Section 5104.02 | License required.
(A) The director of job and family services is responsible for licensing child day-care centers, type A family day-care homes, and type B family day-care homes. Each entity operating a head start program shall meet the criteria for, and be licensed as, a child day-care center. The director is responsible for the enforcement of this chapter and of rules promulgated pursuant to this chapter.
No person, firm, organization, institution, or agency shall operate, establish, manage, conduct, or maintain a child day-care center or type A family day-care home without a license issued under section 5104.03 of the Revised Code. The current license shall be posted in the center or home in a conspicuous place that is accessible to parents, custodians, or guardians and employees of the center or home at all times when the center or home is in operation.
(B) A person, firm, institution, organization, or agency operating any of the following programs is exempt from the requirements of this chapter:
(1) A program caring for children that operates for two consecutive weeks or less and not more than six weeks total in each calendar year;
(2) Caring for children in places of worship during religious activities while at least one parent, guardian, or custodian of each child is participating in such activities and is readily available;
(3) Supervised training, instruction, or activities of children in specific areas, including, but not limited to: art; drama; dance; music; athletic skills or sports; computers; or an educational subject conducted on an organized or periodic basis that a child does not attend for more than eight total hours per week;
(4) Programs in which the director determines that at least one parent, custodian, or guardian of each child who is not an employee of the facility engaged in employment duties is on the premises of the facility that offers care and is readily accessible at all times;
(5) Programs that provide care and are regulated by state departments other than the department of job and family services or the state board of education.
(6) Any preschool program or school child program, except a head start program, that is subject to licensure by the department of education under sections 3301.52 to 3301.59 of the Revised Code.
(7) Any program providing care that meets all of the following requirements and, on October 20, 1987, was being operated by a nonpublic school that holds a charter issued by the state board of education for kindergarten only:
(a) The nonpublic school has given the notice to the state board and the director of job and family services required by Section 4 of Substitute House Bill No. 253 of the 117th general assembly;
(b) The nonpublic school continues to be chartered by the state board for kindergarten, or receives and continues to hold a charter from the state board for kindergarten through grade five;
(c) The program is conducted in a school building;
(d) The program is operated in accordance with rules promulgated by the state board under section 3301.53 of the Revised Code.
(8) A youth development program operated outside of school hours to which all of the following apply:
(a) The children enrolled in the program are under nineteen years of age and enrolled in or eligible to be enrolled in a grade of kindergarten or above.
(b) The program provides informal care, which is care that does not require parental signature, permission, or notice for the child receiving the care to enter or leave the program.
(c) The program provides any of the following supervised activities: educational, recreational, culturally enriching, social, and personal development activities.
(d) The entity operating the program is exempt from federal income taxation pursuant to 26 U.S.C. 501(a) and (c)(3).
(9) A preschool program operated by a nonchartered, nontax-supported school if the preschool program meets all of the following conditions:
(a) The program complies with state and local health, fire, and safety laws.
(b) The program annually certifies in a report to the parents of its pupils that the school is in compliance with division (B)(9)(a) of this section and files a copy of the report with the department of job and family services on or before the thirtieth day of September of each year.
(c) The program complies with all applicable reporting requirements in the same manner as required by the state board of education for nonchartered, nonpublic primary and secondary schools.
(d) The program is associated with a nonchartered, nontax-supported primary or secondary school.
(10) A program that provides activities for children who are five years of age or older and is operated by a county, township, municipal corporation, township park district created under section 511.18 of the Revised Code, park district created under section 1545.04 of the Revised Code, or joint recreation district established under section 755.14 of the Revised Code.
Available Versions of this Section
- September 29, 2013 – House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly [ View September 29, 2013 Version ]
- October 17, 2019 – Amended by House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly [ View October 17, 2019 Version ]
- October 3, 2023 – Amended by House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly [ View October 3, 2023 Version ]
- January 1, 2025 – Amended by House Bill 101 - 135th General Assembly [ View January 1, 2025 Version ]