Initial Inspection

[Jenniferdawn]

I've got my initial inspection to open up my daycare coming up (in California) and I'm curious to see how yours went. Did you pass the first time? What did you forget to do that they made you do better/different? Any advise?

[sharlan]

I've had 3 inspections and this what I failed on the various ones.

Toothpaste, deodorant, etc in the bathroom medicine cabinet, shampoo in the shower, dishsoap under the kitchen sink. I used to use the finger locks, the ones that you push down. Now I use the magnetic locks in the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room. I use the refrigerator locks, plastic straps, on the downstairs shower

Batteries and small screwdriver in the kitchen drawer.

Stairway not blocked even though both rooms leading to the staircase were gated off.

Good luck with your inspection.

[daycare]

I'm in northern cali.
I think it depends on the person that comes out to inspect. Mine was very nice and very informative/helpful. She made a few reccomndations and I had purchased the wrong fire extinguisher so I had to get a new one and email her the sale of reciept with a pic of the right one I bought.

It was very stress free and simple.

[Jenniferdawn]

So if I can't have toothpaste and shampoo etc in the shower area, where do I put it? If I have the finger locks on the cabinets, can I store it in there, or is that not okay anymore? I turned in my application and am waiting to hear back, but I feel like the information on how to prepare for the inspection is so vague. Will I get more info regarding inspection once they get back to me about my application?

[care-care]

i know i had to make sure i had the drawer with my sandwich bags and tin foil locked and my junk drawers i did too. In my bathroom i have drawers on my vanity in bathroom so some of them i locked and some i didnt . my tooth paste drawer has a lock my product drawer has a lock but the drawer that has my tampons and pads dont. and the drawer that has my curling iron and blow dryer dont. i also have the door knob lock things on some of my doors so when i shut them they cant open them . like my pantry closet the door to my furnace room i had shampoo in my shower when she came she didnt say anything i have a glass door dont no if thats y? i even went as far as checking all my dresser drawers in my bedroom to see ifsomething could of possibly gotten in there i didnt want becuz i didnt no if she woud look there

[sharlan]

In my area, it takes over 3 months to get your inspection.

Call your local office and ask them if the finger locks are ok. Each inspector has their own things they look for.

My inspector (first time) wouldn't accept toothpaste in a drawer locked with a finger lock. (To be honest, I put it in the garage until she left, then put it back on the top shelf in the medicine cabinet.)

My niece has the downstairs bathroom and I put the magnetic locks on the cabinet and the strappy latches on the shower doors. She keeps everything in her shower - razors, shampoo, toothpaste, etc and it was approved.

My last inspector approved of knives sitting on the counter - a big no no to everyone else. Yet, he didn't pass me because of the staircase. Two other inspectors approved it. I have gates blocking access to that room, but he wanted the staircase specifically blocked.

[Jenniferdawn]

Huh. you would think there would be a standard all the inspectors should be going by...I guess I'll just see what happens.

[sharlan]

To be honest, CA is such a large state and each inspector has their own little pet peeve.

I've found that if you keep it pleasant, don't over react, don't cop an attitude, they'll respond the same way.

[daycare]

Huh. you would think there would be a standard all the inspectors should be going by...I guess I'll just see what happens.

Lots of grey area!! Just do your best to follow these two rules
Keep anything dangerous (like knives) and anything that says keep out of reach of children under locks. Finger locks in CA will not pass.

2nd thing is if it fits in a toilet paper tube a child can swallow it. Those items must be out of reach of children and if in reach must be locked with proper lock.

See the thing I don't get is I can't have a battery in my kitchen drawer but I can have legos or pegs or toys with batteries and that's ok??
Lots of grey area.

[Jenniferdawn]

Ug! I just got through installing all the finger locks all over the house! Seriously, why don't they tell you that first???

[care-care]

The lady i had at the lisencing place said the inspector for my area was a battle axe.. (their word not mine) and she was the sweetest lady ever. I was prepared to have her search everything and she didnt I also think she could see that I didnt have misc stuff laying around from the get go.
I just took the check list and read and re read and kept going over it until the day she came. I did have numerous trips back to store for stuff but in the end I passed with nothing to fix or change. I guess look at it from a kids view . I think some of the stuff is silly but they said well it is cause one person had it happen now it is a rule. So when something happens the only way they can try to make it not for someone else is to create a rule for all. I personally never had locks on any of my stuff with my daughter and grandson and they never got into anything Now im locked up like fort knox..

[Jenniferdawn]

I just called licensing and they said the finger locks are fine. :confused: So I guess I will go with that.

[familyschoolcare]

I just called licensing and they said the finger locks are fine. :confused: So I guess I will go with that.

Even though you where told this I would not use them for something that has to be inaccessible to the children. They are on the list/picture of the orientation for California, for locking devices that are not to be used. Therefor, even if you pass with them you could get written up later.

Also, I did not pass my first inspection because my kitchen was "cluttered." (her word) I had baked the morning and the dishwasher was running and there was a 1/2 full , sink of dishes, and the plastic bottles we reuse where "thrown" (her words) on a self. So when she came back no dishes in sight and I had put the bottles in a box on the self in the same place looks the same to me but I passed.

My inspector told me that "they" except that when you know they are coming that the house be very clean because "they" assume that when "they" are not coming the house is messier. Nothing like thinking day care providers are honest people.

[KBCsMommy]

I think California is too lax on their inspections.......or maybe its just the inspectors themselves.

I had a gentleman do my initial inspection to get my license. He literally checked nothing. The only thing he checked was that I had a fire extinguisher, smoke alarms, and the deed to my house.

I kept having to ask him if certain things were ok. For example I keep my alchoholic beverages over the oven its way out of reach even for me, he said that was fine.
My husband keeps his vitamins and protein and pre workout mixes in a cabinet in the kitchen it has a magnetic lock, he said that was fine.
If the gate in the hallway was sufficient to keep the kids out of the back rooms.
In my kids bathroom I had shampoo, soap, conditioner in a rack hanging from the shower head and handsoap by the sink and he didnt make any comments on that at all.

The only thing he wanted me to change was in my backyard, he said he would like to see a cover over my BBQ!!! That was it!!

Now Im freaked out because if I get a different inspector, are they going to write me up for things that he didnt think was an issue but someone else will.

I did ask what most people did get violations for and he said - being over capacity, water hazards, and access to hazardous materials are what most daycares are written up for.

[sharlan]

I just called licensing and they said the finger locks are fine. :confused: So I guess I will go with that.

That's my complaint with CA licensing. There is so much gray area.

My 2nd inspector had my 5 yo dcg come into the bathroom and open the finger lock. She felt that if the 5 yo could open it, it wasn't safe.

Just go over the check list and relax. I've found that most will work with you rather than have to write you up and come back out.

(I was thinking that I've had 3 inspections, but I've had 4.)

My 3rd inspector came with an attitude as I was operating illegally. HER FAULT, not mine. We bought a new house and I called when we bought, a week before we moved and the week after. I gave her our new address and phone numbers. Never once did she say she needed to come out and inspect. She called me 3 mos AFTER we moved, using the new phone number to do an inspection. She came the next day with a major attitude because I had been operating illegally for 3 mos. I reminded her that I had moved, she said I never called. I asked how she had the new phone number if I never called. She realized that she messed up and changed her attitude, inspection went smoothly after that.