VESL for
Child Development
Module 3, Lesson 4
Licenses and Record Keeping
Look at the reception area of a child care facility.
What do you see that is related to the title of this lesson?
*Answer the questions below.
What do you see in the frames on the wall?
What do you think the woman behind the counter is doing?
In this lesson, you will learn how to get a license and what records to keep for a Family Home Child Care business.
Objectives
1. Use a study strategy to maximize understanding of recorded presentations
2. Identify a sequence of instructions in a video presentation
3. Apply new vocabulary appropriately to statements about record keeping
4. Self assess interests in different aspects of the child care profession
A. Watch and listen to a presentation about child care licensing for a home business. Take Notes.
Study Strategy for Listening to a Presentation:
1. What do you want to know about this topic?
First, prepare to take notes. Write questions that you think are related to the presentation. Then, listen for the answers.
2. What details do you need?
Second, listen again for details about what you feel is important. Note words that you want to look up later.
3. What are the main ideas?
Finally, listen a third time to determine the larger, most important, or main ideas that are presented at the start and end of the presentation.
Listening Practice #1
What you would like to know about getting a childcare license? Think about who, what, where, when, and why. Write down your questions in your notebook. After you write your own questions, click on the arrow for more question ideas.
Watch the video about getting a license. Listen for anwers to your questions and take notes. You can pause and repeat as needed.
Some of your questions will be answered in the video, but others may not.
Here are some qustions to think about before you watch the video.
What forms do I have to fill out?
What kind of education is required?
How much money does it cost?
What laws do I have to follow?
Will somebody inspect my home?
Is it complicated?
How long does it take?
Listening Practice #2
Watch the video again. This time, focus on the steps. Take notes. What is first, second, third, etc ?
Listening Practice #3
Watch one more time. Try to identify the most important ideas. For example, what is the purpose of getting a license?
Transcript: How to Apply for a Family Child Care License
How to Apply for a Family Child Care License
Produced by the Community Care Licensing Division of the California Department of Social Services
[music]
[The series host speaks in a preschool classroom.]
Series Host:
In California, to operate a licensed family child care home, you must first successfully complete all the steps required by Community Care Licensing Division. Your license documents that you know and understand the health and safety standards that pertain to providing professional care to our state’s youngest residents. And obtaining a license puts you in the best possible position to create and maintain a safe, secure, and successful family child care home.
[Three licensing representatives speak.]
Community Care Licensing Representative 1:
There are four steps you must complete to secure a
family child care home license.
Community Care Licensing Representative 2:
Step one involves making yourself familiar with all the licensing laws and regulations, as well as other information available to applicants on the Community Care Licensing website.
Community Care Licensing Representative 3:
In step two, you complete the family child care home orientation.
CCL Rep. 2:
In step three, you’ll complete and submit the forms required for your application to be processed.
CCL Rep. 3:
The license application and instructions for family child care homes,
LIC279A, provides instructions and information that will help make sure you don’t miss anything when completing your application.
CCL Rep. 2:
And then, before you receive final approval, step four is a pre-licensing
inspection of your facility by the licensing program analyst, your LPA.
CCL Rep. 1:
In taking these steps, you’ll provide Community Care Licensing with the information we need about you and your new business.
CCL Rep. 2:
And we’ll provide you with the information you’ll need so that the children
in your care will be safe and your facility will remain in full compliance with all licensing requirements.
[The host speaks, and the questions she asks are displayed on a white board.]
Series Host:
Where do I find licensing laws and regulations?
To find the licensing laws and regulations that pertain to you, visit the Community Care Licensing website at: www.ccld.ca.gov.
[Images of the website appear.]
Here, you will find California’s Health and Safety Code, Title 22 Regulations, as well as other helpful resources.
[Series host onscreen.]
What is the family child care home orientation?
The family child care home orientation is required if you are applying for a family child care home license.
[The host speaks as the corresponding content is displayed onscreen.]
The orientation includes an overview of the laws and regulations that pertain to licensed child care and a review of the background check requirements, facility requirements, and the application process for family child care homes. The orientation provides you with a valuable source of information about and guidance through how to become a licensed family child care home provider. You can take the orientation in person or online.
The in-person orientation is offered throughout California at child care regional offices. You can contact your local licensing office to find out when the next in-person orientation will be offered. In-person orientation is offered in English and Spanish. Contact your local licensing office if you require an orientation presented in another language.
[Images of the website appear.]
The online orientation requires you to log on to a secure website and is set up for you to validate your identity. It does not allow you to skip ahead, but does allow you to go back and review information again. The online training provides the greatest benefit if you work through the course slowly and take notes.
What forms and documents will I need to complete and submit?
There are several different forms you’re required to complete and submit.
[Licensing forms appear as the host names them.]
They are:
- an Application for a Family Child Care Home License, LIC 279;
- a Current Children in Your Home Report, LIC 279B;
- all required Criminal Record Statements, LIC 508;
- an Emergency Care and Disaster Plan, LIC 610A;
- and a Facility Sketch, LIC 999A.
There’s more detailed information about several of the forms and the information they require in other videos in this series. You’ll also need to provide documents that:
- prove you’ve completed the orientation,
- prove that you’ve enrolled in or completed Preventive Health Practices Training, including pediatric CPR and first aid,
- and you’ll need copies of TB clearances for yourself, staff, and adults residing in the home, dated within 12 months of your application.
Also, if you’re applying to operate a large family child care home, you will need to provide proof of previous child care experience and a fire clearance from your local fire department. Finally, you’ll be responsible for contacting your local licensing office and for following their instructions to pay the non-refundable application fee.
What is the pre-licensing inspection?
The pre-licensing inspection is conducted at your home by a licensing program analyst, also known as an LPA.
The LPA will inspect your home to ensure that you meet licensing requirements.
[Images of the website appear.]
The inspection is covered in greater detail in the video “Community Care Licensing Inspection Authority.” The inspection will be scheduled in advance, so you know when your LPA will arrive.
It’s to your benefit to perform your own pre-inspection, referring to all the requirements covered on the licensing website, in the orientation, and in the pre-licensing readiness guide.
[The guide briefly appears.]
Your resource and referral agency can be a great help to you as you get ready for your pre-licensing inspection. If your home is found to be in compliance, you have passed the inspection and you should receive your license soon. On the other hand, if your LPA finds anything at your facility that’s not in compliance, your application process will be paused. You’ll need to remedy the situation and notify licensing that you’ve done so, and you’ll need to complete another inspection with your LPA.
Summary
Just to recap, the core steps involved in obtaining a family child care home license are:
- spending as much time as you need on the licensing website and becoming thoroughly familiar with the entire licensing process;
- enroll in and complete orientation;
- provide Community Care Licensing with all the information required to process your application;
- and prepare your family child care home to pass a pre-licensing inspection.
If all goes well, you can receive your license anywhere from 60 to 90 days after you initiate the application process. And finally, we can’t stress enough, the work you’ll do to complete the licensing process will not just result in your receiving your license, but it will prepare you to become a successful child care provider.
Copyright 2016
State of California
B. Check your understanding. What did you learn about licensing?
C. Study vocabulary to use when learning and talking about record keeping.
D. Watch and listen to a video presentation about record keeping for child care providers.
An excellent resource for child care providers is the California Department of Social Services.
Instructions:
2. Read the introduction questions.
3. Watch the video 3 times.
- Listen for answers to the questions in the introduction.
- Listen for the key terms that you learned in activity C.
- Listen for the main ideas
Transcript, Record Keeping in Family Child Care
Family Child Care Providers
Transcript
Record Keeping in Family Child Care
Produced by the Community Care Licensing Division of the California Department of Social Services
[music]
[As the series host speaks off-screen, a family child care provider retrieves a child’s records from a binder and reviews them.]
Series host:
One of your responsibilities as an operator of a family child care home is to maintain records required by Community Care Licensing. These records include medical and other critical information about the children in care, as well as information about employees and volunteers. [Host onscreen] In this video we’ll review the records you need to keep current at all times, and why it’s important to do so.
[Two licensing representatives speak.]
Community Care Licensing Representative 1:
Accurate and current information about the children in your care is critical. You must be able to respond appropriately when a child requires medical care, whether it is routine or in the event of an emergency. And you must also be able to contact a child’s parent or guardian without delay when necessary.
Community Care Licensing Representative 2:
Information about your employees and volunteers is also important because you as the provider, and we as the licensing agency, need to be certain that everyone who’s caring for children in a licensed facility is both fully qualified to deliver the kind of care and services the job requires and has met all the requirements of state laws and regulations.
CCL Rep #1:
Failure to have all required records can cause serious problems because if critical information is missing or not readily available, it could be a health and safety risk for children in care.
CCL Rep #2:
Failure to have all the required records may result in a citation that requires proof of remedy.
[The host speaks, and the questions she asks are displayed on a white board.]
What type of information do I have to keep for children in my care?
Licensing requires that you keep a child care facility roster–a list of all children who are enrolled at your facility.
[The roster briefly appears: LIC form 9040.]
For each child, licensing requires specific documents in their personal file. These records must be kept up to date as long as the child is enrolled at your facility.
[Licensing form LIC 311D appears—“Forms and Records to Keep in Your Family Child Care Home.”]
And after a child leaves your care, the signed portion of the notification of parents’ rights must be kept on file for 3 years.
[Licensing form LIC 995A appears—“Notification of Parents’ Rights.]
Here are some of the records in each child’s file:
- [Onscreen, licensing form LIC 700] identification and emergency information, including the emergency contact person in the child’s family;
- and consent to seek emergency care for a child, signed by the child’s parent or guardian [Onscreen, form LIC 627];
- notification of parents’ or guardians’ rights, a signed copy by the child’s authorized representative [Onscreen, form LIC 995A];
- and a copy of each child’s California school immunization record [Onscreen, form CDPH 286].
The full list of documents you are required to keep is available on the Community Care Licensing website. One important point: it is best practice to have in your possession copies of each child’s emergency information at all times, including times when care is provided away from the facility.
As a licensed provider, how does record keeping help me?
[As the host speaks off-screen, a provider retrieves a child’s records from a folder and reviews them.]
Accurate records help you address many situations, whether it’s monitoring food allergies, confirming who is authorized to pick up a child from your home, or verifying children’s ages for the purpose of ensuring you don’t exceed the capacity your license permits. Without these records, you may be putting children at risk when a quick response is needed. In addition to gathering this information when you first enroll a child, you should regularly confirm with families that your records are up to date.
What types of personnel records must I keep at my facility?
There are several items that you need to keep on file for yourself, your staff, and volunteers.
[The host speaks as the corresponding content is displayed onscreen.]
You will need documentation of:
- either a criminal record clearance or exemption;
- a signed statement regarding the employee’s criminal record history;
- proof of immunizations against influenza, pertussis, and measles unless there is a valid exemption;
- and proof of TB clearances are also required.
Exemptions for immunizations include:
- medical exemption via note from licensed physician;
- proof of immunity via note from licensed physician;
- a signed declaration that he or she has declined the influenza vaccine;
- or if in an individual begins working or volunteering after December of the previous year and before August of the current year, he or she is exempt from the requirement for the influenza immunization.
For more information about the caregiver background clearance process, watch the video, “Background Check Requirements for Caregivers.”
[The corresponding webpage briefly appears.]
Let’s take a closer look at the information that needs to be in each employee’s personnel record, including your own.
You will need:
- each person’s full name,
- date of birth, current home address,
- driver’s license number,
- telephone number,
- and the date the person began employment at the facility.
You will also need a signed and dated copy of the notice of employee rights, LIC 9052 [The corresponding form briefly appears], and information about the employee’s previous work experience.
What records are required only for the licensee?
In addition to the personnel records that were just mentioned, the licensee is required to have proof of completion of training in preventative health practices, as well as pediatric first aid and pediatric CPR. A licensee of a large family child care home has to have at least one person available at all times when children are present at the facility who has a current certificate in pediatric first aid and pediatric CPR.
What records do I need to maintain for adults residing in my home?
For adults residing in your home, you are required to have documentation of either a criminal record clearance or exemption. TB clearances are also required.
What items do I post in my facility where everyone can see them?
Licensing regulations require that the following items be clearly posted:
[The items appear as the host names them.]
- the family child care home notification of parents’ rights poster,
- your family child care license,
- and a notice of all visits to your facility by Community Care Licensing representatives.
These notices must be posted for 30 days following the visit. Also, for serious deficiencies that result in citations, you must post the information for 30 days.
How should I maintain these required records?
To manage your records, we suggest this process. Go to the Community Care Licensing website [The website briefly appears] and download the forms required for staff, volunteers, and children in your care. Complete the forms, making sure you obtain all the required signatures. Make individual files for each child and each staff member. Also, create files for all other required documents in order to find them easily.
You don’t have to follow this model exactly. For example, you can create your own forms unless otherwise noted in regulations or statute. However, you have to be sure forms you create include all the required information. And licensing staff need to be able to easily verify that the information is accurate and current. Some exceptions are: each child’s emergency medical information must be kept on an emergency information card [Onscreen, form LIC 627], and immunizations need to be documented on the California school immunization record. [Onscreen, form CDPH 286] Lastly, whether you use licensing forms or your own, all required records must be on file at the facility.
Key Points:
Remember to keep in mind these key points about recordkeeping in family child care. At your facility, maintain complete and up-to-date individual records for yourself, as well as each child, staff member, and any adults residing in the home. When your records are up to date and easy to access, you will not only be in compliance with licensing requirements, you’ll also be in a better position to respond effectively to emergency situations. And remember, it is best practice to have in your possession copies of the children’s emergency information at all times, including times when care is provided away from the facility.
Copyright 2016
State of California
