Increasingly, the operation of family day care homes in communities throughout the country is being jeopardized by restrictive local zoning requirements specifying uses of property. The majority of providers operate in areas where they are not specifically permitted "by right" or "by special exception," doing so at risk of being challenged or closed down if existing laws are enforced. A community that seeks to include home day care in local zoning statutes may do so in a number of ways, including: (1) prohibiting all use other than residential; (2) requiring a variance (the cost of which may be prohibitive for a day care provider); and (3) allowing home day care as an accepted use of residential property. Providers, backed by their state or local family day care association, are fighting back, and recently, state legislatures have passed laws in 14 states that preempt a community's right to restrict family day care. Providers and advocacy groups in a number of other states are seeking similar legislation. Meanwhile, the zoning battles continue at the expense of children and families who need quality, affordable and accessible day care, even though many of the grounds on which neighbors and communities object to family day care operation are, in fact, myths. (HTH)