Routine inspection·April 2, 2025

On April 2, 2025, Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) Annelise Villa met Licensee Dedra Pitts who guided analyst on a tour of the facility for the random annual inspection. Upon arrival, LPA observed 3 preschool age children and 2 infants in care with Licensee caring for them. Family members living in the home are Licensees, and 1 adult child. Hours of operations are 24 hours a day, Monday through Sunday. Incidental Medical Services (IMS) policy was discussed. No children in the daycare with IMS. Physical Plant: Physical This is a one story home with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, dining area, living room, family room, front/back yard and garage. The attached garage was observed to be locked during the time of this inspection. The garage is used for storage only and is garage is off limits to children. Main care is provided in the living room and family room. Children have access to the living room, family room, bedroom #1, bathroom #1, and back yard. The off-limits include all other areas of the home including bedrooms 2-3, bathroom #2, garage, and front yard. The home was inspected inside and out for safety, clean and orderly, comfort, cleanliness, telephone service, heating and ventilation, inaccessibility to poisons, detergents/cleaning compounds, and medicines. Hazardous items (sharp knives are located in a latched upper kitchen cabinet and cleaning detergents/compounds are located underneath the kitchen sink which has an operable safety latch, medications are stored in an off-limits area and are inaccessible to children in care). Bathroom: Bathroom #1 located on the left side of the hallway. Bathroom #1 is a full bathroom with a shower/tub combination. The toilet and sink are in operable condition. LPA did not observe any hazardous material in the bathroom. LPA reminded applicant the children's bathroom must be free of accessible shampoos, mouthwash, medication, perfumes, razor, air freshener, nail polish and polish remover. Continued on LIC 809-C Safe and age-appropriate toys, play equipment and materials were observed. LPA tested the smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector located in the living room and observed both to be in operable condition. Fire extinguisher (2A10BC ) was found to be in operable condition located in the kitchen. Electrical outlets were inaccessible. No recalled and or prohibited toys or play equipment were observed on the premises. There is a designated area for ill children as necessary. Kitchen: The home has a clean and fully stocked clean refrigerator/freezer. The kitchen was observed to be clean and sanitary. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks are provided. Licensee was reminded all food items brought from the children’s home shall be properly stored, labeled, and dated. Licensee is a participant in a food program. No hazards were observed in the kitchen or surrounding area. Sharp items are inaccessible to children in care. Outdoor: Children use the back yard for outdoor play. The front yard is off limits to children in care. Back yard is completely fenced all the way around. Children access the back yard through a door in the kitchen and remains locked when children are not outside. The accessible play areas are separated by a 5 foot metal fence. LPA observed safe and age-appropriate toys. LPA observed the back yard to be free of garden tools, poisonous plants, thorn trees cactus, or lawn mower inaccessible to children. Licensee stated children do not play outside without an adult present outside. Pools/Spas/Bodies of Water: There is a swimming pool and spa combination in the backyard. There is a 5 foot metal fence separating the accessible areas of the children’s play area from the pool area. The bodies of water are completely enclosed by a 5 ft mesh fence. The fence runs all the way down to the concrete on which it sits, leaving minimal room between the bottom of the fence and the concrete. The pool gate was observed to have a locking mechanism. The gate has a lock and key mechanism and it is located within 6 inches from the top of the gate. The lever to open the gate is located at the top of the gate. The pool gate opens away from the body of water. All items rendering the fence climbable are moved away from the fence. The mesh fencing is sturdy and capable of withstanding the impact of children's toys including bicycles. Licensee stated daycare children do not use the pool and do not have access to the pool. Windows the have a view of the pool do not permit access to the body of water. Continued on LIC 809-C LPA discussed the following AB 2866 pool safety regulations with Licensee: 1. An access gate that opens away from the pool and is self-closing with a self-latching, lockable device that is no lower than 60 inches above the ground. 2. The enclosure must be at least 60 inches tall and the vertical clearance from the bottom of the enclosure to the ground must be no more than 2 inches. 3. No gaps in the enclosure that could allow for a sphere of 4 inches or larger to pass through. 4. The outside surface must be free of any physical characteristics that could be used as a handhold or foothold for a child to climb over. 5. If mesh fencing is used and it does not meet the requirements above, the licensee must provide documentation that establishes the mesh fencing is compliant with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International Standard F2286. 6. If mesh fencing is used and it does not meet the requirements above, the licensee must provide documentation that establishes the mesh fencing is compliant with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International Standard F2286. Licensee has all of the below safety equipment visible from the pool and available for immediate use: 1. A life ring with a diameter of at least 17 inches with a United States Coast Guard approval label. 2. A rescue pole with a body hook that is at least 12 feet long but must be long enough to effectively rescue a Child at the facility’s pool. It must be a fixed length – and not an adjustable pole. Additional guidance will be forthcoming in written directives to specify this requirement so that the pole must be long enough for a rescue at the facility’s pool. A wider pool may require a longer rescue pole. 3.The licensee performs a daily inspection of all above safety features before children arrive for the day. A log of the daily inspections must be maintained by the licensee and provided to the Department upon request. Continued on LIC 809-C Licensee advised of the requirement to report Unusual Incidents. Licensee informed to utilize the Unusual Incident Report/Injury Report LIC624B when submitting the report to the department (email address on the website: www.unusualincidentreport@dss.ca.gov . A report shall be made to the department by telephone or fax during the department's normal business hours before the close of the next working day following the occurrence during the operation of family day care home. In addition, a written report shall be submitted to the department within seven days following the occurrence of any events specified above. Advisory/Other: First Aid kit was observed with supplies readily available in the living room. Licensee’s First Aid/CPR expired on 1/10/2025. Licensee’s Mandated Reporter training expires on 3/7/2026. LPA reminded licensee mandated reporter training and First Aid/CPR must be completed every 2 years. Licensee was advised online First Aid/CPR courses cannot be accepted and all in person courses must be EMSA approved. First aid kit is located in the hallway. For more information about First Aid/CPR courses, please visit, https://emsa.ca.gov/childcare_provider/ . Per Licensee there are no pets in the home. Additionally, Licensee stated there is no smoking of any kind in the home. Last fire/disaster drill was conducted on 2/25/2025. Licensee’s annual fees are current. LPA observed all required facility postings on premises. Licensee had the following required posted documents: Notice of Parent's Rights Poster (PUB 394), Facility License (LIC 203) and Emergency Disaster Plan (LIC 610A), and Fire/Disaster Log. Documents Provided and or Discussed: Earthquake Preparedness Checklist (LIC 9148), Safe Sleep PIN 20-24-CCP and Individual Sleeping Plan (LIC9227). Any duly authorized officer, employee, or agent of the Department shall, upon presentation of proper identification, shall inspect the facility. The Licensee shall permit the Department to inspect the family childcare home, and to privately interview children or staff, to determine compliance with or to prevent violations of family childcare laws or regulations, also enter and inspect any place providing personal care, supervision and services at any time, with or without advance notice, to secure compliance with, or to prevent a violation. Continued on LIC 809-C Licensee advised of the requirement to report Unusual Incidents. Licensee informed to utilize the Unusual Incident Report/Injury Report LIC624B when submitting the report to the department (email address on the website: www.unusualincidentreport@dss.ca.gov . A report shall be made to the department by telephone or fax during the department's normal business hours before the close of the next working day following the occurrence during the operation of family day care home. In addition, a written report shall be submitted to the department within seven days following the occurrence of any events specified above. Licensee was reminded that all adults 18 and over living or working in the home, including employees and volunteers, must obtain a criminal record clearance or exemption, or transfer their existing clearance or exemption, prior to initial presence in a licensed Family Child Care Home. A civil penalty of $100.00 minimum/day up to $500.00 maximum per day/per person will be assessed if this regulation is violated. Prior to making alterations or additions to a family childcare home or grounds, the Licensee shall notify the Department of the proposed changed, including, but not limited to, the following: Conversion of a garage (either attached or detached) into a "child care" room; Room additions to the family child care home. Any change from an area of the family childcare home previously identified as "off limits" to an area where care and supervision will be provided to children in care. Licensee shall provide the Department with a copy of an inspection report when an inspection is required by the local building inspector as a result of the alteration, addition or construction. LPA discussed the safe sleep regulations with licensee and discussed the Child Care Licensing Safe Sleep. More information on Infant Safe Sleep procedures can be found online on the CDSS web page at https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/child-care-licensing/public-information-and-resources/safe-sleep as an additional resource. LPAs also informed licensee of the importance of checking for recalled infant devices on the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website at https://www.cpsc.gov/ and recommended they register all infant devices with the CPSC to be notified of any recalls on their purchased equipment. Continued on LIC 809-C Incidental Medical Services (IMS) policy was discussed. For IMS information see PIN 22-02CCP. When any IMS is provided, a Plan for Providing IMS must be submitted to the Department. The following information regarding ADA was provided: US Department of Justice (USDOJ) toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (voice)/ (800) 514-0383 (TTY) and link to publication: Commonly Asked Questions about Child Care Centers and the ADA, available at: https://www.ada.gov/resources/child-care-centers/ . The Department will convey all new information through PINs. Please sign up to be notified here and visit the Department’s website for the latest PINs. Licensee was informed of the MyChildCarePlan.org website; a consumer education website that helps families obtain child care by connecting them to child care providers and Resource and Referral Agencies (R&Rs) throughout California. During the exit interview, Licensee, confirmed that there are no Registered Sex Offenders living in the facility and LPAs completed the RSO profile in FAS. To improve the quality and value of the new inspection process, a survey will be sent to the email address provided. Please complete the survey and share your inspection experience. If you have any questions regarding the process or tools, please send them by email to inspectionprocess@dss.ca.gov . For additional information regarding the inspection and its tools and methods, please visit the Program website at www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/community-care-licensing/process . Exit interview conducted, and report was reviewed with the licensee. A notice of site visit was given and must remain posted for 30 days. No citation was given today as a result of this inspection.