Operating Cost

Family Child Care Home and Child Care Center Licensing Requirements

Operating Cost
Operating cost varies depending on the teacher-child ratio because child care is a labor intensive business. Approximately 80% of the operating costs goes to salaries.

Miscellaneous Information
An annual fee is required for a center license. The fees are based on the licensed capacity of the center as follows:

1 - 30 $100 31 - 60 $200 61 - 75 $250 76 - 90 $300 91 - 120 $400 121 - 500+ $500

A set of fingerprints with a child abuse index card is required for all center owners and personnel (see fingerprint locations).

The cost of processing is:

$52 per fingerprint card

$15 per child abuse index card

If the applicant has resided in California for over two years, one set of prints is required. If he or she has been a resident less than two years, two cards are required with an additional fee of $24.

Fingerprint cards and fees are to be sent to:

State of California
Department of Justice
Bureau of Criminal Identification
P.O. Box 903417
Sacramento, CA 94203-4170

A community care licensing evaluator will make a prelicensing inspection after an application is received to make sure all requirements have been met and the license can be issued.

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