# The Compliance Dates Every Small Alabama Daycare Should Be Tracking

*A one-page operations checklist from SproutLedger by Avanari · Spanish Fort, Alabama*

Most compliance problems at small centers aren't about not caring — they're about dates that expire quietly while you're busy running the center. Print this page, put it by your desk, and check it monthly. (Or let software watch the dates for you.)

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## 1. Staff certifications

| What to track | When to act |
|---|---|
| CPR certification expiration — every staff member | Renew 30–60 days **before** it expires |
| First aid certification expiration | Renew 30–60 days before it expires |
| Annual training hours | Track hours per staff member against your license year — don't wait for the last quarter |

**Tip:** Keep a single list with every staff member's name and every expiration date. If it lives in a drawer with the CPR cards, it expires with them.

## 2. Safety drills

| Drill | Typical cadence to track |
|---|---|
| Fire drill | Monthly — log date, time, evacuation time, who participated |
| Tornado / severe weather drill | Regularly during your program year, and before spring storm season |
| Lockdown drill | On the schedule your licensing requirements call for — log it the day you run it |

**Tip:** The drill you ran but didn't write down is a drill an inspector can't see. Log the same day, every time.

## 3. Child files & immunizations

- Review each child's file for a **current immunization record** — set a reminder to re-check when a certificate expires or a booster comes due.
- Check for missing or unsigned forms (emergency contacts, photo/media consent, pickup authorizations) at enrollment **and** at a set review point each year.
- New enrollments: put a 30-day reminder on the calendar to confirm the file is complete — that's when missing paperwork is easiest to collect.

## 4. Subsidy authorizations

- Every subsidized child has an **authorization end date.** Track it.
- Set a reminder **30 days before** each authorization expires so the family can renew before care becomes unpaid.
- Keep the case number and authorization dates with the family record, not in a separate folder.

## 5. CACFP food program (if you participate)

- **Every month:** meal counts by age group, daily menus, and current income eligibility forms must be complete before you (or your sponsor) can claim.
- Block time in the **first week of each month** to close out the prior month — counts, menus, and eligibility checked while it's still fresh.
- Track income eligibility form renewal dates the same way you track subsidy authorizations.

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## The monthly 15-minute check

1. Any staff CPR/first aid cert expiring in the next 60 days?
2. Did this month's drills happen — and get logged?
3. Any child files missing immunization records or signatures?
4. Any subsidy authorizations expiring in the next 30 days?
5. Is last month's CACFP paperwork claim-ready?

If you can answer all five in under 15 minutes, your records are in good shape. If it takes an afternoon, that's the problem SproutLedger was built to fix.

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**SproutLedger** keeps all of these dates in one dashboard and flags them before they're overdue — built for small Alabama daycares. Request a private demo before paid outreach begins; public booking and phone details can be added when ready.

*This checklist is an operations aid for record-keeping, not legal or licensing advice. Requirements vary by license type and program — always confirm current requirements with Alabama DHR, your CACFP sponsor, and your licensing consultant.*