What is the CCLD (California Community Care Licensing Division)?

The Community Care Licensing Division, known as CCLD, is the branch of the California Department of Social Services responsible for licensing and regulating childcare facilities throughout the state. CCLD sets the standards that daycare centers and family childcare homes must meet, conducts inspections to verify compliance, and takes enforcement action when providers fail to maintain those standards. Every licensed childcare provider in California operates under CCLD oversight.

CCLD's primary function is protecting the health and safety of children in out-of-home care. The division accomplishes this by establishing detailed licensing requirements that cover facility design, staffing qualifications, adult-to-child ratios, health and sanitation practices, emergency preparedness, and record-keeping. These requirements are codified in Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations and in relevant sections of the Health and Safety Code.

The licensing process begins when a prospective provider submits an application to CCLD. The division reviews the application, conducts background checks on all adults who will have contact with children, and performs a pre-licensing inspection of the facility. Only after the provider demonstrates compliance with all applicable requirements does CCLD issue a license. Licenses must be renewed periodically, and the facility remains subject to ongoing oversight for as long as it operates.

CCLD employs licensing program analysts who conduct unannounced inspections of licensed facilities. These analysts evaluate whether providers continue to meet licensing standards and document their findings in inspection reports that become part of the public record. When violations are found, analysts issue citations classified by severity and require providers to implement corrections within specified timeframes.

The division also operates a complaint hotline where parents, staff, and community members can report concerns about licensed childcare facilities. CCLD is required to investigate all complaints and conducts additional inspections when warranted. Substantiated complaints and their outcomes are included in the facility's public licensing record.

DaycareNearMe draws its provider data directly from CCLD's public records, presenting licensing status, inspection history, and citation details in an accessible format. You can search the full directory of CCLD-licensed providers on our platform.