September 22, 2026 Child Care Licensing Provider Webinar

• This was the third quarterly statewide webinar of 2026.
• If you attend the live webinar from start to end, Zoom sends a follow-up email that you can use as proof for professional growth hours.

• New Licensing Program Managers were hired for the San Diego, Riverside, Chico, and Fresno regional offices and for the Southern California units of the Centralized Application Bureau (CAB). A regional directory link was shared in chat.

• CDSS launched a public interactive map of lead testing results for water at licensed child care centers, with guidance on how to read the data.✓ checked
• State law requires centers in buildings built before January 1, 2010 to test water outlets used for drinking.✓ checked
• The first deadline was January 1, 2023. Retesting is required no later than 5 years after the first test.✓ checked
• This applies to licensed child care centers only, not family child care homes.✓ checked
• The PIN also reminds centers that funding is available for testing and fixing lead problems.✓ checked

• ELOP is funded by the California Department of Education and run by a local educational agency (LEA) or a third party. It can run before school, after school, in summer, or during breaks, starting with transitional kindergarten and kindergarten.✓ checked
• ELOP programs serving TK or kindergarten must keep a ratio of no more than 10 children to 1 staff.✓ checked
• An ELOP can run without a child care center license only if it meets the exemption rules in state law.✓ checked

• The Department of Developmental Services runs a statewide network of 21 nonprofit regional centers. They offer diagnosis and eligibility assessment, case management, and services in each person's individual program plan.✓ checked

• Starting June 1, 2026, licensed child care may serve whole, 2%, 1% low-fat, or non-fat milk to children ages 2 and older.⚠ check
• This follows a USDA final rule, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030, and the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. CDSS is updating its licensing milk rules to match.⚠ check

• Reports list the top 10 most cited rules for each facility type, based on annual inspections for the calendar year. This session covered the top three for homes and centers.
• Family child care homes: (1) not keeping the home free of defects or conditions that could endanger a child; (2) infant safe sleep, including a completed LIC 9227 for each infant up to 12 months and a crib or play yard free of loose items; (3) mandated reporter training not renewed every two years.✓ checked
• Child care centers: (1) mandated reporter training not renewed every two years; (2) staff requirements, such as the TB test timing and having at least one CPR and first aid trained staff member present; (3) infant care and supervision, including sight-and-sound watching of sleeping infants and physical checks every 15 minutes.✓ checkedComing October 1, 2027: all staff providing care in a center must have current pediatric first aid and CPR and at least 16 hours of health and safety training (PIN 26-11-CCP, checked 2026-09-29). current rule
• For preschool and school-age centers, adult immunizations were also covered: proof of measles and pertussis immunization, and a flu shot window of August 1 to December 1 for staff and volunteers.Current rule: at centers, staff and volunteers may decline the flu vaccine (only) by written declaration (HSC §1596.7995, checked 2026-09-22); homes fall under HSC §1597.622, not reviewed here. current rule

• Quality Counts California (QCC) is the state's quality improvement system. It is funded by CDSS, First 5 California, and the California Department of Education.✓ checked
• CDSS has two QCC grants: the Quality Improvement Grant (site improvements and admin support) and the Workforce Pathways Grant (more qualified educators and higher credentials).✓ checked
• The Infrastructure Grant Program had two parts. The minor renovation and repairs grant was $200.5 million to over 3,700 grantees, including 778 centers and 2,991 family child care homes. All of those projects were done as of May 11, 2026.
• The new construction and major renovation grant was $150 million. 257 grantees were selected; as of May 2026, 162 were in progress and 62 had finished.
• Both applications are closed (March 25, 2022 and January 31, 2023).✓ checked

• AB 144 took effect in September 2025. It makes CDPH the source for vaccine recommendations in California, starting from the CDC advisory committee's recommendations as of January 1, 2025.✓ checked
• The presenter said all CDPH-recommended vaccines, including those required for child care or school, are still covered by insurance in California, and child care and school requirements stay the same.✓ checked
• CDPH strongly supports the American Academy of Pediatrics childhood immunization schedule.
• The presenter said vaccines protect children from serious disease, hospital stays, and death, and do not cause autism, allergies, diabetes, or infertility. Side effects are usually mild and most end in 1 or 2 days. Serious events are extremely rare, about 1 or 2 per 1 million doses.

• The presenter said measles cases are rising worldwide, across the US, and to a lesser extent in California. One person with measles can spread it to up to 18 unvaccinated people, and about 1 in 5 children with measles needs hospital care.
• Two doses of measles vaccine give about 97% protection. Dose one at 12 to 15 months, dose two around 4 to 6 years; dose two can be given as early as 28 days after dose one. Babies 6 to 11 months old traveling abroad should get an early extra dose.
• Child care providers are required to be immunized against measles, flu, and whooping cough (pertussis). Staff may decline the flu shot in writing.✓ checked
• Children under five have the highest hospital rates for flu, COVID-19, and RSV. The presenter said COVID-19 is circulating widely in California and flu is starting to rise. CDPH recommends everyone 6 months and older stay up to date on flu and COVID-19 vaccines; RSV immunization is usually recommended for all infants.⚠ check

• The two main resources are the CDPH Shots for School website and your local health department immunization program.
• Families who can't find records can use the CDPH Digital Vaccine Record website to get a record from the California Immunization Registry (CAIR). Healthcare providers have been required to report to CAIR since the start of 2023, so most doses for child care-age children should be there.
• Centers and preschools report the immunization status of their 2- to 5-year-olds each year in the Immunization Reporting app on Care Hub. The site is open now through December 4.✓ checked
• SCRL (School and Child Care Roster Lookup, said as "squirrel"), also on Care Hub, shows whether a child is complete, conditional, or overdue, based on CAIR records. You can look up one child or upload a roster. If doses are missing from CAIR, ask parents for more records.
• Questions can go to the Shots for School website, your local health department, or [email protected].

• Care means meeting each child's needs: diapering, toileting, dressing, health, food, and emotional needs.
• Supervision means constant visual observation, listening for changes in noise, scanning for hazards, and watching more closely when needed.

• There are only two exceptions. The aide must be at least 18 and have 6 ECE units, or 2 ECE units while enrolled each term until reaching 6.
• Exception 1: the aide may take children to the bathroom. The teacher left in the classroom must have no more than 12 children.
• Exception 2: at nap time the aide may supervise up to 24 preschool-age children. If children wake or need the bathroom, more staff must step in right away.✓ checked
• Taking children to the lobby or gate, or getting supplies from the office, does not count as an exception.

• In multi-stall bathrooms, staff should stand in the center. In a single-stall bathroom, staff may stand at the doorway to watch the child and the group.
• If you are alone and a child needs help in the bathroom, call for backup. Never leave the rest of the group unsupervised.
• School-age children may have privacy in a stall, with staff nearby. The presenter said boys and girls should use the bathroom at different times.✓ checked

• Always place infants on their back in the crib. If an infant rolls to their side or belly on their own, they may stay that way only if LIC 9227 Section C is completed and signed. (The checked source for this sentence is the family child care home rule, Title 22 §102425(d)(4).)✓ checked
• Do a direct, in-person check every 15 minutes. Look for signs of distress such as hard breathing, flushed or unusual skin color, higher body temperature, or restlessness. If you see any, follow your emergency plan, call the parent, and write down what happened.✓ checked
• Licensing does not require a specific form. Record the date, infant's name, sleep position, time of each check, and staff initials. A checkmark or star is fine if the child is okay.

• Homes can have hazards like sharp kitchen tools, cleaning supplies, medications, or water, so active supervision is needed.
• The licensee must be in the home during operating hours. If they must leave, a qualified substitute must care for the children. The licensee can be away no more than 20% of operating hours in a calendar month.✓ checked
• Substitutes must have fingerprint clearance, mandated reporter training, CPR and first aid training, and proof of required immunizations before providing care.
• Children must never be left unsupervised in an area without a fence.
• Physically check each sleeping infant every 15 minutes. If the infant sleeps in another room, the door must stay open, you must be able to see the infant without moving the door, and you must stay on the same floor. A video or audio monitor can help but cannot replace the 15-minute check.✓ checked

• The provider must stay awake whenever children in care are awake. The doors to the provider's and children's sleeping rooms must stay open.
• If you can't hear a child wake up from where you sleep, you must use a working digital video and audio monitor.✓ checked
• If the infant is asleep and the provider is also going to sleep, the monitor may be used instead of the 15-minute physical checks.✓ checked

• You must be able to see or hear children at all times, even in the bathroom. For toilet-trained older children, standing just outside the open door is acceptable.
• If you are the only caregiver, bring all the children to a safe place where they stay supervised while one child uses the bathroom.
• Help or remind children to wash hands, and keep the bathroom clean, stocked, and free of hazards like cleaning chemicals.

• Scan and count children before, during, and after every transition. Use an attendance sheet to track children who leave, including early pickups.
• Place staff near spots that are hard to see or higher risk, such as the back of the room, climbing structures, or behind large furniture.
• Set up the room before children arrive so you have clear lines of sight and no clutter.
• Watch more closely at playgrounds, bathrooms, arrival and departure, field trips, and special events.

• Absence of supervision means a child was left completely alone with no one watching. Lack of supervision means someone was watching, but it was not enough or did not prevent an incident.
• Either one can lead to a Type A violation, notice to parents, and a public licensing report.
• Serious violations such as absence of supervision bring an immediate $500 civil penalty.✓ checked
• Quiz answers: staff on a phone while one child hurt another = lack; child left alone on the playground for 2 minutes = absence; two preschoolers in the classroom bathroom out of the teacher's sight = lack; unlocked gate and children found by a passerby = absence; child who left a family child care home and was found in a neighbor's yard = absence.

• Technical Support Program analysts are former Licensing Program Analysts and can train you and your staff on topics like personal rights, record keeping, staff qualifications, and family child care operations. Contact the TSP analyst in your region or ask your LPA for a referral.
• Tell your LPA or regional office about changes to your phone, email, location, operation, or physical plant. Join the distribution list to get PINs by email.
• Observances mentioned: National Care for Kids Day (September 20), Baby Safety Month (September), National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), and National Preparedness Month (September), ending on National Preparedness Day (September 30).

The presenter said the infrastructure grants are not open now; they are still running for existing grantees. Quality Counts California (QCC) grants always have openings; see the Quality Counts California website or email the presenter.

Yes. The presenter said QCC is meant for everybody, including family child care homes, even just to attend free webinars and trainings.

ELOP grants are through the California Department of Education, not CDSS. The presenter offered to connect people with someone there.

Not that the presenter knows of. Extra disaster funding went to current grantees, and no new application has opened. If one does, it will be announced.

No. Each county is different. On the QCC website, choose early educators and enter your zip code to find your county lead.

It depends on the county. Some grants are combined at the county level and paid as stipends through QCC. Get involved with your local QCC to learn how it works there.

Hard copies come from your local health department immunization program. A downloadable blue card is also on the Shots for School website, and you can fill it in and save it electronically. The moderator added that the card does not have to be blue.

The presenter said they do not need to report each year; it is child care centers and preschools with 2- to 5-year-olds.

Never. Only aides with 6 ECE units (or 2 units while working toward 6) may be alone, and only to take children to the bathroom or to supervise up to 24 napping children. Enough fully qualified staff must always be on site to step in.

Parks are fine, but with 100% supervision at all times, like a field trip. In any area without a fence, including an unfenced front yard, children can never be left alone.

Ideally no. Once a child is asleep they have the right to rest. If the child starts to stir and needs the bathroom, help them then. Presenters suggested taking children to the bathroom right before nap and using pull-ups if potty training.

If the faucets were identified on the facility sketch, they must be tested every 5 years, regardless of food use. Even washing fruit can count as food use. Contact your regional office; it is rare for a center to have no faucets that need testing. Funds are still available; check the PIN and the June webinar slides on WIN grants.

There is no set age. For preschool it is a best practice, not a specific requirement. School-age children have the right to use the bathroom with the door closed, but it should be one child at a time, not a group.

Only for overnight care. During normal business hours the provider must go into the room and physically observe the sleeping child. The check applies to ages 0 to 24 months. The presenter also said records are kept for 3 years (not confirmed in the regulation checked).

There is no set age. It is a personal right that children are not left in soiled diapers or underwear, so providers must make sure children are cleaned after using the restroom.