What Parents Seeking Childcare should know

As a parent seeking child care you should be aware of the following:

First of all, it is a state law and regulation that Home Child Care providers be LICENSED.

Licensing means:

The provider has submitted an application to Community care licensing.
The provider has attended orientation through Licensing
The providers has had 15 hours of CPR, and First aide training
The provider and all adults age 18 and older residing in the home, or any adult planning on working with the child care have been
Finger printed and cleared through the department of Justice.
This means that their fingers prints have been checked

* Locally
* State Wide
* Nationally - internationally through FBI clearance.

Their criminal records checks go all the way back to age 18. Any conviction regardless of misdemeanor or felony is going to show up on their Finger print clearance.

California is one of the few states that does a complete criminal background check such as this. It means that the provider did not have a child care somewhere else without them knowing about it. It means the provider did not commit a crime in another state and then moved to reopen to avoid that criminal history. (this happens in other states)

After the provider has met all criminal background clearances the Licensing department will then make a home inspection. The provider has to pass this inspection in order to obtain the license. There are general health and safety regulations that must be met.

Exempted providers:
There are some exceptions for someone to provide child care and not be licensed.
there are:

A nanny and they provide child care in your home.
They are providing child care for one family and one family only
They are providing care for children that are related to them
They are providing free child care, or for barter, but no cash is exchanged.

Obviously someone doing it for free doesn't need to advertise. Someone doing it for one family usually doesn't see the need to advertise either.
And someone doing it for family members doesn't need to advertise.

Advertising:
An unlicensed child care person is not to advertise child care.
They must be licensed, and have a license number to post.

Licensing:
You can call Community care licensing in your county. You can give them the name and phone number of any prospective child care provider and ask to find out about this person.
Licensing will tell you what is in their public file.
If they are indeed licensed.
What their facility reports said which would include violations, or citations due to non compliance of licensing regulations.
It would also include complaints. Whether these complaints were found to be true or not true they will still be listed. Etc.
You will find out everything you need to know about the providers licensing record.

Although licensing is not full proof it still gives you more information about this person then an unlicensed person will have.
Regardless how nice someone is you still do not know the basic background of that unlicensed person including anyone in their household. There could be convicted felons living in that house.
You don't know. But if they are licensed at least you have peace of mind to know that no one has been convicted of a serious crime.

Exemptions:
If a provider has a minor infraction on their criminal background check they have to file for an exemption. An Exemption will NOT BE GIVEN TO ANYONE WITH A FELONY RECORD, or anyone who has convictions in: domestic violence, rape, adult or child, molestation, any violent crime, robbery, Drugs, and a number of other serious crimes.

A person can get an exemption if they had minor offenses. Traffic tickets over $500 failure to appear DUI , etc., things that have nothing to do with children, acts against children violence, etc.
Licensing will tell you if the provider or anyone in the household, or anyone working for them has an exemption. Providers themselves have to tell you as well. These exemptions are not a concern, they a blemish on their back ground checks. Most providers who have been around a long time might have an old minor conviction over 20 years old.
The exemption process is very carefully looked at and the provider completely checked out to be sure they are of good character.

Finger prints for employees:
Providers have to have anyone working for them finger printed if they are over the age of 18.
They are not allowed to work in the child care until they get their clearance.
Any adult (other than Day Care parents) that are in the home regularly and around the children even volunteering must have a finger print clearance.

Student volunteers from age 14-17 do not need this clearance, however, students under age 18 and over the age of 14 cannot be left alone with the children.

Here is the web site for Licensing regulations.
http://nrc.uchsc.edu/ca/Calif.htm
When you click this on, go down to the 3rd one listed, which is for family home day care title 22 and click on that.
All the regulations will be listed. Look things up and be familiar with them. As a parent seeking child care your number one priority is your child.
Your choice of child care should not be based on fees.
Although staying in a budget is understandable remember, you can get quality child care by being selective about the person and the environment not the fee they charge.

There is nothing wrong with having a family member, neighbor, or friend do your child care but remember this. If you are using a neighbor or friend they should not be caring for any other children other then your own in order for them to be legal.

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