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Department of Early Learning and Care

Monitoring

After each monitoring visit, a Child Care Facility Contact Report form is completed. A copy will be left at the facility or mailed/emailed to the program later. A copy of the report is viewable on the Child Care Safety Portal.

Monitoring

All licensed child care programs receive a combination of announced and unannounced visits. Certified Child Care Centers and Certified Family Child Care Homes have an announced licensing visit annually. Registered Family Child Care Homes have a licensing visit biennially. In addition to the announced licensing visit, all programs receive no less than one unannounced monitoring visit annually. If compliance concerns exist, the program will receive additional unannounced monitoring.

Your licensing specialists will, at minimum, look at the following:

  • How many children do you have in the entire facility (capacity)
  • If children are appropriately supervised 
  • If staff‐to‐child ratio requirements are met 
  • If group size requirements are met 
  • If qualified staff are with each group of children 
  • Staff training requirements
  • Are all individuals fully enrolled in the CBR that may have unsupervised access to children
  • Are attendance records accurate and up-to-date
  • Are all hazardous items inaccessible to children

Licensing Specialists may also check for compliance with any other rules in the book.

Monitor Visit Checklist SAMPLE (CCLD-0093)

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Background Checks

The Child Care Licensing Division requires all individuals, including administrative, child care, and support staff in child care facilities be enrolled in the Central Background Registry. Other individuals who are not employed by the facility may also be required to be enrolled if their presence or role permits unsupervised access to the children. Federal and state law requires the Child Care Licensing Division to perform FBI fingerprint background checks and obtain other criminal history information on all applicants. After individuals apply for enrollment in the Central Background Registry, the Child Care Licensing Division must approve the individual for enrollment before they are allowed to work or reside in the child care facility. For more information on who needs to be enrolled in the CBR in your facility, please contact your licensing specialist or call Child Care Licensing Division customer service at 1‐800‐556‐6616.

VIsit the CBR Page
young girl smiling  


Complaint Investigations

Investigative Specialists

Investigative Specialists are CCLD field staff that visit child care programs when a complaint is received. Complaints remain active and open as long as needed to come to a finding decision.

How are investigators different from licensing specialists?
Licensing specialists are assigned to programs and conduct routine regulatory visits as well as provide ongoing technical assistance to licensed programs. Investigators are not assigned to programs, only to cases, although there may be times when a licensing specialist will conduct a compliant visit depending on workloads at that time. 

Both licensing specialists and investigators provide regulatory oversight to child care programs. Regulatory oversight means checking to make sure programs meet the state licensing standards for operating a child care program.

What services do investigators provide?
CCLD investigators perform a complete investigation on regulatory complaint allegations and any observed noncompliance present while they are on site. This includes coordinating additional interviews, reviewing documents, and requests for additional information and documentation. Investigators also work with partner agencies like the Office of Training, Investigations, and Safety (OTIS), Law Enforcement, and Child Welfare. 

Complaint Assessment 

The Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD) investigates complaints of a violation of the applicable statutes and rules.

At the end of the investigation, CCLD will assess a finding for each allegation. Directors/Providers must post all serious valid complaint and serious non‐compliance letters for 12 calendar months. The posting must be in an area where it can be clearly viewed by parents. A copy of the letter is also viewable on the Child Care Safety Portal.

There are three possible findings that may be assigned to an allegation on a complaint or noncompliance letter:

  • Valid: When a reasonable person could conclude the noncompliance occurred based on the evidence; or
  • Unable to Substantiate: When a reasonable person could not conclude that the noncompliance occurred based on the evidence; or 
  • Invalid: When a reasonable person could not decide whether the noncompliance occurred because of conflicting evidence or because information is not available


Complaints of Providing Child Care Without a License (Unlawful Care) 

The Child Care Licensing Division may receive and investigate complaints of operating a child care facility without a license (unlawful care). Often, they did not realize they were required to have a child care license and CCLD will help the program to start the licensing process. A facility that continues to operate illegally without a license may be subject to sanctions including a fine called a civil penalty, denial of the license application or a court injunction.


How to Make a Complaint

An individual wishing to register a complaint against a licensed provider or child care center may submit the on-line complaint form (below) or call the Child Care Licensing Division’s Central Office at 1-800-556-6616.

You will speak to a compliance specialist who will take the information and follow up on your complaint. You may also contact your Licensing Specialist who will pass the complaint on to our compliance specialist for intake.

Online Complaint Form