Child Care Compliance and Complaints

All child care providers, whether in a home or center, have to follow specific regulations and stay in compliance to continue operating. These regulations are put in place to ensure you child is safe and healthy at all times. There are a wide variety of types of inspections, and what happens when a violation occurs. You can learn more about specific regulations for different types of care here.

If you would like to make a complaint, please call 800-732-5207 to speak with someone at the State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). You may also call OCFS to check the compliance history of a specific child care program.

To learn if a child care program has any violations, use the New York State Office of Children and Family Services website here: http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/childcare/ccfs_template.asp and follow these steps:

1. Enter the Facility Name or License/Registration ID
2. Review the information. Ensure that the program that is listed is the program you are trying to identify violations for.
3. To the right of the program name in bold, click the circular blue “i” button.
4. Information will appear that lists a variety of topics such as the program’s status, registration period, inspection history (including if they had any violations and what they are), if they provide care during non-traditional hours, and if they are approved to administer medications.