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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Unannounced Visit Today (California)
proudmommyofthree 09:50 PM 01-08-2013
So i had my unannounced visit today, but i was completely caught offguard since i just had my visit this past august!! I have been licensed for 4 years and have had 3 inspections already not including my first announced one. I asked her why and she said my last visit was an upgrade visit and this was my annual visit. Yet i have a providerfreiend who has had her license 3years and not one visit!!! I did get a citation for my firedrill not updated but that was it. So no biggie nbut still made me nervous. im curious to know if other californian providers have had frequent visits? Thx
blandino 05:23 AM 01-09-2013
I know the licensing rules in CA are extremely strict (from what I gather on this board), so I was surprised that those were frequent for you all. How often are you supposed to have licensing visits ? We have them 3x a year. Just curious...
TBird 06:46 AM 01-09-2013
I'm not from California but I got some close together visits last year as well. It seemed like none of my provider friends in the area were getting any visits. I was really about to get a complex & ask the lady what her problem was (I wasn't getting any citations) but the other day my friend got a visit and I didn't.
My mom's theory is that they do the easy, smaller groups first since they are a quick in & out. I'm like WHATEVER...I just saw you so go visit the lady in town who got an abuse complaint the other week!!!
My mom's theory is that they do the easy, smaller groups first since they are a quick in & out. I'm like WHATEVER...I just saw you so go visit the lady in town who got an abuse complaint the other week!!!
sharlan 07:15 AM 01-09-2013
I was told that the visits are random, but you will be inspected at least once in a 5 yr period. Maybe that changed.
Crystal 07:35 AM 01-09-2013
FCC are required to have an unnanounced visit every five years (although I went over 6 years without a visit) and 10% of each counties' programs are randomly selected (computer generated) to be inspected each year, so you must have been in that 10% more than once!!! If you have a major violation or a complaint, you may be visited more frequently.
mom2many 07:54 AM 01-09-2013
Im in CA and have been licensed for 26 years. I have a small family daycare. My unannounced visits were consistently every 3 years. Sometimes it was within a few days of my anniversary date and sometimes not till 4 months later.
However then in August 2009, I received an unannounced visit. Everything was 100% in compliance. Five months later, in January 2010, I had another unannounced visit. It was a different women this time. She said it was just my usual triannual visit and I wondered if she was just checking up on the other persons job, but she offered no explanation as to why I had 2 inspections so close together for the same thing. It would have made more sense if I had been in non compliance for something and they were just checking up, but that wasn't the case.
However then in August 2009, I received an unannounced visit. Everything was 100% in compliance. Five months later, in January 2010, I had another unannounced visit. It was a different women this time. She said it was just my usual triannual visit and I wondered if she was just checking up on the other persons job, but she offered no explanation as to why I had 2 inspections so close together for the same thing. It would have made more sense if I had been in non compliance for something and they were just checking up, but that wasn't the case.
MarinaVanessa 01:59 PM 01-10-2013
I'm in CA and like Crystal says ... every 5 years is the minimum. I haven't had one in 3 years.
I have however heard that it's like a lottery and you never really know when your name will be picked. I know providers that go 5 years or more without one and then there's one that I know that had one in an August and had her name called up again in November then again the next March ... then she didn't have one again for 2 years. You literally never know when you'll be visited.
If you get a visit and you aren't in compliance for something then you are definitely on their "radar" and will be visited more frequently for a while just to make sure that you're in compliance but from what my annalist told me it's the system ... not the people that decides when your daycare comes up (when you are in compliance).
I have however heard that it's like a lottery and you never really know when your name will be picked. I know providers that go 5 years or more without one and then there's one that I know that had one in an August and had her name called up again in November then again the next March ... then she didn't have one again for 2 years. You literally never know when you'll be visited.
If you get a visit and you aren't in compliance for something then you are definitely on their "radar" and will be visited more frequently for a while just to make sure that you're in compliance but from what my annalist told me it's the system ... not the people that decides when your daycare comes up (when you are in compliance).
familyschoolcare 10:42 AM 01-11-2013
I am in California been licensed for 20 months. When I took the pre licensing class they said what others have been saying. Minimum of once every 5 years and each worker gets told which places to randomly check each month they get an email that comes from sacermento. Certain complaints require a unannounced visit. Once you are written up for doing something wrong then they will stop by an check on you everytime they are in the neighborhood.
sharlan 10:50 AM 01-11-2013
Originally Posted by familyschoolcare:
I am in California been licensed for 20 months. When I took the pre licensing class they said what others have been saying. Minimum of once every 5 years and each worker gets told which places to randomly check each month they get an email that comes from sacermento. Certain complaints require a unannounced visit. Once you are written up for doing something wrong then they will stop by an check on you everytime they are in the neighborhood.
Not necessarily true. I was written up last summer for my tomato plants. My neighbor across the street upped his license and the analyst didn't stop by when he was there.I am in California been licensed for 20 months. When I took the pre licensing class they said what others have been saying. Minimum of once every 5 years and each worker gets told which places to randomly check each month they get an email that comes from sacermento. Certain complaints require a unannounced visit. Once you are written up for doing something wrong then they will stop by an check on you everytime they are in the neighborhood.
proudmommyofthree 12:09 PM 01-11-2013
Thanks you guys for your input, i think it's just what their computer spits out. My first unannounced visit i got written up for incomplete roster ( i had forgotten to write a child's address, i know dumb) that was it'. My second one was for my upgrade (also unannounced) and no citations, 100% compliance. This last one igot citedbc i didnt write down my last fire drill 
so nothing big, i was just curious to see if other california providers had gotten frequent visits. Also did you know if your not home shen thr,e visit they leave their card!!! Or tbey call and keave a message. 2 other providers got a visit ghe same day i did in my area but were nothone, one got a call the other a business card left on tbier door, interesting
so nothing big, i was just curious to see if other california providers had gotten frequent visits. Also did you know if your not home shen thr,e visit they leave their card!!! Or tbey call and keave a message. 2 other providers got a visit ghe same day i did in my area but were nothone, one got a call the other a business card left on tbier door, interesting
proudmommyofthree 12:13 PM 01-11-2013
Sorry for so many typos. Im writting from my nook and i think my mind is faster than what i type lol
MarinaVanessa 02:31 PM 01-11-2013
Originally Posted by sharlan:
Not necessarily true. I was written up last summer for my tomato plants. My neighbor across the street upped his license and the analyst didn't stop by when he was there.
Aren't the visits when you upgrade your license (like from a small FCC to a large FCC) also by appointment? As in you let them know that you want to apply for a larger license and they'll give you a date for an inspection again Maybe it only works that way when you move???Not necessarily true. I was written up last summer for my tomato plants. My neighbor across the street upped his license and the analyst didn't stop by when he was there.
And you were written up for tomato plants??? Who knew
. It's a good thing we planted ours on the outside of our fence (on the street side).
familyschoolcare 04:08 PM 01-11-2013
Originally Posted by sharlan:
Not necessarily true. I was written up last summer for my tomato plants. My neighbor across the street upped his license and the analyst didn't stop by when he was there.
The regulation thar says they will do that is vage of course says if they have time.Not necessarily true. I was written up last summer for my tomato plants. My neighbor across the street upped his license and the analyst didn't stop by when he was there.
CrackerJacks 09:47 PM 01-11-2013
Originally Posted by sharlan:
Not necessarily true. I was written up last summer for my tomato plants. My neighbor across the street upped his license and the analyst didn't stop by when he was there.
Not necessarily true. I was written up last summer for my tomato plants. My neighbor across the street upped his license and the analyst didn't stop by when he was there.
I don't understand why you were written up for tomato plants?
CrackerJacks 09:59 PM 01-11-2013
I'm in CA and in my 6th year of business. I've had 4 visits from Licensing.
1. Scheduled first visit for obtaining license
2. Unannounced visit when increasing capacity from small to large
3. Unannounced visit when wanting to add garage as additional childcare space
4. Unannounced annual visit
At both visits #3 and #4 the analyst told me that they had previously tried visiting and said "no one was home". There was no notice or postcard that they had stopped by. I had asked when they had stopped by because I am generally always open. It turns out I was open and home when they stopped by. However, I have a separate entrance and the analyst was not reading the plan properly and was going to my front door and not my childcare door.
1. Scheduled first visit for obtaining license
2. Unannounced visit when increasing capacity from small to large
3. Unannounced visit when wanting to add garage as additional childcare space
4. Unannounced annual visit
At both visits #3 and #4 the analyst told me that they had previously tried visiting and said "no one was home". There was no notice or postcard that they had stopped by. I had asked when they had stopped by because I am generally always open. It turns out I was open and home when they stopped by. However, I have a separate entrance and the analyst was not reading the plan properly and was going to my front door and not my childcare door.