California Code § 102417(m)(3): Medication Training Required

Medication Training Required means that family child care home providers must complete certified medication administration training before giving any medications to children in their care. This training covers proper medication handling, storage, dosing, documentation, and emergency response procedures. The requirement applies to all medications - prescription and over-the-counter - and isn't waived just because you have experience giving medicine to your own children. The training ensures providers understand the legal requirements, safety protocols, and proper procedures specific to administering medications in a licensed childcare setting.

As of November 23, 2025, 22 facilities have been cited for this violation in the past 90 days. This represents about 1 in 343 facilities statewide (0.29% of the 7,551 facilities inspected). The citations have occurred across 10 counties, with Los Angeles County accounting for 8 citations, San Bernardino County with 4 citations, San Diego and Riverside counties each with 2 citations, and Santa Cruz with 1 citation. The geographic spread suggests this is a consistent compliance issue that affects providers across different regions, likely due to providers not understanding that personal experience doesn't substitute for required training.

Inspectors cite this regulation when they find evidence that medications have been administered without proper training certification. Common triggers include: medication logs showing administered doses but no training certificate on file, providers admitting they give medications without having completed required training, expired training certifications that weren't renewed before continuing to give medications, or new staff members administering medications before completing their training. Inspectors check training documentation against medication administration records. Many providers mistakenly believe that giving medicine to their own kids qualifies them, or that training is only needed for prescription medications - both are wrong. The training requirement covers ALL medications and must be completed before administering any dose to any child in care.

Complete medication administration training before enrolling any children who may need medications - don't wait until you actually need to give medicine to get trained. Use training programs approved by your licensing office, which typically include both classroom instruction and hands-on practice. Keep your training certification current by tracking expiration dates and renewing before they expire. If you have assistants or other adults who help in your home, ensure they're also trained before they administer any medications. Document your training completion and keep certificates easily accessible for licensing inspections. Take the training seriously - it covers critical information about dosing calculations, medication interactions, storage requirements, and emergency responses that protect children's health and safety. Don't rely on what you think you know from personal experience - professional childcare medication administration has specific legal and safety requirements that may differ from home practices.

Immediately stop administering all medications until you complete the required training - this is non-negotiable for child safety. Contact your local Resource and Referral agency or licensing office to find approved medication administration training courses in your area. Many courses can be completed quickly, often within a few days. Enroll in and complete the training as soon as possible, obtaining your certification. Notify parents of children who require medications about the temporary suspension and provide a timeline for when you'll be certified to resume medication administration. Once certified, update your policies and procedures to ensure proper medication handling going forward. Submit your training certificate to licensing as part of your plan of correction. Review all your medication administration records to ensure they're complete and accurate, as inspectors may scrutinize past practices more closely after this citation.