Daycare areas/ non daycare areas

[Unregistered]

During a compliance check is it normal for them to check non daycare space? They told me they want to check my basement it is not used for daycare at all it has a bedroom in it. I am in Iowa if it makes a difference.

I also don't want to be held responsible if she breaks her neck going down my steep basement stairs.

[daycare]

During a compliance check is it normal for them to check non daycare space? They told me they want to check my basement it is not used for daycare at all it has a bedroom in it. I am in Iowa if it makes a difference.

I also don't want to be held responsible if she breaks her neck going down my steep basement stairs.

yes, during any inspection they have a right to inspect your entire home. Of course, they are not allowed to go through your personal belongings, but they want to make certain that you are not hiding something illegal or stuffing kids down there. Sad, but true. some people do wacky things that we could not even imagine.

[MarinaVanessa]

Yes they can check every room for the first initial inspection. They just want to make sure that you're not set up to do daycare in "non-daycare" space and that there isn't anything illegal or shady going on in your home. The only way around if that I could argue was if I had someone renting the bedroom down there. At that point I'd be the landlord and could claim that as someone else's personal space. If you did have someone renting (and could do so legally, and your tenant had all of their clearances, background checks etc) you could however give them at least 24 hours notice of inspection, but they could potentially deny you access etc.

I'm in CA (so different state) and my mother lives with me and when licensing does inspections I tell them it's my mom's room and that she's a tenant and they just check to make sure that it's locked (once it wasn't locked but she didn't open it even after I offered to let her take a peek).

[Unregistered]

It is my mom's room down there and a shower. It is not my first
Inspection either. It's a new inspector and I told her the other inspector only checked daycare areas and she said to me real snotty I will be checking the basement.

[CityGarden]

It is my mom's room down there and a shower. It is not my first
Inspection either. It's a new inspector and I told her the other inspector only checked daycare areas and she said to me real snotty I will be checking the basement.

I am sorry you felt she responded snotty but she might have experienced something horrible in the past so maybe she is extra cautious. I am in California and was told they would inspect the entire property but it is my first inspection so not sure what will happen beyond that. Honestly it would not bother me as I have nothing to hide, if they were going thru my private clothing, etc. that would be different.

[daycare]

I am in CA and in every single of my inspections I have had every room of my house including closets, garage, storage sheds and bathrooms looked into.

My private space they just open the door and looked in. Daycare areas they did a full inspection.

[CityGarden]

I am in CA and in every single of my inspections I have had every room of my house including closets, garage, storage sheds and bathrooms looked into.

My private space they just open the door and looked in. Daycare areas they did a full inspection.

that is what I thought they normally do. Thanks for sharing.

[MarinaVanessa]

I am in CA and in every single of my inspections I have had every room of my house including closets, garage, storage sheds and bathrooms looked into.

My private space they just open the door and looked in. Daycare areas they did a full inspection.

And another example of CA and the funky way that licensing varies from area to area ... I also live in CA but not in Daycare's area and I've only ever had two different analysts and neither one has ever gone into private space that wasn't marked as daycare space on my floor plan, other than my first initial inspection that is. I was asked (when I used to include some of my upstairs in daycare space) which rooms were child care space and which weren't and they would check to see if the door was locked or inaccessible to the children if there were children at home. My mom usually locked her door (because she has makeup and other beauty products that are considered hazards) but also had a baby gate on the outside because she liked to keep her room door open but didn't want my kids going into her room and messing with her stuff ::. That day that it was left unlocked the baby gate was still up so I'm assuming that's why my analyst didn't feel the need to go in there. Now since removing the upstairs from my floorplan they never go up there even when my own daughter (11 yo) is up there and it's obvious someone is up there. I tell them she's up there but they never have bothered to take a look, not that I would care.

Good 'ol CA and each analyst's idea of what they should do .

EDITED: It dawned on me that maybe because my husband works for the DA's office they feel like they don't need to check in depth???

[Play Care]

I don't use my basement but they do check it. The furnace is down there and I can't store things (combustibles) with in 4 feet of it.

[DaveA]

During my initial licensing they went through the entire house. After that the only thing they looked at other than the "daycare spaces" was taking a quick walk to the basement to see where the spot we go for severe weather was. Even when verifying smoke/ CO alarms they just had me run downstairs and push the test button. The way I understand it in IL is that they do have the right to look through the whole house, but in practice most won't unless they feel there is a reason to.

[Blackcat31]

I am in MN and the only rooms they inspect are those that are going to be licensed. I have a basement and I've never had them check/inspect my basement. It's not used for child care and therefore not subject to inspections.


Since each state seems to vary, I'd check your state regulations and see what it says.

[SignMeUp]

MN here too, and they check every room every time, whether a child care area or not.
In non-care areas they specifically look at electric outlets to be sure they aren't overloaded. I have also had different licensors tell me that they have to be sure there are no accumulations of rubbish (for fire & pest problems), and to be sure we are not "hiding" extra children.

Some providers have complained of licensors going through their drawers in non-care areas, and taking pictures, but as far as I know this has never happened to me.

They check the basement at each visit also. We cannot have flammable material within so many feet of the furnace, and no accumulations of rubbish. Also they check for a smoke detector in the basement.

[Cat Herder]

Normal for here, too. Even the barn.....::

Typically means someone in your area was recently caught hiding kids. Brush it off.

[nanglgrl]

In Iowa they will go through every room, closet and even open up drawers if they feel like it. The flip side is to go unregistered (completely legal here) and not have anyone invading your personal space.
A friends husband is a police officer, she does daycare. He was home and they made her open the master bedroom bathroom door while he was in there!
It's absolutely ridiculous. People can say "if you don't have anything to hide why does it matter?" a million times and I will reply a million times "because coming into my home with the pure intention of finding something wrong when I'm a registered provider is backwards". In addition, in Iowa if you're over numbers they just tell you to fix it. Why hide children? If you're unregistered and are reported to be over in numbers they probably won't even visit and will just send you a letter. They wonder why so many are going unregistered here. The only reason I'm not unregistered is because I participate in TEACH, Wages, QRS and Childnet so I get thousands of dollars in grants a year. If it weren't for those programs I'd be unregistered in a minute. It's incredibly offputting when I get my yearly unannounced inspection even though I've gotten 100% for every year except the first but that was due to remodeling the daycare space. They show up unannounced which I would hate even if it was my grown child doing it, don't tell you all of the things you're doing right, try really hard to find something you're doing wrong, don't respect personal spaces and then you wait 30 days to find out if you passed. Or you could just be unregistered and not go through any of that.
A better method would be to show up unannounced but do it to unregistered and registered providers. Bring a goodie bag. Smile. Note things that the provider is doing right as well as provide guidance on things that need fixed. Don't search non-daycare areas unless you have cause to. Chances are if there are only 4 kids visible I'm not hiding other children since I'm allowed 12. Stick to the exact regulations with no interpretation. Don't go through drawers and closets. If a provider really wants to hide something they can so what's the point?

[SignMeUp]

They always go through drawers and closets here to be sure things that should be locked up are. It just doesn't make sense in non-care areas where those items are already locked away from care areas.

And they have gone through our whole house for decades, unrelated to whether they actually find extra children. I believe it is stated somewhere in our relicensing paperwork that they will do this. I have no problem with them looking, but going through drawers does not seem right to me (in non-care areas.) We have actually been told that when parents pick up with siblings in tow, that our license could be in jeopardy for being out of ratio.