California Code § 101223(a)(1): Personal Dignity Rights

Personal Dignity Rights ensures that every child in your care is treated with respect in all their interactions with staff and others at the facility. This regulation requires that children are spoken to respectfully, their personal boundaries are honored, and they're treated as individuals with feelings and preferences. It means staff can't use demeaning language, publicly shame children, or treat them in ways that diminish their self-worth during daily activities like eating, toileting, or discipline.

As of November 23, 2025, 28 facilities have been cited for Personal Dignity Rights violations across 14 California counties. This represents approximately 1 in 1,429 facilities statewide (0.37% of the 7,551 facilities inspected in the past 90 days). Los Angeles County had the most citations with 6 facilities, followed by San Diego (4), Santa Clara (3), Alameda (3), and Contra Costa (2). While not the most common violation, it appears regularly in inspections across the state.

Inspectors cite this regulation when they observe or receive reports of staff speaking to children disrespectfully, using harsh or demeaning language, publicly shaming children for accidents or behavior, or treating children in ways that don't acknowledge their individual dignity. Common scenarios include: staff yelling at children in front of peers, making fun of a child who had a toileting accident, forcing a child to sit alone as public punishment, or using sarcasm or belittling comments during discipline. Inspectors may also cite this if they observe staff ignoring children's reasonable requests for help or treating children like objects rather than people.

Train all staff on respectful communication techniques and child dignity principles during orientation and regularly thereafter. Establish clear expectations that children should be addressed by their preferred names, spoken to at eye level, and corrected privately when possible. Create a staff culture where everyone understands that a child's dignity is maintained even during challenging moments like discipline, toileting accidents, or meal refusals. Use positive guidance techniques that preserve self-worth. Document your dignity-focused policies in your staff handbook and review them during regular staff meetings. Before posting job openings, check that candidates understand child development and respectful care practices. Keep a file for each employee with their qualifications, training records on dignity and respect, and any related professional development.

Immediately review the specific incident that led to the citation with all staff present. Conduct retraining on respectful communication and personal dignity for your entire team, not just the staff member involved. Update your policies if needed to prevent similar situations. If a specific staff member violated dignity standards, address it through your personnel procedures and consider whether additional supervision or corrective action is needed. Submit your Plan of Correction to licensing showing: what training you've completed, what policy changes you've made, and how you'll monitor staff interactions going forward. Document all corrective steps taken. If the violation involved serious disrespect or harm to a child, be prepared to discuss personnel decisions with your licensing analyst.