Child Care Center Inspection Program

Child Care Inspections

Inspections of food service, playground, and classrooms facilities are conducted at commercial child care centers, parent's day out programs, and certain before-and after-school care programs at least once annually.

View Recent Child Center Inspections

Home-Based Child Care Providers 

Home-based childcare providers are required to obtain a home-based business license annually from the City of Arlington's Planning and Development Services Department.

Apply for a Home-Based Business Registration

ArlingtonPermits.com

Child Care Worker Requirements

Employees at commercial childcare centers must meet the following requirements:

• Obtain a City of Arlington Child Care Worker Permit
• Complete a background and central registry check
• Undergo a Mantoux Tuberculosis Test
• Complete First Aid and CPR training  

Additionally, continuing education units (CEUs) are required by the State each year.

State Regulations

All child care establishments in Texas are regulated by the Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) Child Care Licensing (CCL) Division. For more information, visit the regional office at 1501 Circle Drive, Suite 310, Fort Worth, TX 76119, call 817-321-8604 or 1-800-582-8286, or visit the Texas HHS.

By city ordinance, all individuals working in childcare centers in Arlington must obtain a Childcare Worker Permit within 30 days of hire. Permits must be renewed every three years

City of Arlington Child Care Class

This two-hour course satisfies the requirements of Minimum Standard 746.1309 and Section 744.1309 for instructor-led training, as well as the City of Arlington Childcare Ordinance Section 5.10(PDF, 82KB) for obtaining the City of Arlington Childcare Worker Permit. Attendees will receive a City of Arlington Childcare Worker Permit and a certificate of completion for two clock hours of instructor-led training.

Course Topics

• Hazard mitigation
• Building and physical premises safety
• Safe food handling practices
• Communicable disease prevention and reporting  

Course Information  

• Introductory Rate: $20 (covers both training and registration)
• Location: 1st Floor Training Room - City Hall at 101 W. Abram St. Arlington, TX 76010
• Class Duration: 2 hours
• Class Schedule: 
  • April 10, 2025 from 10:00am to 12:00pm
  • April 29, 2025 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm
  • July 8, 2025 from 5:00 pm to 7:00pm
  • July 17, 2025 from 10am to 12:00pm 

Register for the City of Arlington Child Care Worker Certification Course

Online Training Options

You can also complete your training online through the following providers:

• Responsible Training: Fee includes both training and registration with the City of Arlington.
• iCare Training: Fee includes training only. If you choose iCare Training, you must complete the additional registration step  

ArlingtonPermits.com

Training by Child Care Center Directors

Child Care Center Directors who are licensed by the State of Texas may offer this training to their staff by completing the following steps:

• Register with the City of Arlington
• Provide a copy of their State Certification
• Submit course curriculum for approval by the City of Arlington's Health Division.  

New or Remodeled Child Care Establishments:

Commercial building plans must be submitted for review to ensure compliance with building and health code regulations. A Health Final inspection must be completed and passed prior to requesting a Building Final. 

 A Certificate of Occupancy must be issued, and a permitting inspection must be passed before a Health Permit can be issued to operate.

Existing Child Care Establishments:

Health Permits are non-transferable. In the event of a change of ownership, the new owner must apply for a new Certificate of Occupancy and Health Permit and pass a permitting inspection before operating.

Apply for a Commercial Building Permit or Certificate of Occupancy 

ArlingtonPermits.com

• Article V -Child Care Centers(PDF, 82KB)
• Child Care Centers -Construction Requirements for New Construction and Remodels(PDF, 524KB)
• Texas Health and Human Services -Child Care Minimum Standards
• Notifiable Conditions -TDSHS
• State of Texas
• Stop Food Borne Illness in the US
• Texas Department of State Health Services
• US FDA - About the Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition
• USDA -Food Safety Education
• Consumer Product Safety Commission Recalls
• CDC Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.