California Form LIC 9217 is a pre-licensing readiness checklist from the Department of Social Services (CDSS) that lets prospective family child care home providers self-verify every standard a licensing analyst will evaluate before the state issues a license.1California Department of Social Services. Forms and Publications I – L It is a study guide, not an application. Working through it carefully before you submit paperwork is the single best way to avoid a failed site visit.
Where to Download LIC 9217 and the Forms That Go With It
LIC 9217 lives on the CDSS alphabetical forms page under the I–L section. The current version is dated 5/22.1California Department of Social Services. Forms and Publications I – L The form is written for family child care homes specifically; child care centers use a different checklist (LIC 9279).
LIC 9217 by itself does not get submitted. It prepares you to complete and file the forms that do:
- LIC 279 and LIC 279A, the family child care home license application and instructions.
- LIC 9280, the pre-licensing entrance checklist your analyst uses on the site visit.
- LIC 9200, the pre-licensing facility evaluation checklist.
- LIC 501, the personnel record for each person working in or living at the home.
- LIC 610, the instructions for your emergency disaster plan.
Decide Small or Large Before You Start
LIC 9217 assumes you already know which license you’re seeking, because capacity dictates space, staffing, and fees.
A small family child care home is licensed for up to six to eight children depending on age mix. The maximum is four infants at once, or six children with no more than three infants. You can go up to seven or eight children if at least one child is six or older, another is in kindergarten or above, and no more than two infants are present. No assistant is required.
A large family child care home is licensed for up to 12 to 14 children. The maximum is 12 children with no more than four infants when an assistant is present, with room to add two school-age children under conditions similar to the small-home rules. You must have at least one assistant provider, who must be at least 14 years old, working alongside you whenever children are in care.
CCLD defines an infant as any child under 24 months and school-age as kindergarten or above. Pick wrong at this stage and you’ll rework most of the checklist.
What LIC 9217 Asks You to Verify
Indoor and Outdoor Space
Your licensing analyst will evaluate whether the rooms used for child care provide enough open floor area for your licensed capacity under the family child care chapter of Title 22. Floor space under tables and chairs used for children’s activities counts; space taken up by bulky furniture, storage shelves, or office equipment does not.
Outdoor play areas must provide at least 75 square feet per child and be kept free of hazards such as holes, broken glass, and dry grass that could pose a fire risk.2California Department of Social Services. Child Care Center General Licensing Requirements Outdoor equipment should be securely anchored. Climbing structures and swings need impact-absorbing material underneath, such as wood chips, rubber mats, or poured-in-place surfacing. Children must not be able to reach the street or neighboring property from the play area.
Pool, Spa, and Hazardous Materials
Any swimming pool, hot tub, spa, wading pool, or fish pond on the property must be surrounded by a fence at least five feet high or covered with a rigid pool cover. Gates must swing away from the pool, self-close, and have a self-latching device no more than six inches from the top of the gate.3Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 22, 101238 – Buildings and Grounds Cleaning supplies, medications, and any other toxic materials must be stored in a locked location children cannot reach. LIC 9217 asks you to confirm each of these conditions.
Fire Safety
Your home must have a working smoke detector and a fire extinguisher that meet State Fire Marshal standards.4California Department of Social Services. Family Child Care Homes Regulations Small home fire clearance requirements fall under Health and Safety Code Section 1597.45; large homes follow a parallel set under Section 1597.46. Your CCLD analyst requests the fire clearance through the Department, so you do not contact the fire marshal directly. Common failures include missing or expired extinguishers, smoke detectors with dead batteries, blocked exits, and space heaters or fireplaces without protective screens. Fix these before the site visit.
Background Checks and Staff Health
Every person working in or regularly living at the home must clear a background check. Fingerprints go through the California Department of Justice and the FBI. Employees and volunteers who are not residents may be checked through the TrustLine registry, which screens for disqualifying criminal convictions and substantiated child abuse reports.5California Department of Social Services. TrustLine
California law requires every employee and volunteer at a family child care home to be immunized against pertussis, measles, and influenza. The flu vaccine must be received between August 1 and December 1 each year.6California Legislative Information. SB 792 – Enrolled Someone still gathering records can work conditionally for up to 30 days after signing a written statement that they have been vaccinated. Exemptions exist for medical reasons with a physician’s statement, for documented current immunity, and for the flu vaccine by written declaration.
Each person with contact with children needs a tuberculosis risk assessment or TB test documented on Form LIC 503. The screening must be completed no more than one year before or seven days after employment or licensure.7California Department of Social Services. Personnel Record LIC 501 California does not require repeat TB exams after the initial screening unless risk factors appear.
At least one provider in the home must complete a minimum of 15 hours of health and safety training covering pediatric first aid, pediatric CPR, infectious disease prevention including immunization awareness, and childhood injury prevention.8California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 1596.866 This is separate from the immunization rule.
California’s mandated reporter training for child care providers is a two-hour general course on the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, followed by a four-hour course specific to child care settings. The general course is a prerequisite for the profession-specific module, so build both into your timeline.
Records and Emergency Plan
Each person working in the home needs a completed LIC 501 Personnel Record capturing personal information, employment history, education, professional qualifications, the date of the last physical exam, and the date of the last TB test.7California Department of Social Services. Personnel Record LIC 501 Pair each LIC 501 with a completed LIC 503 Health Screening Report. Every adult in the home must also sign a statement acknowledging their obligations as a mandated reporter under the Penal Code.
You need a written disaster and mass casualty plan kept readily available at the home, covering evacuation routes, shelter-in-place procedures, and parent communication. Drills must be conducted at least every six months and documented, with records kept for at least one year.9Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 22, 101174 – Disaster and Mass Casualty Plan CDSS provides instructions for writing the plan on Form LIC 610. Post a copy near your phone and keep a second copy for the licensing office.
Keep a current roster of every child along with individual emergency contact files. Each file should include the parent or guardian’s contact information, authorized pickup persons, medical conditions, allergies, and the child’s physician.
A Note on Zoning
You do not need special zoning approval. California law classifies operation of a small or large family child care home as residential use of property, permitted by right under all local ordinances including zoning.10California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 1597.45 A city, county, or homeowners’ association cannot single out family child care homes for restrictions that don’t apply equally to any other residence. General residential rules on things like building height, setbacks, and lot size still apply. If you rent, you need written consent from the property owner before applying.
After the Checklist: Fees, Application, and the Site Visit
Once LIC 9217 confirms you meet every standard, submit Form LIC 279 to your regional CCLD office and attend a licensing orientation, offered online and in person throughout California. Fees are non-refundable:
- Orientation fee (one-time): $25.
- Application fee (one-time): $73 for a small family child care home, $140 for a large.
- Capacity change: $25.
- Relocation: 50 percent of your original application fee, plus a new application.
If the application is incomplete, CCLD will send a Notification of Incomplete Application (Form LIC 184B) listing what’s missing. Respond promptly or your application can be closed.
After your application is accepted and background checks clear, CCLD schedules an announced site visit. The analyst walks through your home and yard, comparing the actual conditions against LIC 9217 and the entrance checklist (LIC 9280). Expect scrutiny of physical space, fire safety equipment, hazardous material storage, pool barriers, personnel files, the emergency plan, and child records. Minor deficiencies, like a missing extinguisher tag or an incomplete personnel file, may trigger a follow-up visit. Serious problems, such as a non-functional smoke detector or an uncleared background check, can result in denial. A clean visit ends with your license, and you can begin enrolling children immediately. Providers who worked through LIC 9217 carefully rarely get surprised at the walk-through, which is the point of the form.