Rules §303.1 requires a Certified Food Manager at a licensed food facility, with the exemption in §303.3 for facilities handling only non-potentially-hazardous or commercially prepackaged foods; §303.10 gives a new licensee 90 days to employ one, and §303.9 limits a CFM to one facility at a time. The CCHD CFM certificate costs $40 ($20 for a duplicate), runs 5 years from course completion under §303.6 and is renewable under §303.7. CCHD's Certified Food Managers page states that an ANSI-accredited certificate is accepted by reciprocity. These amounts come from the CCHD Bureau of Environmental Health Protection fee schedule effective January 1, 2025, set by the Department under CCHD Rules and Regulations §701 and repeated on the county's Fee Schedule & Payment page (chesco.org/5973); they are county-only fees with no state component. The Board of Health has proposed a revised schedule for January 1, 2027: its July 21, 2026 minutes record that the draft is complete and that 'a small increase to fees is planned', and its August 18, 2026 minutes record that a summary was shared with the Commissioners and Board ahead of public comment. The revised amounts are not published.

Public Bathing Place (Pool/Spa) Certificate of Registration

CCHD Rules §602.2.3 states that 'A person may not operate a public bathing place without a Certificate of Registration issued by the Department', covering every pool, hot tub, spa or water slide at the site. A fitness studio or childcare centre with a pool, spa or hot tub pays a $400 base fee plus $150 for each additional filtration system; a studio or centre without one needs no certificate under this program. Certificates expire on April 30, are renewed annually and are nontransferable. Under §602.2.1 the construction permit itself comes from the local municipality under the PA Uniform Construction Code. These amounts come from the CCHD Bureau of Environmental Health Protection fee schedule effective January 1, 2025, set by the Department under CCHD Rules and Regulations §701 and repeated on the county's Fee Schedule & Payment page (chesco.org/5973); they are county-only fees with no state component. The Board of Health has proposed a revised schedule for January 1, 2027: its July 21, 2026 minutes record that the draft is complete and that 'a small increase to fees is planned', and its August 18, 2026 minutes record that a summary was shared with the Commissioners and Board ahead of public comment. The revised amounts are not published.

Child Day Care Center Certificate of Registration

CCHD Rules §406.4.2.1 states that 'A person shall not operate a child day care center without a Certificate of Registration issued by the Department'; §406.2.1 applies the section to facilities the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services determines are child day care centers under chapter 3270, so this county certificate sits alongside the state certificate. A certificate is issued for no more than 12 months, the renewal application and fee are due 30 days before it expires, and it does not transfer to a new owner or lessee. Contact the Chester County Health Department, 610-344-6225, cchd@chesco.org, for the current Day Care Facility fee. A centre that serves food also holds the CCHD food facility license recorded separately for Chester County, and the schedule lists an Institution Plan Review of $300 ($350 over 10,000 square feet) for a new or altered centre. These amounts come from the CCHD Bureau of Environmental Health Protection fee schedule effective January 1, 2025, set by the Department under CCHD Rules and Regulations §701 and repeated on the county's Fee Schedule & Payment page (chesco.org/5973); they are county-only fees with no state component. The Board of Health has proposed a revised schedule for January 1, 2027: its July 21, 2026 minutes record that the draft is complete and that 'a small increase to fees is planned', and its August 18, 2026 minutes record that a summary was shared with the Commissioners and Board ahead of public comment. The revised amounts are not published.

Child Care Certificate of Compliance

No fee — Pennsylvania charges nothing to certify a child care centre, and that is read from the regulation rather than inferred from a blank page: section 20.42 lists the facility types that do pay, child care is not among them, and subsection (b) says no fee is required for anything not listed. Watch one trap in the same section. It contains a capacity-banded fee table of $15 to $50, and that table applies to PERSONAL CARE HOMES, not to child care. Attaching those bands here would be wrong. The certificate runs for no more than twelve months, so it is renewed annually. A centre is seven or more unrelated children, a group home seven to twelve, and a family home four to six — all three are free and all three carry the same twelve-month term.

Shared with other businesses in Chester County Pa

• Food Facility Plan Review — Chester County Health Department, $60–$500 one-time, per review — food facility plan review $300; facility more than 10,000 sq ft $500; commissary added to an existing facility $100; change of ownership/turn-key operation/added license to shared space with no changes $60; operating without plan review $240; phased opening inspection $200, one-time, per plan review. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, food trucks and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• Food Facility License — Chester County Health Department, $100–$750 annual license, by facility type — food facility with fewer than 50 seats $340; 50 or more seats $480; more than 10,000 sq ft $750; in conjunction with a PA liquor license $500; take-out only $340; retail outlet $200; commissary/caterer $340; mobile food facility $340; mobile retail outlet $200; beverage manufactured on premises with tasting room, no food $180; tax-exempt food facility $170; tax-exempt retail outlet $100; food service at day care $200, annual (CCHD Rules §605.3.2.5 refers to 'annually licensed establishments' under Chapter 300). Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, food trucks and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.