Hooper planning commission approves home-group daycare with condition to provide state exemption letter

The Hooper City Planning Commission on March 13 approved a conditional use permit for a home‑group daycare at 6049 West 4600 South, requiring the applicant to forward an exemption letter from the state Bureau of Child Care Licensing to the city before the permit is finalized.

Staff told the commission the application states the operation will not exceed 12 children at a time, and the applicant indicated the program will be structured as separate morning and afternoon preschool sessions. The applicant said her daughter will be included in the count and that sessions will run 2½ hours in the morning and 3½ hours in the afternoon, both under the state’s unlicensed threshold for day‑long care.

Staff and commissioners reviewed documentation requirements and square‑footage rules for unlicensed home group daycares; commissioners noted the applicant said she would not provide full meal preparation or diaper changing services and that snacks would be pre‑prepared. The applicant said she will post applicable state exemption information for parents and is obtaining a business license.

On drop‑off and parking, the applicant said she has installed a parking pad in front of the property that she estimates will fit six to eight cars; she also said she may use staggered arrival times to limit overlap. She said she has prior preschool experience and a bachelor’s degree in education and has run other learning programs.

Commissioner Prince moved to approve the conditional use permit with the condition that the applicant provide the exemption letter from the Bureau of Child Care Licensing; the motion was seconded by Commissioner Widdersohn and passed.

Staff will retain the exemption letter as part of the permit record and will not issue any further approvals until required documentation is received.