City Council to review fees for small day care center start-ups

A city  councilwoman wants to make it easier for some small business owners to operate in Philadelphia. 

Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown has introduced a bill to remove use-permit fees for group day care providers with a dozen or fewer children.

“Given that we still have long waiting lists, given that we still don’t have adequate slots of accessible child care,  I have found the opportunity to alleviate or minimize some of the impediments that come with those who want to be a part of the child care system,” she said.

The registration fee is $125, while an appeal now costs $250.

Removing those fees could help people who want to set up in-house day care centers, Reynolds Brown said.

The councilwoman, who said the idea stemmed from a hearing on the state of child care in the city, said she hopes to have the bill approved before the end of the year.