Large Family Child Care Home Requirements: Training, Staffing, and Safety

To run a large family child care home in California, you need at least one year of qualifying child care experience, 16 hours of health and safety training, an assistant provider on-site during operating hours, a home that meets state fire and safety standards, cleared background checks for every adult living in the home, and an approved application filed with the California Department of Social Services. The license lets you care for up to 12 children in your residence, or up to 14 if a specific age mix is met.

Experience You Need Before You Apply

California will not issue the license unless you have at least one year of experience as a licensed small family child care home operator or as an administrator of a licensed child care center.¹ The Department director can waive the requirement if you can show other qualifying experience, but the waiver is discretionary.² You must be at least 18 to hold the license, and you carry full legal responsibility for the facility.

Health and Safety Training

Every provider and staff member must complete 16 hours of health and safety training before working with children. The curriculum covers pediatric CPR and first aid, infectious disease prevention, immunization requirements, childhood injury prevention, safe sleep practices, caring for children with special needs, child abuse identification and reporting, lead poisoning prevention, and nutrition. Starting January 1, 2026, the pediatric first aid and CPR portion must also include recognizing and treating anaphylaxis, including how to use epinephrine auto-injectors.

Pediatric CPR and first aid certification is typically valid for two years, so you need to stay current through recertification.³ An expired CPR card during an inspection creates real problems.

Capacity and Staffing

A large family child care home must have at least one assistant on-site during operating hours. The standard maximum is 12 children, including no more than four infants. Children under 10 who live in your home, and the assistant’s children under 10, both count toward the cap.⁴ A licensee with two young children already starts with two slots filled.

You can expand to 14 children, but only if all four of these conditions are met:

At least one child is enrolled in kindergarten or elementary school, and a second child is at least six years old.
No more than three infants are present whenever more than 12 children are in care.
You notify parents that the home may have up to 13 or 14 children at one time.
If the home is rented or leased, the property owner provides written consent.

These come from Health and Safety Code Section 1597.465.⁵ If no assistant is present at any point during operating hours, you must drop down to small family child care home capacity rules, which max out at six to eight children depending on age group.⁴

Assistant Provider Rules

Assistants can be as young as 14, but anyone between 14 and 17 must remain under your direct supervision at all times.⁴ An assistant who is 18 or older can supervise children independently when needed. Every assistant, regardless of age, must clear the same background check process required of the licensee and other household adults.

Home Safety Standards

Fire and Life Safety

The home must comply with fire and life safety standards adopted by the State Fire Marshal under Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations. At a minimum, that means fire extinguishers and smoke detectors meeting State Fire Marshal specifications, a required number of exits, carbon monoxide detectors, and child care only on approved floors of the home.⁶ Local governments cannot pile on additional fire or building rules beyond what the State Fire Marshal requires, unless the same rules already apply to every residence in that zoning designation.

Outdoor Play Areas and Pools

Outdoor play areas must be enclosed by fencing. Swimming pools, hot tubs, fish ponds, and similar bodies of water require a separate enclosure at least 60 inches high, with self-closing gates and self-latching mechanisms placed no lower than 60 inches above the ground, and no gaps larger than four inches in diameter. The outside surface of the fence must be free of footholds or handholds a young child could climb. Portable wading pools low enough for children to step out of unassisted are exempt from fencing but must be emptied after each use. Gate latches must be out of children’s reach.

Safe Sleep for Infants

Infants must sleep in approved products such as cribs, bassinets, play yards, or bedside sleepers that meet current federal safety standards.⁷ The sleep surface should contain nothing but a fitted sheet. Pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, and weighted swaddles are prohibited. Babies must be placed on their backs to sleep. If an infant falls asleep in a swing, bouncer, or car seat, staff must move them to an approved sleep surface. Products angled more than 10 degrees are never safe for infant sleep.

Background Checks for Everyone in the Home

Every adult who lives in the home must undergo a criminal background check, even if they have no involvement in child care. That includes your adult children, roommates, and anyone renting space on the property such as a guesthouse or in-law unit. Each person signs a Criminal Record Statement (form LIC 508) and gets fingerprinted to start the process.

Federal law under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act requires comprehensive screening that goes beyond a simple criminal history search. The check must include the FBI’s fingerprint database, the National Sex Offender Registry, and state sex offender and child abuse registries in the person’s current state and every state where they lived during the previous five years.⁸ Programs should complete background checks within 45 days. Staff may begin working with children after qualifying results come back from either the FBI or in-state fingerprint check, but only under supervision of someone whose full check is already complete. Comprehensive checks must be renewed at least every five years.

Documents and Immunizations

Beyond the application form itself, the key documents are:

Criminal Record Statement (LIC 508) for every adult living in the home.
Emergency Disaster Plan (LIC 610A), covering fires, earthquakes, floods, and other emergencies, including evacuation routes, utility shut-off locations, and the location of first aid supplies and emergency provisions. A copy must be posted near a telephone, and another submitted with the application.⁹
Immunization records. You and all staff must be immunized against influenza, pertussis, and measles. Influenza vaccination must be received between August 1 and December 1 each year.¹⁰
Tuberculosis screening. Staff must complete a TB risk assessment, and if risk factors are identified, a TB test and examination must follow.

Most forms are available through the California Department of Social Services website. Organized copies save headaches during the pre-licensing inspection, when the analyst verifies that documentation is current and on file.

Application Steps and Fees

Before submitting an application, every prospective licensee must attend a state-mandated orientation covering operational laws, recordkeeping, and regulatory requirements. The orientation fee for family child care homes is $25 per person and is non-refundable.¹¹ A separate application fee is due with the completed packet. The amount is set on the Department’s annual fee schedule, which is updated periodically.

Once the application is processed, a licensing analyst schedules a pre-licensing inspection. The analyst walks through every area of the home accessible to children, checking physical safety measures, required documentation, fire safety equipment, and outdoor fencing and barriers. If everything passes, the state issues the license. You must then display it in a prominent location within the home.¹

You Do Not Need a City Zoning Permit

Under SB 234, cities and counties cannot require a zoning permit, conditional use permit, home occupation permit, business license, or similar land-use approval to operate a large or small family child care home. This applies in both incorporated and unincorporated areas, regardless of what the local government calls its permitting process. If you are in a residential zone, you can operate without seeking special municipal authorization.

Federal Rules That Also Apply

Children with Disabilities

The Americans with Disabilities Act applies to family child care homes. You cannot refuse to enroll a child based on a disability, and you must make reasonable changes to your policies and practices to include children with disabilities unless doing so would fundamentally alter the program.¹² The call requires an individualized assessment, not assumptions about the disability. If you provide personal care like diapering for younger children, you must offer the same service to older children who need it because of a disability. You cannot charge extra fees for ADA-required accommodations.

Lead-Safe Renovation

Homes built before 1978 that serve children under six fall under the EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule. Any renovation, repair, or painting work that could disturb lead-based paint must be performed by a lead-safe certified firm using certified renovators.¹³ If you handle your own maintenance, you must become a certified firm. If you hire contractors, ask to see their certification before any work begins.

1
California Department of Social Services. FCCH Licensing Information
2
Justia Law. California Health and Safety Code Chapter 3.6 – Family Day Care Homes
3
American Heart Association. Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED Training
4
California Department of Social Services. Family Child Care Homes Manual
5
California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code HSC 1597.465
6
California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 1597.46
7
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Safe Sleep – Cribs and Infant Products
8
Child Care Technical Assistance Network. 1.2.0.2 Background Screening
9
California Department of Social Services. Emergency Disaster Plan for Family Child Care Homes
10
California Legislative Information. SB 792 Senate Bill – Amended
11
California Department of Social Services. Licensing Fees
12
ADA.gov. Commonly Asked Questions about Child Care Centers and the Americans with Disabilities Act
13
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Renovation, Repair and Painting Program – Operators of Child Care Facilities