Child Care Licensing Fees

Paying the one time application fee and annual fees is required of every California licensed child care provider. These fees serve important and positive functions. So in this video we'll review the most important things for you to know about child care licensing fees.

Licensing fees cover a small portion of the cost of guidance and other resources that providers need to protect the health and safety of children in their care.

All state licensed child care facilities must pay annual fees that enable the facility to remain licensed and in business. This also provides families the reassurance that the licensed facility they choose provide follows all regulations designed for the benefit of children's health and safety.

What must I know about my Licensing Fees?

There are two types of one time fees and yearly fees. There is a one time fee that covers the training that each family child care provider or center based licensee is required to take prior to beginning operations. The one time orientation fee for family child care home providers is $25. The one time orientation fee for child care center licensees is $50. There is also a one time application fee due at the time of application submittal. A small family Child Care Home's one time application fee is $73. A large family child care home's one time application fee is $140. A child care center's application fee will vary significantly depending on the plan capacity of the center. Every licensee must also pay a yearly licensing fee. A small family child care home's annual licensing fee is $73. A large family child care home's annual licensing fee is $140. A child care center's annual licensing fee is equal to one half of the application fee. It's important to be aware that unlike income taxes, there's no single date when everyone's licensing fees are due. Instead, your fee is due every year as long as you remain in business on the same date your license was made effective, which is the date that's on your license. Keep in mind that your fees cover the year ahead, not the prior year. 60 days before your annual fee is due, licensing will send you a bill that specifies the amount and due date you are required to pay your annual fee by the anniversary date of your license. You can pay your facility's fees 2 online or by check or money order. To pay online you need your PIN number. You can find it on the top right corner of your bill. If you don't have your most recent bill, you can call your local office or LPA to get your PIN number. The other information you'll need to include in your online payment is your facility number. If you choose to mail a check or money order, include your facility number on your check or money order to ensure the money gets deposited towards your facility. If you operate more than one child care facility, each one will owe its licensing fees on the date your license to operate that particular facility was activated. That date will probably be different for each facility, so it's important to keep track of each facility's particular due date. It is the Community Care Licensing Division's policy that fees cannot be waived and cannot be refunded once they have been paid unless there is documented proof of a department error or a genuine overpayment. If you can prove a legitimate claim, contact your regional office to begin the refund request process.

What happens if I'm late paying a fee?

If you miss making your payment on time, you're at risk of incurring a penalty. Or, depending how late the payment is, a penalty may have already been applied. If your payment is 15 days late, you'll get a letter from Community Care Licensing informing you that you're seriously behind on making a payment and a penalty fee has been assessed against your facility. This fee will be added to your next year's bill. Late payment penalties are equal to half of the amount of your annual fee. If it comes to the point that your license is revoked, you due to non payment of a fee, you must cease operations immediately. If you want to resume operations, you'll need to repeat the entire application process from the beginning.

What if I want to change the location of my facility? If you are planning on changing the location of your facility, you must prior to relocating, notify your licensing program analyst and submit a new application. You must also pay a separate application fee equal to 50% of your previous fee and be aware that the new license will have a new activity date which will also be the date on which your annual fee is based. This procedure applies to licensees of all facility types.

Can I change my capacity, for example, to expand from a small to a large family child care home?

You can change the number of children in your care. In order to do so, you must submit a new application to your local licensing office and pay a $25 non refundable fee. Please note that the due date of your existing annual fee will not change. Also, if you ever need to temporarily cease providing care, talk to your LPA about how to change the status of your license to inactive.

Let's review some key points about licensing fees. Operators of child care facilities pay a one time orientation fee as well as an annual fee the annual fee is due on the anniversary of the date your license was made effective. If you want to make changes to your license, for example the location or the capacity of your facility, you'll need to submit the appropriate forms and fees to Community Care Licensing. By remaining current with your fees, your license will be in good standing and you'll be able to continue providing child care for the families that depend on you. It benefits everyone for you to make sure your fees are paid each year before the date on which they're due.