California Home Daycare Training Requirements

The Training You Must Complete Before Applying

California requires prospective family child care home providers to complete all training credentials before submitting the LIC 279 application packet. Applying without them means an incomplete packet and administrative delays. Here's what CDSS expects.

16 Hours of EMSA-Approved Health and Safety Training

The Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) certifies specific training programs that meet California's preventive health and safety standards. You need to complete 16 hours covering topics like infectious disease prevention, safe sleep practices, nutrition, child abuse recognition, and emergency preparedness.

The critical detail: the training provider must be EMSA-approved and must issue physical certificate cards with an official EMSA validation sticker. Blended or fully online courses that don't include a hands-on skills component are rejected by CCLD. Before enrolling in any health and safety course, confirm that it's on the EMSA-approved provider list and that the certificate will include the validation sticker.

Local Resource and Referral (R&R) agencies in many counties offer subsidized or free EMSA training sessions. Check with your county R&R first — you may save $50 to $150 compared to private training companies.

Pediatric CPR and First Aid Certification

Separately from the EMSA health and safety hours, you need a current Pediatric CPR and First Aid certification from a recognized training organization (American Heart Association, American Red Cross, or equivalent). This certification must be renewed every two years throughout the life of your license.

The CPR/First Aid course must include hands-on practice with mannequins — fully online certifications are not accepted. Courses typically cost $40 to $80 and take four to eight hours.

Mandated Reporter Training

Under Assembly Bill 1207, all licensed child care providers in California are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse or neglect. You must complete the state's official online Mandated Reporter Training through the California Office of Child Abuse Prevention portal at mandatedreporterca.com.

This training must be renewed every two years (biennially). It's free, takes approximately two hours, and generates a certificate upon completion. Your LPA will verify that this certification is current during inspections, so keep the certificate in your personnel file. If you have an assistant, they must complete it too.

Tuberculosis (TB) Clearance

Every adult living in the home, working as an assistant, or having regular contact with children during operating hours must have a current tuberculosis clearance. This means a TB skin test (Mantoux) or blood test (IGRA) performed within the past 12 months showing a negative result.

If a test comes back positive, the individual needs a follow-up chest X-ray and medical clearance documenting that they don't have active TB. The clearance must be on file before that person is present during operating hours.

TB clearances are widely available at county health departments (often free or low-cost), urgent care clinics, and primary care offices. Budget $20 to $60 per person at private clinics.

SB 792 Immunization Requirements

Under Senate Bill 792, all adults who work or volunteer in licensed child care facilities must provide documentation of immunization or immunity to:

• Pertussis (Tdap vaccine)
• Measles (MMR vaccine)
• Influenza (annual flu shot, or signed declination)

These records must be maintained in your personnel file and available for inspection. The requirement applies to the provider, any assistant, and regular volunteers.

Ongoing Training After Licensing

Once licensed, California requires a minimum of 12 hours of professional development training annually. These hours can cover any relevant early childhood education topic — curriculum development, behavior management, cultural competency, nutrition, special needs accommodations.

County R&R agencies often provide free or low-cost training sessions that count toward these hours. Keep a running log with dates, topics, and certificates — your LPA may ask to see it during inspections.

The Training Sequence That Saves Time

Complete training in this order to avoid bottlenecks:

1. EMSA health and safety (16 hours) — schedule this first since course availability varies by region
2. CPR/First Aid — often available as a weekend class
3. Mandated Reporter Training — do this online in an evening; it's the quickest credential
4. TB clearance — schedule for all household adults simultaneously; results take 48-72 hours for skin tests

With all four completed, you can assemble a complete application packet. The California Home Daycare Licensing Guide includes a training tracker and links to the specific approval lists so you don't waste money on a course that won't be accepted.

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