How to Prepare for a Texas Daycare Licensing Inspection

Perske Kits · 3 min read

Texas child care inspections can happen without advance notice, so the goal isn't to prepare for one visit. It's to run your program so you're ready on any given day. Here is a practical approach for licensed centers (Chapter 746) and child care homes (Chapter 747), based on the HHSC Minimum Standards.

Understand how inspections work

A Child Care Regulation inspector observes your operation, reviews your records and checks your building and equipment against the Minimum Standards. Each standard has a weight (Low, Medium-Low, Medium, Medium-High or High) that reflects the risk to children. High-weight items, such as supervision, ratios and safe sleep, deserve the most attention.

The inspector will also look at your records. If you can't show a drill log or a current CPR certificate, it's treated as not done.

Step 1: Run a self-audit

Go through the standards that apply to you, section by section, and mark each item Pass, Fail or N/A. Start with the high-weight areas:

Supervision and ratios (746.1501+ / 747.1601+): correct in every group, at every moment.
Safe sleep (746.2427, 746.2424 / 747.2327, 747.2324): infants on their backs in an approved sleep space, with a written policy.
Medication (746.3803, 746.3805, 746.3807 / 747.3603, 747.3605): authorization, original container, secure storage and a dose log.
Emergency drills (746.5205 / 747.5003): a monthly fire drill plus severe-weather and lock-down drills at least four times a year, all recorded.

Step 2: Check your records

Pull these and confirm each one is complete and current:

Children's admission records, emergency contacts, authorized pickup and immunizations (746.605+ / 747.605+)
Staff or caregiver training hours: 24 annual clock hours for center caregivers and 30 for home primary caregivers (746.1309 / 747.1309)
Pediatric first aid and CPR certificates, with expiration dates (746.1315 / 747.1313)
Drill logs for the past 12 months
Medication and incident records

Step 3: Walk the building

Look at your space the way an inspector would:

Are hazardous items (chemicals, medication, sharp objects) out of children's reach?
Are fire extinguishers serviced (746.5307 / 747.5107), and is your fire inspection current (746.5101 / 747.4901)?
Have smoke detectors been tested monthly and logged (746.5319 / 747.5115)?
Are your license and required postings displayed (746.401, 746.403)?
Is outdoor play equipment in good repair?

Step 4: Review your written plans and policies

Confirm that your emergency preparedness plan covers evacuation, relocation, shelter-in-place and lock-down (746.5202 / 747.5003). Also confirm that parents have received your required operational policies (746.501 / 747.501). Practice the plan through your required drills (746.5205 / 747.5003).

Step 5: Build a monthly routine

Readiness comes from habit. Pick one day each month to:

Run and log the fire drill.
Check medication authorizations, which expire after one year (746.3803 / 747.3603).
Test and log smoke detectors.
Review CPR and first aid expiration dates.
Spot-check two or three children's files.

Add the severe-weather and lock-down drills (four each per year) and annual items, such as training hours and fire inspection, to a calendar so they don't sneak up on you.

If you're cited

Stay calm and professional. Ask the inspector to clarify anything you don't understand, correct the issue as quickly as you can, and document what you did and when. A clear record of corrective action matters.

Free self-check to get started

Our free one-page Texas Inspection Quick Self-Check lists key requirements, with the Chapter 746 and 747 rule numbers. It's a fast way to find gaps before an inspector does.

Download the free self-check: https://perskekits.gumroad.com/l/icaljt

For the full self-audit, compliance calendar, training and CPR tracker, and print-ready logs, see the Texas Inspection-Ready Kit:

Centers, $49: https://perskekits.gumroad.com/l/zoohcs
Homes, $29: https://perskekits.gumroad.com/l/iqertf
Bundle, $69: https://perskekits.gumroad.com/l/ruute

Perske Kits is not affiliated with or endorsed by Texas HHSC. This article is general information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements against the current Minimum Standards (26 TAC Chapters 746 and 747) at hhs.texas.gov.