Child Care Licensing

Program Mission

The core mission of the Child Care Licensing Program is to ensure the health and safety of children in care. The Child Care Licensing Program strives to provide preventive, protective, and quality services to children in care by ensuring that licensed facilities meet established health and safety standards through monitoring facilities, providing technical assistance, and establishing partnerships with providers, parents, and the child care community.

The Child Care Licensing Program provides oversight and enforcement for licensed Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes through 21 Regional Offices located throughout California. All children and families, regardless of age, ethnicity, cultural background, gender, socioeconomic status, or ability, are afforded the same protections under law and regulations for child care facilities.

Questions regarding the Program can be directed to your local Regional Office, the Child Care Advocate Program (916-654-1541), or the Centralized Complaint and Information Bureau.

VIDEO: An Overview of Child Care Licensing

Have a Heart, Be a Star, Help Our Kids

The Department of Motor Vehicles offers a license plate that can help our kids. The fees collected from the Kids Specialty License Plates are deposited in the Child Health and Safety Fund and used for programs that keep California kids safe, which include child care safety, child abuse prevention, and efforts to prevent childhood injuries. You may choose a hand, heart, star or plus sign for the sequential plate.

California Liscense plate with the Help Kids handprint

The following options are available:

Contact Us

Coronavirus General Question Inbox: CCLCOVID-19INFO@dss.ca.gov

Community Care Licensing Division
Child Care Licensing Program

744 P Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 654-1541

Child Care Advocates - (916) 654-1541
ChildCareAdvocatesProgram@dss.ca.gov


PDF of Child Care Licensing Regional Offices