Guides
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
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Articles & resources.
Information and practical guidance for California childcare providers.
31 resources · 2 coming soon
Guides
A Guide to Lawsuits for California Childcare Providers
General litigation guide for California childcare providers
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Cómo apelar citaciones de licencias de cuidado infantil en California
Guía en español para apelar citaciones de licencias de cuidado infantil
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CHECKLIST - child file
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CHECKLIST - employee file
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1st level Type A appeal
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1st level Type B appeal
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2nd level Type A appeal
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2nd level Type B appeal
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Bulletpoint appeal
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Declaration in support of appeal
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ltr to licensing re 1596.842 complaint
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Center waiver request re toddler commingling
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Waiver 1 - Waiver request
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Waiver 2 - Plan of operation ISO waiver request
Use template →Licensing
Center Application Timing
In the past, each CCLD Regional Office handled all center applications (new center, change of component, change of capacity, etc.) within their geographic jurisdiction. Several years ago, however, DSS created a…
Read article →Appeals
“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 […]
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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 […]
Read article →Appeals
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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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.
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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.
Read article →Waivers
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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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.
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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 […]
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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.
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Coming soon
A Guide to CCLD Administrative Actions (coming soon)
Licensure exempt programs (coming soon)
Using the templates
All 12 templates are listed above. Documents remain hosted by Google. Copying requires Google sign-in; original Word-version links are preserved but currently return an access error when signed out.
Original resource library ↗PreschoolAttorney.ai
Paia is a separate AI-powered childcare legal support service.
Learn about Paia →Resource library license & original disclaimer
DISCLAIMER: This site does not create an “attorney-client relationship” with any reader or user. Some of the materials available here contain “legal information,” but nothing on this site constitutes, or is intended to constitute, “legal advice” (“legal advice” is advice about a legal matter from an attorney to a specific individual, regarding their specific situation). Your individual facility/situation may require customization, so if you make use of any of the materials contained herein, you may need to modify or revise them to fit your needs (e.g., you may need to add or remove items from the checklists).
LICENSE: Any person is free to utilize, copy, share, transform, revise, and otherwise use in any non-commercial manner, the materials contained on this site. You may not use the materials contained here for commercial purposes, or apply legal terms or technological measure to restrict others from using these materials in any permitted way.
These articles provide general information, not legal advice for your particular situation. Original publication dates are shown where available; older articles and links may not reflect current law or agency practices. For advice or representation, contact me to discuss an engagement.