Getting Licensed as a Child Development Facility in the District of Columbia
Providing early care and education for the District’s youngest learners in quality, healthy and safe environments is very important. No person shall either directly or indirectly operate a child development facility without first obtaining a license issued by OSSE. Below is information on how you begin the process to become a licensed child development facility.
Licensing Resources
As you move through the licensing process, you will need to obtain permits and inspections from other District agencies. Below is a list of agencies and the documents you will need to obtain prior to submitting a licensing application packet to OSSE.
Document | Agency |
---|---|
Certificate of Occupancy or Home Occupancy Permit Should include the following information: name of child development facility, the maximum number of infants and children to be cared for, hours of operation and number of staff. |
District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Address: Phone: Visit DCRA’s website for more information |
Fire Safety Inspection Certification Certifies that the facility to be licensed meets fire safety requirements. |
District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Address: Phone: Visit FEMS’s website for more information |
Lead-based Paint Certification or Clearance Report Certifies that the facility has a safe level of lead-based paint. Must be completed not more than 30 days prior to the application date. |
District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment Address: Phone: Visit DOEE’s website for more information |
Certificate of Clean Hands Certifies that the applicant does not owe more than $100 to the District government in taxes. Must be completed not more than 30 days prior to the application date. |
District of Columbia Department of Tax and Revenue Address: Phone: Apply online or visit OTR’s website for more information |
Exemptions to Licensure
The following early care and education services shall be exempt from obtaining a license to operate a facility:
Criminal Background Check Process for DC Residents Working in Child Development Facilities Outside of the District
Employees and volunteers working in licensed child care facilities in the District of Columbia must follow the background check process as outlined and posted on the OSSE website. Residents of the District of Columbia who work in child development facilities outside of the District, such as in Maryland or Virginia, must follow a slightly different process.
Early learning professionals who are District residents working at child development facilities outside of the District must obtain a District of Columbia criminal background check and sex offender registry (SOR) through the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department .
This record will contain a listing only of adult convictions for which the sentence was completed not more than 10 years before the date on which the records were requested and forfeitures of collateral in a court proceeding that have occurred not more than 10 years before the date on which the record was requested.
Individuals can make a background check in person or via mail.
Child Abuse and Neglect Check Process for Employees and Volunteers of Child Development Facilities in the District or Any Other State
Employees and volunteers working in licensed child care facilities within the District of Columbia or any other state may request a child abuse and neglect check by visiting the District of Columbia’s Child and Family Services Administration website .
The process for Child Protection Register (CPR) requests is fully electronic. An official current government identification is required and there is no fee required. Applicants who wish to appeal the accuracy of the results must contact CFSA. There is no associated fee for this service.
For questions, call (202) 727-8885 or email [email protected]. Calls and emails will be monitored and responded to within 24 hours or the next business day.
For the complete licensing process and forms, please click here to visit OSSE’s website.