California Code § 102417(g)(3): Stair Safety for Young Children

❌ Common Mistakes

• Using pressure-mounted gates at the top of stairs. Providers buy the easiest gate to install, but pressure-mounted gates can be pushed out by a toddler leaning on them. Inspectors flag these as inadequate barriers, especially at the top of staircases where a fall could cause serious injury.
• Blocking stairs with furniture or large toys instead of an actual gate or barrier. Providers think a couch or bookshelf across the stairway counts. Inspectors document this as not meeting the 'fenced or barricaded' standard because children can climb over or squeeze around furniture.
• Forgetting about exterior stairs or porch steps in outdoor play areas. Providers focus on indoor stairways but miss the two steps down from the back porch to the yard. If children under five access that area, those steps need a barrier too.
• Removing gates during business hours because older children 'know how to use stairs.' The regulation applies whenever any child under five is in care, regardless of how many older children are also present.