Michigan Daycare Medication Administration Rules

The Rule That Trips Up New Michigan Daycare Providers

Administering medication to a child in your care requires written parent permission on the state-prescribed Form CCL-1243. The form records the medication, dosage, route, and time constraints.

This catches new providers off guard because parents often hand over a bottle at drop-off and say "give this at noon if she needs it." Without the required written authorization completed first, do not administer the medication.

Form CCL-1243: The Required Authorization

Michigan's Medication Permission Form (CCL-1243) is the state form used to document written parent permission for medication administration in licensed child care homes.

The form requires:

• Child's name and the name of the medication — brand or generic
• Dosage amount and route — oral, topical, inhaled, or injected
• Time or conditions for administration — specific clock times or symptom-triggered ("administer if temperature reaches 101°F")
• Written parent permission and signature

Keep completed CCL-1243 forms in the child's individual file. Licensing consultants verify these during inspections and can cite you for administering medication without a current, properly completed form on file.

Storage and Handling Requirements

All medications — prescription and over-the-counter — must be stored in their original, labeled containers. Prescription labels must show the child's name, prescribing physician, and dosage instructions.

Medications must be stored in locked cabinets out of children's reach. Keep the original labeled container with the medication and confirm any refrigerated-medication or disposal instructions with CCLB.

Logging Each Administration

If you administer medication, keep an administration record with the child's name, the medication given, the dosage, the time administered, and your signature or initials. This log helps document that administration matched the written authorization.

Some providers keep a simple binder with one log sheet per child per medication cycle. Others use the current CCL-1243 tracking section, if provided. Either method works as long as the information is complete, legible, and retained in the child's file.

What Happens When a Parent Forgets the Form

Do not administer medication until the written CCL-1243 authorization is complete. Contact the parent and follow your written medication and illness procedures if it is missing.

This feels inconvenient in the moment, but a single medication-administration violation during a complaint investigation can escalate into a corrective action plan or special investigation.

Build Medication Administration Into Your Enrollment Process

The simplest way to avoid day-of conflicts is to include medication authorization as part of your enrollment paperwork. During the parent orientation, explain the CCL-1243 requirement, walk through the form, and have parents complete authorizations for any routine medications their child takes.

The Michigan Home Daycare Licensing Guide walks you through setting up your enrollment and record-keeping system so medication authorizations, emergency contacts, and allergy documentation are all captured before a child's first day.

See more Michigan guides →