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Information for Licensees

WHAT'S NEW?

RECALL NOTICE

Exclamation Point in yellow triangle It has come to our attention that a particular hooded sweatshirt has been recalled due to the incidence of strangulation from the drawstring/cord in the hood. It must be noted here that all clothing that contains drawstrings pose a hazard for children. In fact, airway obstruction injury, a category that includes suffocation, choking and strangulation, is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among infants under age one. There are many consumer safety organizations that discuss the hazards of clothing strings and recommend that parents pull drawstrings from children's clothes. For example, following are just two of the many organizations that provide general health and safety information as well as guidelines to reduce the risk of suffocation, choking and strangulation dangers in your facility:

Home Safety Council

Safekids U.S.A.

It is important to stay current on consumer recalls. All too often, consumers don't learn of a recall until it's too late. For up-to-date recall information, and information regarding the recent hooded sweatshirt recall, please visit the California State Department of Consumer Affairs website at: www.consumeraffairs.com and click on "Recalls" at the top of the webpage.

IMPORTANCE OF ROUTINE FACILITY SELF-EVALUATIONS

Being a licensed care provider is a serious responsibility and it is critical that licensees routinely review their facility's operation to ensure that all licensing requirements are met. As part of Community Care Licensing Division's (CCLD's) continued efforts to work with licensees to ensure compliance with licensing requirements, CCLD developed a self-evaluation checklist which covers the most serious violations--those that present immediate or substantial threats to the physical health, mental health, or safety of those in your care. Of course, you are also required to comply with all other applicable statutes and regulations. On June 11, 2008, Jo Frederick, Deputy Director, CCLD, mailed these Self-Evaluation checklists to all licensees. The cover letter and the Self-Evaluation checklists are now available here on the CCLD website for you to download and print. We encourage you to involve staff, friends, parents, and others in this self-evaluation process as well.

HIB VACCINE SHORTAGE INFORMATION

Hib Vaccine Shortage

BE AWARE OF IMPOSTERS!

Caution Sign It has come to our attention that persons posing as licensing representatives have attempted to gain entry into licensed Family Child Care Homes under the guise of issuing a letter grade to the facility. Please be aware that there is no “licensing” requirement to issue a letter grade to child care facilities.

It is standard protocol for licensing representatives to show picture identification prior to entering a licensed facility. We encourage you, as licensees, to ask for identification if this protocol is not followed. You may also call your local licensing office for verification, if necessary:

State Child Care Licensing Regional Offices
County Licensing Offices

We encourage you to contact your local law enforcement if persons posing as licensing staff try to gain entry into your facility without proper identification.

PARENT NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

New Sign AB 633 (Benoit), Ch 545, Statutes of 2006 requires providers to give specific information to parents. Please see 2006 Chaptered Legislation , AB 633 Fact Sheet and Parent Notification Requirements for more information. In addition to the English version, we now have the Fact Sheet and the Parent Notification Requirements available in both Spanish and Chinese.

AB 2196 (Spitzer), Ch 211, Statutes of 2006 requires providers to:

AB 2865 (Torrico), Ch 470, Statutes of 2006 requires Child Care Centers to comply with the Healthy Schools Act. Please see 2006 Chaptered Legislation and the Department of Pesticide Regulations website for further information.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

License Plates for People With a Passion

Kids' Plates are the only DMV license plates that protect California's kids. Kids' Plates generate revenue to strengthen health and safety protections for children and help fund programs to reduce child injury and child abuse. The proceeds from their sale provide funding for local child safety programs throughout the state, including:

  • Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect
  • Prevention of Unintentional Injury - Motor Vehicles, Bikes, Pedestrian, Drowning, Poisoning, Fire/Burns, Falls, Firearms and SIDS
  • Ensuring Health and Safety of Child Care Facilities through Licensing

For more information on the Kids' Plates program, please e-mail info@kidsplates.org or call them at 1-800-HEY-KIDS.

To buy a license plate and support these programs, please visit www.kidsplates.org and click on "order plate".

NEED LICENSING FORMS?

You can get licensing forms by clicking on the link: Licensing forms . For a complete list of forms and publications in multiple languages available from CDSS, click on the blue link.

If you have problems accessing a form, please contact the Department of Social Services, Forms Management Unit at: fmudss@dss.ca.gov .

NEED HELP FINDING CHILDREN FOR YOUR FACILITY?

Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (R&Rs) are located throughout the State and provide free help to parents and providers. R&Rs work with providers to improve the quality of child care and to maintain and expand the supply of child care in each county. R&Rs help parents find child care that will best meet their family needs and are especially concerned about meeting the need for infant-toddler, bilingual, and special needs care. R&Rs also provide low-cost or free training in topics as diverse as health, safety, child development, and sound business practices. To find out more, visit their website by clicking on the following link: Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (R&Rs) .

For a listing of R&Rs near you, click here .

INTERESTED IN CHILD CARE TRAINING/EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES?

  • Family Child Care At Its Best Funded by the Child Development Division of the California Department of Education, the Family Child Care at its Best program delivers university-based, continuing education to licensed and license-exempt providers. Offered statewide, this series of classes helps providers improve their knowledge, skills and quality of care. Options for both academic credit and continuing education units are available. Family Child Care at its Best
  • Child Care Related Resources This link will provide you with a variety of resources and information related to child Care.
  • Child Care Law Center The Child Care Law Center uses legal tools to make high quality, affordable child care available to every child of every age, every family, and every community.
  • Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (R&Rs)
  • KVIE Public Television Premiere A Place of our Own/Los Ninos en su Casa premieres on many public television stations in September. Devoted to the unique needs of caregivers, this lively and entertaining daily program provides caregivers information and resources to support their role as educators, and demonstrates effective care-giving practices and strategies that will enhance preschool children's early learning and literacy skills. It also responds to the needs and workplace realities of caregivers. Many stations will reinforce and extend the program's content through professional development outreach services, family education, and online communications, collaborating with key partners in their communities.

    In Sacramento, KVIE Public Television will run this program, beginning Sept. 13:
    Weekdays 1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. English on Channel 6, Spanish on Channel 7
    Weekdays 5:30 a.m. - 6:00 a.m. Spanish on Channel 6
    For more information on KVIE's extensive outreach and professional development activities, contact KVIE Education Services at (916) 641-349.

    For information about when this program will air in your community, check local listings or contact your local public television station. You can also visit their web site by clicking on the blue KVIE link above.

Interested in Joining a Child Care Provider Association?

There is a broad network of child care provider associations that advocate for children and families and provide valuable resources and information to licensees of Family Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers.

The California Association for Family Child Care (CAFCC) is one of many associations that have set up a cooperative link with the child care community. For more information on CAFCC and to see a list of the many other family child care associations, visit their website at: www.cafcc.org/ .

The Professional Association for Childhood Education (PACE) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, and membership-based organization that promotes excellence in education and quality child care in private center-based programs. You can visit their website at: www.pacenet.org .

The California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC) serves and acts on behalf of the needs and rights of young children with primary focus on the provision of educational services and resources to adults who work with and for children from birth through age eight. You can visit their website at: www.caeyc.org .

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age 8. You can visit their website at: www.NAEYC.org .

Although not a provider association, the Child Care Resource and Referral Network (R&Rs) provides an entry to the child care field, helping providers to get licensed, particularly to meet the urgent need for infant-toddler, bilingual, and special needs care. R&Rs also provide low-cost or free training in topics as diverse as health, safety, child development, and sound business practices. R&Rs work with local and state governments and the private sector to increase and leverage resources for building and maintaining the supply of quality child care. You can visit their website at: www.rrnetwork.org .

NEED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE?

There are state and federal child care funding options available, as well as community resources that provide help in the facility development process for both new and established child care providers. Your local Child Care Resource & Referral Agency (R&R) or Child Care Advocate Program can tell you if you qualify. For more information, click on the links below:

DO YOU KNOW YOUR RIGHTS?

WHERE CAN I FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT CHILD HEALTH AND SAFETY?

Child Care Updates
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Shaken Baby Syndrome
Consumer Services Recalls
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)
Safe Kids USA

WHERE CAN I FIND OTHER CHILD CARE RELATED RESOURCES AND INFORMATION?

Child Care Related Websites