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Family Child Care Home Licensing

IS THIS THE CAREER FOR YOU?

THIS IS NOT JUST "BABYSITTING"

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Do I enjoy working with children?
  • Am I knowledgeable about child development or willing to learn more about child development?
  • Am I ready to be a professional business owner?
  • Would I like to be able to set my own hours and/or wages?
  • Would I like to work at home so that I can stay at home with my own children?
  • Am I willing to open my home to other families and to have my home inspected by the Child Care Licensing Agency?
  • Is my family supportive of my plans to operate a Family Child Care Home, and are they willing to get criminal background checks?
  • Am I willing to meet all licensing requirements and, if required, make changes to my home (e.g. build a 5-foot fence around my swimming pool)?

If so, Family Child Care may offer you a rewarding and challenging career opportunity.

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO GET A FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME LICENSE?

In order to get a Family Child Care Home License:

  1. You must attend an orientation
    • Orientations are scheduled on a regular basis all over California.
    • There is an orientation fee and it is nonrefundable , so be sure that you meet the qualifications for a license before you sign up for an orientation.
    • To review the qualifications for a license and Pre-Orientation Registration Information, click on the appropriate link: (English) , (Espanol/Spanish) , (Chinese) .
    • You may sign up for an orientation by contacting the State Licensing Agency nearest you. To see a list of Child Care Licensing Agencies in California, click here: Regional Offices . The Regional Offices Directory will show you what counties each Child Care Licensing office covers. To see an orientation schedule for your area, click here: Orientation Schedules .
    • To preview a sample of some of the information that will be covered at the orientation, click here: Preview of Orientation .

      NOTE: If you live in any of the following counties, you need to contact your local County Family Child Care Home licensing office:

      Del Norte
      Inyo       		Mendocino
      Sacramento

      You can get the telephone number from your local telephone directory under Government Listings, County Government Offices, or by clicking here: County Offices That License Family Child Care Homes . Click here to view Orientation Schedules for county licensed Family Child Care Homes .

  2. You must be familiar with all Family Child Care Home licensing laws and regulations.
    • You can read the Family Child Care Home licensing requirements by clicking here: Family Child Care Home Licensing Requirements (Title 22) .
      • The licensing requirements are not available from the Department of Social Services Warehouse. You must print your own hard copy. Be sure to have plenty of paper in your printer-there are 80 pages!
    • You can read a short summary of these requirements, by clicking here: Regulation Highlights
      • The Regulation Highlights are not available from the Department of Social Services Warehouse. You must print your own hard copy.
  3. You must pass a home inspection. A Licensing Program Analyst will contact you to schedule an inspection of your home. The LIC 9217(3/05) - Pre-Licensing Readiness Guide - Family Child Care Home is a helpful tool to get you ready for this inspection. To see this form, click on the above link.
  4. You must complete and submit all the information and forms required in the application packet. We will not accept your application until after you have completed the orientation . There is an application fee that is nonrefundable . Click on this blue link for licensing fee information . If you are ready to sign up for an orientation, please contact your local licensing office: Regional Offices or County Offices . Click here to view the Orientation Schedules .

You must bring all of these forms to the orientation.