If a parent, guardian or other concerned citizen thinks that a child care program is not meeting the licensing requirements, a complaint can be made to the local Child Care Licenser or local DFS office
Examples of concerns that might be reported include, but are not limited to:
- Children being left alone without adult supervision
- Inappropriate child discipline
- Children not being fed nutritious meals
- Too many children present for the number of staff
- Unsafe conditions
- Any issue relating to child abuse or neglect.
How to File a Complaint:
Contact the Child Care Licenser for your area or the Licensing Contact Support Person at 307-777-3540. If possible, please provide the following:
- The facility’s name and/or the provider’s name
- The location
- Details about the concern
- Any specific information about individuals involved in the incident
- Date and/or time the incident occurred
- Any additional information that you have
Complaint Investigation:
The Department makes an unannounced visit to discuss the complaint with the provider. Depending upon the nature of the complaint, various aspects of the program may be investigated, including but not limited to: collecting child or staff records, interviewing staff members and/or parents, and on site monitoring or observations in classrooms.
The Department cannot discuss or acknowledge any open investigations. Ten days after an investigation has been completed and closed, findings of non-compliance will be posted to the Find Child Care website.
Complaint Resolution:
If it is determined that the incident did occur, the violation is substantiated by the Department and various actions can be taken:
- Follow up visits can be made to ensure that the incident is not repeated.
- The provider may be required to submit a corrective action plan that details what action will be taken to correct the violation.
- Additional action may be taken against the program’s license when appropriate. (Please refer to Chapter 3 of the Child Care Licensing Rules.)
Substantiated complaints are part of the facility’s Complaint and Compliance History and are available on the Find Child Care website. Please note: substantiated complaints are not available on the website for dates prior to 2019, or for facilities that have closed permanently. For more information on prior complaints please contact Child Care Licensing.