Daycare Licensing Inspection Checklist
By Jayesh Parayali, Founder, CareCam · 15+ years building daycare camera systems
The walk-through a licensor does, written as things to check the day before. Print it, tick it off room by room, and pick your state below for its agency, how often you are inspected, where parents read your reports, and your ratios filled in.
Items that apply in nearly every state. Your state's rule decides the details; confirm with your licensing agency.
Your state's checklist
| State | Inspections |
|---|---|
| California inspection checklist | Licensed child care centers are subject to an unannounced inspection at least once every three years. Annual unannounced inspections are required for centers on probation or facing certain enforcement actions, and for a random sample of at least 30 percent of the remaining centers each year. |
| Florida inspection checklist | Licensed child care facilities are inspected at least three times per year, according to the Department of Children and Families. |
| Georgia inspection checklist | DECAL policy is to conduct unannounced, on-site inspections of every licensed child care learning center twice a year. One visit is a full licensing study and the other is a monitoring visit focused on core rules and prior violations. |
| Illinois inspection checklist | Day care centers must be monitored at least once a year by a Department of Early Childhood licensing representative. The department says these annual visits are unannounced. |
| Missouri inspection checklist | Licensed facilities are inspected twice a year for compliance with licensing rules and regulations. They are also inspected once a year for fire safety and sanitation. |
| New York inspection checklist | OCFS inspects licensed day care centers and group family day care homes at least once a year, often unannounced. In New York City, group child care centers are also inspected by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), usually one to three times a year (the Health Code calls for two comprehensive inspections a year), in addition to OCFS oversight. |
| North Carolina inspection checklist | The Division of Child Development and Early Education makes at least one unannounced visit to each licensed program every year. It also makes unannounced visits to investigate complaints. |
| Ohio inspection checklist | Ohio law requires the Department of Children and Youth to inspect each licensed child care center at least once during every twelve-month period of operation, and inspections may be unannounced. The department must also investigate complaints and must inspect when a complaint alleges a child was harmed or put at substantial risk of harm. |
| Pennsylvania inspection checklist | The Department conducts at least one unannounced onsite inspection of each certified child care center every year. Centers may also receive announced inspections and complaint investigations. |
| Texas inspection checklist | Child Care Regulation conducts unannounced inspections at licensed operations at least once per year. Inspections may be more frequent based on an operation's ability to comply with statutes, rules, and minimum standards. |
States are added as their rules are verified. Don't see yours? Ask us and we'll prioritize it. The checklist below applies everywhere.
The checklist
Tick as you walk the building. 0 of 48 checked
Posted where parents and the licensor can see them
The first thing a licensor does is look at the walls by the entrance. Everything here should be visible without asking.
Children's files
The licensor pulls a sample of files. One missing immunization record is the most common citation in most states.
Staff files
Every adult who counts toward the ratio needs a complete file. Volunteers and substitutes too.
Health and sanitation
Walk every room the way the licensor does: sinks, changing tables, kitchen, then the medicine cabinet.
Building, fire and outdoor safety
Most building citations are small and fixable in an hour. Check them the week before and the morning of.
Supervision, ratios and the daily routine
Ratios are checked at the moment the licensor walks into each room, which is why the arrival and the last hour matter most.
Inspection questions
How often is a daycare inspected?
What do daycare inspectors look for?
What are the most common daycare licensing violations?
Can parents see a daycare's inspection reports?
Do cameras help with licensing inspections?
See how CareCam fits your center
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