Method
How the licensing paths are checked
This is a reference built from primary sources. The work is the reading, the ordering and the citation, not a claim to know your case.
Reference only, not legal advice. Requirements change; confirm with the licensing agency before you apply or renew. This page describes what the linked official sources say as of the verification date. It is not a determination that a home will be licensed.
1. Start from the licensing agency
Each state pack starts with the agency that issues the permit: Texas HHSC Child Care Regulation, California CDSS Community Care Licensing, Florida DCF Office of Child Care Regulation, Illinois Department of Early Childhood, and Georgia DECAL. The agency page is read first, then the rule or statute it points to.
The rule matters because agency pages summarize. Where the page and the rule both state a number, the rule is quoted. Where only the page states it, the page is the source.
2. One claim, one citation
Every step, fee row, form and rule section carries source ids. At the bottom of each state page, the source list shows the exact URL, the publisher, what the source was used for, and the date it was fetched. A claim without a source is a bug, not a shortcut.
3. No averages, no guesses
States are never averaged. A Texas 30-hour annual training rule is not blended with a California 16-hour pre-licensing course. If a state does not publish a number, the page says so. California has no per-child square footage rule for family child care homes in the chapter reviewed; Florida publishes a space number for large homes but not small ones. Those are facts about the sources, and they are reported as such.
4. The order is part of the answer
A pile of requirements is not a process. The path puts orientation, training, background checks, application, inspection and renewal in the order the agency describes. Where the agency does not state an order, the sequence follows the application steps it publishes.
5. Dated, and allowed to change
Each state page shows the date the sources were read. The date changes only when the sources are re-read. Rules do change, and a page that hides its check date is worse than one that shows an old one.
6. What the packet is for
The printable packet is a working document: steps, documents, fees, forms and contacts. It is designed to be marked up, taken to an orientation, or used on a call with a licensing office. It is not an application and it is not a filing.
7. What this site will not do
- It will not tell you that your home qualifies or will be licensed.
- It will not fill in a state form or submit anything to an agency.
- It will not average rules across states or turn a local practice into a state rule.
- It will not replace the agency, a local inspector, or a lawyer licensed in your state.
Reporting a change
If a rule has changed, emailcontact@wheelchairrampcalculator.comwith the state, the URL you checked and the date. The change is verified against the official page before anything is edited.