Community Care Licensing Checklist | Circa Behavioral

If you run a care home in California or plan to open one, you need a license from the Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD). This checklist breaks down what to do, what to prepare, and how to stay in compliance.

1. Choose the Right License

California offers different license types based on the services you provide. You need to apply for the one that fits your facility.

Here are the most common types:

• Family Child Care Homes: Usually run out of a private home and care for a small number of children.

• Child Care Centers: Serve larger groups of children, often in commercial or dedicated spaces.

• Adult Day Programs: Help older adults or adults with disabilities during the day.

• Adult Residential Facilities (ARF): Offer 24-hour care for adults who need help with daily living.

• Home Care Organizations (HCO): Send caregivers to clients’ homes rather than operating a facility.

Each license comes with its own rules about staff qualifications, space requirements, safety, and recordkeeping. Review California’s Community Care Licensing website to confirm which license applies to you.

2. Attend the Required Orientation

Before you can apply for a license, you must complete a mandatory orientation. This is a legal step and can’t be skipped.

You can attend:

The orientation covers how licensing works, what documents you need, how inspections are done, and how to stay in compliance after you’re approved. After attending, you’ll receive a certificate, which must be included with your application.

3. Fill Out the Application

The application involves several forms. The ones you need depend on the license type.

Common forms include:

• LIC 200 or 200A: Basic application for adult or child care

• LIC 279: Used for family child care home license

• LIC 9163: Live Scan form for fingerprinting and background checks

• LIC 610: Disaster and emergency plan

• LIC 404 or 400: Financial information form showing you can fund the operation

You may also need:

Checklists are available on the state website to help you collect everything needed.

4. Prepare the Facility

Once you apply, CCLD will inspect your facility. They look for health and safety compliance and basic readiness.

You should have:

• Fire Safety Clearance: This comes from the local fire department and confirms your building meets fire codes.

• Emergency Plan: This must show how you’ll respond to fires, earthquakes, or medical emergencies.

• Safety Equipment: Smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, and locked storage for medication or hazardous items.

• Background Checks: All staff must be fingerprinted and cleared before working on-site.

• Childproofing or Safety Measures: For child care, you need gates, outlet covers, and secure play areas. For adult care, this might include slip-proof flooring and bathroom grab bars.

Prepare ahead of time so you’re not scrambling when the inspector arrives.

5. Keep Your Records in Order

Once licensed, you must keep certain documents on file. These help prove your facility is safe, staffed correctly, and following rules.

Examples include:

• Staff Records: Fingerprint clearance, training logs, and health clearances

• Client Records: Intake forms, emergency contacts, and service plans

• Facility Records: Fire drill logs, disaster plans, incident reports

• Training Logs: CPR and first aid certifications, mandated reporter training

Keep these in a binder or digital file system that’s easy to access. Inspectors can visit without notice, and missing records may result in citations.

6. Follow the Rules

Once you’re up and running, your job is to stay compliant. That means sticking to basic operating rules.

Key points include:

• Follow Capacity Limits: Don’t serve more clients than your license allows.

• Keep Exits Clear: Hallways, doors, and stairs must be free from blockages.

• Hold Emergency Drills: Fire drills and disaster drills should happen at least twice a year.

• Report Incidents: Any serious injury, abuse claim, or other major event must be reported to licensing within 24 hours.

• Hire Cleared Staff Only: Everyone working in your facility must be background-checked and trained.

You are responsible for making sure your staff understands these rules and follows them every day.

How Circa Behavioral Supports Community Care Licensing Compliance

If you run a care home in California or plan to open one, you need a license from the Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD). This checklist breaks down what to do, what to prepare, and how to stay in compliance.

First, choose the right license type. Options include family child care, adult residential, or home care. Each type has its own rules about staffing, space, and record-keeping.

Next, attend the required orientation, which you can do online or in person, and save the certificate you receive. Fill out and submit the correct forms. These include LIC 200, 279, 9163 for fingerprinting, 610 for disaster planning, and 404 for finances. You may also need health screening forms, personnel files, floor plans, and job descriptions.

Once you apply, get your facility ready for inspection. Obtain fire clearance and create emergency plans.

Install smoke detectors and first-aid kits. Ensure staff have background checks. Make sure safety measures are in place, like childproofing and grab bars.

Keep your records organized. Use a binder or digital folder for staff and client files, drill logs, incident reports, and training certificates. Follow the rules every day. Stay within capacity and keep exits clear.

Hold drills twice a year. Report serious incidents. Hire only cleared staff.

Circa Behavioral can help with many of these steps. They provide help with licensing requirements.

They also prepare your facility for inspections. They manage staff training and background checks. They keep compliance records so you can focus on providing care.