Family Child Care Providers
Family child care providers are an important part of the child care system and valuable members or the child care workforce. CCALA is proud to champion and serve the needs of family child care providers.
A family child care home is a licensed child care site operated in the provider’s own home. They often offer care during both traditional and non-traditional or flexible hours such as early mornings, evenings, and even weekends. Family child care homes often serve multiple ages with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers together. Families may choose family child care for their children because it is a home-based setting with smaller adult-to-child ratios.
Family care providers take care of more than a third of young children in L.A. County. But more critically, family child care is also used the most by historically marginalized families. These include families with infants and toddlers, low-income families with parents working non-traditional hours, immigrant families, those living in rural communities, families of color and families with children who have disabilities or special needs.
Click below to learn more:
Become a Licensed Family Child Care Provider
Make a difference in lives of children and families from your home
You can become a licensed family child care provider, and start your own business out of your home
Families need the flexible, dependable care you can provide. Family Child Care home providers can help those who need this most.
Who needs a license to care for children?
People who care for children from more than one family and who are not relatives of the child in care need to be licensed.
People who care for their own children and also for children from just one other family do not need to be licensed. Click here to learn more about Family, Friend, and Neighbor or Licensed-Exempt Care.
For more information about licensing requirements, contact the Community Care Licensing Division of the California Department of Social Services, which oversees the licensing of all child care facilities in the state.
How do I get started?
To begin providing child care services in your home, you will need to get a Family Child Care Home license from the State of California. Please note, to get a Family Child Care license you must be 18 years of age or older.
Here is overview of the process with helpful links included. Specialists at your local Resource & Referral (R&R) can also walk you through the process.
- Attend an orientation (online, live-virtual, or in-person). There is a one-time fee of $25.
- Obtain a Tuberculosis (TB) test for any adult residing or having contact with children in the home.
- If you have received a normal test result within the last year, you may submit that result in lieu of obtaining a new test.
- Complete 16 hours of California’s Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) pediatric health & safety training (an approved list of training programs can be found here).
- You may submit an application with proof you have completed OR are enrolled in approved training courses.
- Compile and submit a child care license application, with ALL of the forms below. Please complete all forms in ink and with original signatures (not typed). Make a copy of all forms you submit to keep in your personal records.
- Application for a Family Child Care Home License, LIC 279 (English, Spanish). This form will be returned to you if you fail to submit a complete application.
- Current Children in Your Home, LIC 279B (English, Spanish)
- Orientation certificate copy (proof you attended a full orientation session)
- Criminal Record Statements, LIC 508, for all adults living in the home (English, Spanish)
- Emergency Care and Disaster Plan, LIC 610A (English, Spanish)
- Applicant’s signed Statement Acknowledging Requirement to Report Suspected Child Abuse, LIC 9108 (English, Spanish)
- Facility Sketch, LIC 999A (English, Spanish) of the home and outdoor space
- Proof of completion or enrollment in Preventive Health Practices trainings. May include a certificate of completion OR records that show you are enrolled in the mandatory courses
- Copies of TB clearances (not more than 1 year old) for all adults living in your home
- Applicants for Large Family Child Care Only: Proof of child care experience
- Submit the required fee with your application materials.
- Payment can be in the form of a check or money order made payable to the Department of Social Services. The application fee is nonrefundable.
- Obtain a criminal record clearance for any adult residing or having contact with children in the home.
- Information about how to submit your fingerprints will be mailed to you after your application is received and accepted. DO NOT schedule a LiveScan appointment before receiving a facility number from the licensing office.
- Provide your landlord (if you rent or lease) with at least 30 days’ written notice of your decision to open a Family Child Care Home using form LIC 9151 and obtain their permission to operate, as needed, using form LIC 9149.
- Providers are only required to complete form LIC 9149 if they plan to operate a small family child care home for 7 or 8 children or a large family child care home for 13 or 14 children.
- Pass a pre-licensing home inspection.
- If you meet all application requirements, a Program Analyst will reach out to schedule a visit to ensure that your home meets the basic health and safety standards.
- Once the state issues you a license, you may begin providing child care.
(Source: LA County Community Investment for Families Department — https://communityinvestment.lacity.gov/opening-family-child-care-home)
Want help getting started?
There is help you for you to launch and grow your home-based child care business!
The Child Care Initiative Project – CCIP (pronounced “sip”) is a comprehensive program designed to assist individuals in opening their own home-based child care facility.
CCIP offers step-by-step guidance throughout the entire application process. Providing support to new and current child care providers, CCIP offers valuable resources and guidance to help launch and grow child care businesses.
CCIP equips providers with the knowledge and skills to create a safe and nurturing child care environment with stimulating, age-appropriate activities for children.
This is the opportunity you have been waiting for!
Whether you already run a home-based child care program or you’re just curious, this program is here for you. This program provides the resources you need to succeed. Learn about health and safety, child development, licensing, and more!
What does CCIP offer?
- Guidance with your licensing journey;
- One-on-one and cohort support;
- Business and marketing strategies to help you grow your program;
- Child development training so you can provide the best care to families that need you;
- Health and safety trainings that align with licensing requirements;
- The opportunity to engage in activities for educational incentives.
CCIP also offers pre-inspection home visits to help identify and address any potential concerns before the official licensing inspection takes place.
Once licensed, providers can be added to the referral database for families searching for quality child care. Inclusion in the database allows providers to gain visibility and access potential clients, helping them establish and grow their businesses.
The Child Care Initiative Project (CCIP) is dedicated to guiding individuals through every step of the process from opening to operating a home-based child care facility. With CCIP’s comprehensive support, aspiring and current providers can feel confident in their ability to provide safe, nurturing, and high-quality child care services to the community.
To contact the nearest Child Care Initiative Project (CCIP) services… (then have map and zip code search to take them to R&R CCIP page)