Inspection records · Idaho
What Idaho daycare inspectors cite
Idaho inspectors cited at least one rule at 59% of the 478 daycares they visited since October 2023. Safety rules make up the largest share of citations, and the single rule cited at the most daycares is about immunization records: 105 of them.
- Daycares visited
- 478
- Visits in the records
- 2,076
- Had at least one rule cited
- 59%
- Median cited rules per daycare
- 1
How it works
How daycare inspections work in Idaho
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare licenses daycares and inspects them. Its records include routine inspections, follow-up visits to check that a problem was fixed, and investigations of complaints from parents and the public.
Each finding names the item on Idaho's inspection checklist, and most carry a short note from the inspector on what was seen. Idaho also records corrections: 80% of the rules cited since October 2023 have a correction on record, often found at a follow-up visit.
- Who inspects: Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
- Routine visits: Idaho reported inspecting licensed centers once every two years (national survey of state licensing agencies, 2017).
- Visits in the records since October 2023: 1,315 inspections, 420 follow-up visits, 157 complaint investigations, 184 other visits, at 478 daycares (338 centers and 140 home daycares).
- Records on each listing go back to: 2017.
How common
How often inspectors cite a rule
- of the 478 daycares visited had at least one rule cited
- 59%
- cited rules for the middle daycare over three years
- 1
- of cited rules have a correction on record
- 80%
These figures describe Idaho's own inspection records since October 2023. States write and cite their rules in different ways, so a figure here cannot be compared with another state's. A cited rule is one finding at one visit, not a rating of a daycare.
What gets cited
What Idaho's cited rules are about
Share of the 1,231 rules cited since October 2023, sorted into plain groups.
Safety and hazards is the largest group: 33.9% of the rules Idaho inspectors cited, reaching 37% of the daycares visited. These cover things like shelves anchored to the wall, cleaning products out of reach, working smoke alarms and a current emergency plan.
Health, medication and illness rules come next (23.6% of citations, at 33% of daycares), mostly children's immunization records. Supervision rules are 16.6% of citations and reached 22% of daycares, and building and play-area rules make up 9.6%.
Most cited
The rule areas Idaho cites most
Ordered by how many daycares had the rule cited since October 2023. The wording is the state's rule; no daycare is named here.
- Health, medication and illness105 daycares (22% of those visited)
Current immunization records for every child
The state's rule: 5. Immunization Records
Each child's file at the daycare must show up-to-date immunizations or an exemption Idaho accepts. A citation means records were missing or out of date when the inspector checked.
Ask on a tour: How do you keep immunization records current for the children in my child's room?
- Supervision and ratios97 daycares (20.3% of those visited)
Caregivers old enough and children supervised
The state's rule: 1. Provider Age/Supervision
Caregivers must meet Idaho's minimum age, and children must be supervised by a qualified adult at all times. A citation means the inspector found a problem with who was watching the children or with proof that staff met the requirements.
Ask on a tour: Who is in charge of my child's group, and is a qualified adult always in the room?
- Safety and hazards75 daycares (15.7% of those visited)
A building free of everyday hazards
The state's rule: 29. General Safety
Rooms must be free of hazards a child could get hurt on, such as unsecured furniture, holes in the floor or peeling paint. A citation means the inspector found a hazard of that kind during the visit.
Ask on a tour: How do staff check the rooms for hazards each day?
- Safety and hazards72 daycares (15.1% of those visited)
A written disaster and emergency plan
The state's rule: 6. Disaster and Emergency Plan and Communication
A daycare must keep a current written plan for fires, disasters and other emergencies, including how it will reach parents. A citation means the plan was missing, out of date or incomplete.
Ask on a tour: What is your emergency plan, and how would you reach me if you had to move the children?
- Safety and hazards70 daycares (14.6% of those visited)
Smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and clear exits
The state's rule: 7. Smoke Detector, Fire Extinguisher, Exits
Working smoke alarms, a fire extinguisher that meets the standard and clear exits are required. A citation can mean an alarm or extinguisher was missing, out of date or the wrong type.
Ask on a tour: When were your smoke alarms and fire extinguisher last checked?
- Building, equipment and play areas59 daycares (12.3% of those visited)
Safe, fenced outdoor play areas
The state's rule: 27. Outdoor Play Areas
Outdoor play areas must be enclosed and kept safe, with no gaps in fences or gates a child could slip through and no hazards left in the yard. A citation means the inspector found a gap or hazard outside.
Ask on a tour: Can I walk the play yard and see the fence and gate?
- Safety and hazards50 daycares (10.5% of those visited)
Medicines and chemicals out of reach
The state's rule: 16. Medicines/Hazardous Substances
Medicines, bleach and other hazardous products must be labeled and stored where children cannot reach them. A citation means something of that kind was within a child's reach or not properly labeled.
Ask on a tour: Where do you keep medicines and cleaning products, and are they locked?
- Staff training and qualifications42 daycares (8.8% of those visited)
Current CPR and first aid training
The state's rule: 2. Pediatric Rescue Breathing CPR/1st Aid
Staff must hold current pediatric CPR and first aid training, with proof kept at the daycare. A citation means a staff member's training had lapsed or the records were not on hand.
Ask on a tour: How many staff on each shift hold current pediatric CPR and first aid?
On the tour
What to ask when you visit
Immunization records and supervision are the rules Idaho cites at the most daycares, so start there: ask how the daycare keeps shot records current and who watches each group at nap time, outdoors and at pick-up.
Then walk the rooms and the yard. Look for anchored shelves, locked-away chemicals, working smoke alarms and a fence without gaps, and ask the director about anything on the state record you want explained.
The full tour checklist for Idaho puts these questions on one printable page.
On each listing
How to read a daycare's record
Each Idaho listing on DaycarePal shows the state's visits for that daycare, each cited checklist item and, for most findings, the inspector's note. The records we carry for Idaho show no risk level on findings, so the note is your guide to how serious a problem was.
Check whether each finding has a correction on record and how recent it is. A missing form fixed at the next visit says less than a supervision finding repeated visit after visit. If something worries you, ask about it on your tour.
More detail: how to read a daycare inspection report. Find a daycare's record on its listing from daycares in Idaho, or search the state's records.
Questions
Questions about Idaho daycare inspections
How often are Idaho daycares inspected?
Idaho reported inspecting licensed centers once every 2 years in a 2017 national survey of state licensing agencies. Since October 2023, Idaho's records show 2,076 visits to 478 daycares, counting routine inspections, follow-ups and complaint investigations.
How do I look up an Idaho daycare's inspection report?
Open the daycare's listing on DaycarePal and go to its inspection section, or search the Idaho child care records by name or city.
Does a cited rule mean a daycare is unsafe?
No. A cited rule is one finding at one visit, and 59% of the Idaho daycares inspectors visited had at least one. The middle daycare had 1 cited rule in three years. Look at what was cited and whether it was corrected.
What does a correction on record mean?
It means Idaho recorded that the daycare fixed the cited problem, often at a follow-up visit. 80% of the rules cited since October 2023 have a correction on record.
What do Idaho inspectors cite most?
Safety and hazards rules are 33.9% of all citations. The single rule cited at the most daycares is immunization records, at 105 daycares, followed by caregiver age and supervision, at 97.
Source: Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, inspection records October 2023 to September 2026, for the daycares listed on DaycarePal. Inspection schedule: National Database of Child Care Licensing Regulations (ACF), from a 2017 survey of state licensing agencies.