A little clarity.
A stronger preschool.

How to Appeal Childcare Licensing Citations in California

A step-by-step guide for appealing Type A and Type B childcare licensing citations in California

A Guide to Lawsuits for California Childcare Providers

General litigation guide for California childcare providers

Cómo apelar citaciones de licencias de cuidado infantil en California

Guía en español para apelar citaciones de licencias de cuidado infantil

A Guide to CCLD Administrative Actions (coming soon)

CHECKLIST - child file

CHECKLIST - employee file

1st level Type A appeal

1st level Type B appeal

2nd level Type A appeal

2nd level Type B appeal

Bulletpoint appeal

Declaration in support of appeal

ltr to licensing re 1596.842 complaint

Center waiver request re toddler commingling

Waiver 1 - Waiver request

Waiver 2 - Plan of operation ISO waiver request

Center Application Timing

Licensure exempt programs (coming soon)

Deadline to appeal child care licensing violations

If a CCLD analyst issues a citation during an inspection, there is a deadline for the facility to appeal. The deadline is set forth in LIC9058.

Title 22 in a Single PDF

Childcare centers and family childcare homes in California must abide by the regulations contained in Title 22. The Community Care Licensing Division (“CCLD”) of the Department of Social Services is the agency that regulates childcare centers and family childcare homes, and the Title 22 regulations are the regulations they enforce. CCLD makes the Title 22 […]

How to apply for a child care license in California

Download instructions for how to apply for a child care license in California. There are separate instructions for child care centers and family child care homes.

One Sentence to Appeal Type A & Type B Citations

Every childcare center and family care home should appeal every single licensing appeal. Why? First and foremost because licensing issues a lot of citations it shouldn’t issue, and the only way that will change is if more providers work to assert their rights. CCLD will eventually realize it has to hold itself accountable. Second, because CCLD has […]

Should I have video cameras in my childcare center classrooms?

One question I’ve received numerous times is, “Do you recommend having video cameras in our classrooms?” Here’s what I’ve told folks who asked: First, there are legitimate pros and cons for having cameras and not having cameras, so there’s no clear single right answer. However, I personally recommend not installing video cameras inside classrooms. (I […]

My Presentation on Licensing Complaint Investigations, Appeals, Waivers & Lawsuits at the CQEL Childcare Summit

On November 20, 2024, I presented at CQEL’s California Childcare Summit. I presented about licensing complaint investigations, citation appeals, waivers, and how to handle a lawsuit if you get sued. At the actual presentation I expanded on these topics and answered questions on issues not included in the slides, but below are the slides for […]

A Petition to California Lawmakers to Require DSS to Adopt a True “Single License” Regime for Childcare Centers

When I connect with childcare owners and providers, we often start by talking about licensing issues, but inevitably everyone wants to talk about UTK and what’s going on with the “single license.” Most folks know about AB2131, which was supposed to eliminate the “toddler component” and eliminate the rule that toddlers cannot commingle with other […]

Licensing Is Granting Waivers to Commingle Toddlers for Two Hours

My Licensing Appeal Kit now includes a copy of a waiver request to commingle toddlers with infants and preschoolers during the first and last hours of each day. This is the request that has resulted in granted waivers.

Free Waiver Request to Accommodate Children Affected by 2025 Wildfires

My Licensing Appeal Kit now includes a copy of a waiver request to commingle toddlers with infants and preschoolers during the first and last hours of each day. This is the request that has resulted in granted waivers.

A Petition to California Lawmakers from Families Experiencing the Childcare Crisis

Our state is in a childcare crisis. This is frequently in the news, but several lawmakers’ offices have actually said they do not hear much about this from their individual constituents. (Probably because people with young kids are already overwhelmed dealing with work, those young kids, and the childcare crisis.) Last month, about 250 childcare […]

Internal childcare licensing agency emails show they don’t want providers to know how to appeal

Licensing employees (LPAs, Program Managers, Regional Managers, etc.) are state government employees, which means their emails are public records, which anyone can ask to see (though certain private or confidential info in the emails will be redacted or withheld). Several months ago I requested emails and other documents from licensing, and I recently received the […]

I don’t think Title 22 requires association in Guardian

It’s a common licensing deficiency–a teacher has a criminal background clearance, but they’re not “associated with the facility” in Guardian, so the facility gets issued a citation. While the LPA is still there, the director goes into Guardian to associate the teacher, and the LPA “clears” the deficiency. But the Type A or Type B […]

Understanding Complaint Investigation Outcomes: Substantiated, Unsubstantiated, Unfounded

Childcare providers and families who receive childcare licensing investigation reports are often confused about what a complaint investigation report is actually saying, and what the report is supposed to mean for the children in care. This article explains how childcare providers and families can interpret a complaint investigation report. Background – childcare licensing complaints As […]

How to buy or sell a childcare center in California with no interruption to childcare services

Childcare licenses cannot be transferred. When a childcare business is sold, the buyer must obtain their own childcare license. A common question I get is how this can be done without having to close the facility for some period of time (and risk losing customers). The purchase/sale of a childcare center can best be accomplished by […]

“Licensing never responded to our appeal, now what?”

Most childcare providers in California don’t know that Community Care Licensing (CCLD) has a mandatory deadline to respond to appeals. Preschool owners and administrators I’ve spoken with have told me that they have appealed Type A and Type B citations, but CCLD never responded, so they just gave up. But if CCLD fails to decide […]