Inspection Frequency of Small Family Child Care Homes
Name Number of times visited Per how many years Visit before licensing Visit when there is a complaint Routine visits unannouced Complaining visits unannounced
Alabama 1 2 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Alaska 1 2 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Arizona 1 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Arkansas 3 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
California 1 3 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Colorado NS NS Yes Yes Yes Yes
Connecticut 1 3 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Delaware 1 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
DoD 4 1 Yes No Yes No
DC 1 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Florida 2 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Georgia* NS NS No Yes Yes Yes
Hawaii 1 1 Yes Yes No Yes
Idaho^^ NA NA NA NA NA NA
Illinois 1 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Indiana^^ NA NA NA NA NA NA
Iowa^^ NA NA NA NA NA NA
Kansas* 1 1 Yes Yes No No
Kentucky 1 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Louisiana^^ LC LC No No No No
Maine 1 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Maryland 3 2 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Massachusetts 1 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Michigan* 1 10 No Yes Yes Yes
Minnesota 1 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mississippi^^ NA NA NA NA NA NA
Missouri 2 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Montana* 1 5 No Yes Yes Yes
Nebraska 1 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Nevada 3 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
New Hampshire 1 3 Yes Yes Yes Yes
New Jersey^^ LC LC No No No No
New Mexico 4 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
New York 1 2 Yes Yes No Yes
North Carolina 1 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
North Dakota 2 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Ohio^^ NA NA NA NA NA NA
Oklahoma 3 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Oregon 1 1 Yes Yes No Yes
Pennsylvania* NS NS No Yes No Yes
Rhode Island 1 2 Yes Yes Yes Yes
South Carolina* NS NS No Yes NA Yes
South Dakota^^ NA NA NA NA NA NA
Tennessee 6 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Texas* 1 3 No Yes No Yes
Utah 2 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Vermont NS NS Yes Yes Yes Yes
Virginia^^ NA NA NA NA NA NA
Washington 1 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
West Virginia* 1 1 No No Yes No
Wisconsin 1 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Wyoming 3 1 Yes No Yes No

NOTE: Visits by any agencies (licensing, fire, safety, health, etc) were credited.

Source: Leaving Children to Chance: NACCRRA's Ranking of State Standards and Oversight of Small Family Child Care Homes, 2010. Limited updated review of regulations 2011; additional changes in regulations may have taken effect.

States with an * do not conduct an inspection or site visit before issuing a child care license. States with ^^ do not license small family child care homes (homes in which a provider cares for 6 or fewer children).

NS: Frequency of inspections is not specified by applicable statutes although the right to inspect is included. PA inspects an unspecified random sample of homes annually.

NA: State does not license small FCC as defined by NACCRRA (6 or fewer children).

LC: Center regulations apply

*South Carolina: Most Family Child Care homes in South Carolina are registered, not licensed. Registration is by mail every year. Registered FCC are only inspected for complaints. If FCC homes choose to be licensed or if they are required to be licensed (care for more than 6 children), licensed FCC are inspected before licensing, annually, and at complaints.