Texas Child Care Inspection Checklist: What Licensing Looks At

Texas Child Care Regulation (CCR), part of Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC), inspects child care operations, often without advance notice. Inspectors measure your program against the Minimum Standards: Chapter 746 for licensed child care centers and Chapter 747 for licensed and registered child care homes. Every standard carries a weight, from Low to High, that reflects the risk to children if it is not met.

Below is a practical checklist built from the standards themselves, with the rule numbers so you can check the exact wording.

1. Emergency drills (746.5205 / 747.5003)

• A fire drill every month. In centers, children must be able to exit within three minutes.
• A severe-weather sheltering drill at least four times per calendar year.
• A lock-down drill at least four times per calendar year.
• A written record of every drill: date, time, and how long it took.

Missing drill records are one of the easiest citations to avoid. If a drill isn't written down, an inspector can't verify it happened.

2. Written emergency preparedness plan (746.5202 / 747.5003)

Your plan should cover evacuation, relocation, shelter-in-place and lock-down, and you practice it through the required drills (746.5205 / 747.5003).

3. Pediatric first aid and CPR (746.1315 / 747.1313)

Check that every person required to hold current pediatric first aid and CPR has a certificate on file, and that none have expired. Expiration dates are where programs get caught: a certificate that lapsed last month counts as missing.

4. Annual training hours (746.1309 / 747.1309)

• Center caregivers: 24 clock hours of annual training.
• Home primary caregivers: 30 clock hours of annual training.
• Required core topics must be covered, and certificates or documentation should be filed.

Track hours as they are earned rather than reconstructing them before an inspection.

5. Ratios and supervision (746.1501+ / 747.1601+)

Ratios must be correct in every group at every moment, including nap time, transitions and outdoor play. Do a quick head count against your staffing at the times of day you are most stretched.

6. Safe sleep (746.2427, 746.2424 / 747.2327, 747.2324)

Infants are placed on their backs to sleep in a crib or other approved sleep space, and you have a written safe-sleep policy.

7. Medication (746.3803, 746.3805, 746.3807 / 747.3603, 747.3605)

• Medication is kept in its original labeled container.
• You have written parent authorization.
• Medication is locked or out of children's reach.
• Each dose is logged.
• Parent authorization is renewed, since it expires after one year (746.3803 / 747.3603).

8. Children's records (746.605+ / 747.605+)

Admission information should be complete and current for every enrolled child, including emergency contacts, authorized pickup, and immunizations (or a valid exemption).

9. Fire safety

Centers need an annual fire inspection (746.5101), and homes have their own fire inspection rules (747.4901). Fire extinguishers must be serviced (746.5307 / 747.5107), and smoke detectors must be tested monthly with a written record (746.5319 / 747.5115).

10. Postings and policies (746.401, 746.403, 746.501 / 747.501)

Post your license and other required postings where parents can see them, and make sure parents receive your required written operational policies.

How to use this checklist

1. Walk through it once a month, not just when you expect a visit.
2. Fix anything that is missing on the spot, and write down when you fixed it.
3. Keep your logs and certificates together in one place, so you can find any record within a minute.
4. Re-read the current standards once a year. HHSC updates them, and older checklists can go out of date.

If you receive a deficiency, respond promptly, correct the issue, and document the correction. A clear paper trail shows the inspector a program that takes compliance seriously.

Get the free one-page self-check

We turned key requirements into a free one-page Texas Inspection Quick Self-Check. It includes the rule number for every line, so you can run through it in about 15 minutes.

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

If you want the full set of trackers, logs and self-audits, the Texas Inspection-Ready Kit is available for centers (Chapter 746) and homes (Chapter 747).

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.