Use this updated checklist to identify hazards in indoor and outdoor active play areas. The checklist is followed by a table to use to plan corrective actions, and suggestions for how to finance any that require seeking additional money to cover costs. Updated 3/27/2014. Reviewed and reaffirmed 6/2018.

This is a one page list of suggestions to enhance the quality of observations of early education programs by health professionals.  Reviewed and reaffirmed 6/2018.

Use this document on a daily and monthly basis to make sure your active play area is free of hazards.  Identify any areas that need fixing and make a plan to correct the hazard.  Reviewed and reaffirmed 6/2018.

The California Childcare Health Program developed the Health and Safety Checklist for Early Care and Education Programs to conduct an onsite assessment in a period of about 2 hours. Child Care Health Consultants in the states of California, Arizona and North Carolina pilot-tested the checklist. A corresponding User Manual is available along with the checklist in PDF format on the California Childcare Health Program website.

This checklist is a quality improvement tool for home-based child care programs. Sharing the checklist results with families of children in child care is likely to help them appreciate what their child’s caregiver is doing to keep their children safe. They may want to use the checklist to see how to make their homes safer for their children. They may offer to help make the improvements the home-based child care facility needs. Reaffirmed 5-2019.

For an additional hour of credit, participants who successfully complete the Medication Administration Workshop or the AAP e-learning self-learning module about Medication Administration may arrange for a licensed health professional to observe their performance of medication administration skills using this checklist provided by ECELS. Download the checklist and follow the instructions for how to request the extra credit below.

For one (1) additional hour of DPW/PA Keys credit, participants who successfully complete the Medication Administration Workshop or American Academy of Pediatrics e-learning online module may arrange for a licensed health professional to observe their performance of medication administration skills using a checklist provided by ECELS. To receive this extra hour of credit, early learning practitioners should: Go to the ECELS website, select the Professional Development/Training section, then select Self-Learning Modules, and click the green area ‘Click Here to Request SLM Reviews’ to provide the necessary information and payment for the review and credit award.  Be sure to send the following items for each ECE provider who completes the workshop or e-learning module. Send them by e-mail as attached scans or send them by fax to ECELS:

1.  a copy of the certificate of successful completion of the Medication Administration Workshop or Medication Administration e-learning
2. a copy of the successfully completed Medication Administration Skills Checklist, signed and dated by the health professional who completed the form attesting to the satisfactory performance of the skills  
3. a completed Registration Form - the same one used for self-learning modules. 3-23-22

 The federal Office of Child Care developed the National Program Standards Crosswalk Tool to help States and Territories to align early childhood (EC) program standards operated by different funding sources. This tool helps Federal, State, and local entities to create a common vision for early education and child care programs. National Program Standards Crosswalk Tool makes several sets of national standards available in one online database with an easy-to-use search mechanism. Partnering organizations included national child care associations, national organizations that accredit centers and home-based child care, Head Start, and the U.S. Department of Defense. To access the tool, go to:

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