St. Elizabeth's Child Care Center v. Deparment of Public Welfare

*133 OPINION

Justice EAKIN.

A Department of Public Welfare (DPW) field representative visited St. Elizabeth’s Child Care Center, a nonprofit child daycare center affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. The field representative did not observe any health or safety hazards at the center; however, she determined it did not have a certificate of compliance. DPW regulations require all child day care centers providing care for seven or more children, like St. Elizabeth’s, to obtain a certificate of compliance before commencing operations. 55 Pa.Code § 3270.3(c); id., § 3270.11(a). Because St.…