What California inspectors cite the most

Staff must obtain criminal record clearance through Community Care Licensing before having contact with children. Employees with denied or pending clearance cannot be present.

• Caregiver allowed to start before fingerprint clearance returned
• Volunteer or aide present without criminal record clearance on file
• Returning staff member without active background-check clearance

Each prescription and over-the-counter medication must be in its original labeled container, stored properly, and administered only per centralized written procedures.

• Medication kept in unlabeled container
• OTC medication administered without parent written authorization
• Prescription stored outside the locked medication area

Lifelong sex offender registrants and persons subject to criminal record exemption denial cannot be present at the facility while children are in care.

• Person required to register as sex offender residing at family-child-care home address
• Excluded individual found on facility premises during inspection
• Licensee failed to disclose all adults living at home

Licensee must allow Community Care Licensing inspectors unrestricted access to the facility, records, and children at any time during operating hours.

• Inspector denied entry during unannounced visit
• Records not made available during inspection
• Licensee not present and no designated representative available

Buildings, grounds, and equipment must be kept clean, safe, sanitary, and in good repair. Hazards must be promptly corrected.

• Broken or splintered furniture or play equipment in child-use areas
• Standing water, mold, or pest evidence on premises
• Outdoor surfaces with trip or impact hazards

Staff must follow written health-and-safety procedures for hand-washing, diapering, food-handling, and disease prevention. Procedures must be implemented in daily practice.

• Hand-washing not observed before food service or after diapering
• Diaper-changing surface not sanitized between children
• Food preparation by staff who did not wash hands

Daily health screening of each child at arrival, and prompt isolation/parent notification if a child shows signs of illness during the day.

• No daily arrival health check documented or observed
• Visibly ill child accepted into care without screening
• Sick child not separated from group during illness

Infant centers must maintain a teacher-to-infant ratio of one teacher for every four infants at all times when infants are present.

• Single teacher observed with five or more infants
• Ratio violation during staff break or transition
• Aide or volunteer counted toward ratio without qualifying

Each child has the right to be free from corporal or unusual punishment, humiliation, mental abuse, and unnecessary restraint.

• Caregiver observed using physical discipline
• Child placed in isolated time-out for excessive duration
• Verbal humiliation or shaming during behavior incident

The Personal Rights of Children notice (LIC 613A) must be posted in a conspicuous, accessible location and provided to each parent at admission.

• LIC 613A not posted in lobby or entry area
• Posted notice not in primary language of facility
• No record of parent receiving rights notice at admission

Each licensed center must operate in accordance with the written Plan of Operation submitted to and approved by Community Care Licensing.

• Hours of operation observed differ from approved plan
• Program structure or capacity exceeds approved plan
• Significant change in operation not reported to licensing

Center must have written health-and-safety policies that are followed in practice and reviewed periodically.

• Written health-and-safety policies not on file
• Policies present but staff unaware of contents
• Policies not reviewed/updated within required period