What is School Readiness?

School Readiness is a program that provides financial assistance for early learning, helping families access affordable, high-quality child care. It focuses on preparing children with the skills they need for school and future success, including social, emotional, and cognitive development.

Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) is a free program for 4-year-olds in Florida that prepares them for kindergarten by focusing on key early learning skills. It builds a strong foundation for academic success and lifelong learning.

Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) is a free service that helps families find affordable child care and early education programs. It also offers information about financial assistance and local resources to support parents.

The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) is a reliable tool that helps parents and caregivers track their child’s developmental progress from birth to age 6. By answering simple questions about their child’s skills, parents can identify any potential delays early on. This allows them to seek appropriate support or interventions to ensure their child is on the right path to success. The ASQ covers both developmental and social-emotional areas and is easy to complete.

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About Family Child Care Home Registration

Currently, Florida law requires that anyone who provides child care in their home for more than one unrelated family must be either registered or licensed through the Department of Children and Families. Please note that you must complete the registration process and receive a registration letter from DCF prior to providing child care.

Florida Statutes [§ 402.313, F.S.] provides an alternative to licensure for family day care home providers, which includes registering annually with the state, unless licensure is required under a specific county ordinance or resolution. While most counties do not require licensure of family day care homes, many family day care homes choose to be licensed to demonstrate they meet the state's minimum health and safety standards.

Registration in the following counties is not permitted as they have a local ordinance requiring licensure.

Brevard
Broward
Clay
Duval
Hernando
Hillsborough
Manatee

Miami-Dade
Nassau
Palm Beach
Pasco
Pinellas
Polk
Sarasota
Saint Johns

Required Information

Although the Department does not inspect registered family day care homes, they must submit information annually as part of the application process, which includes:

The name of the operator
The number of children served (not to exceed capacity as defined by § 402.302(7), Florida Statutes
Proof of written plan to provide at least one competent adult to be available to substitute for the operator in an emergency
Proof of screening and background checks
Proof that immunization records for the children are kept current
Proof that each parent has been provided a copy of a completed Health and Safety Checklist
Proof of completion of the 30-hour family day care home training course as well as an approved 5-hour course in early literacy and language development of children ages birth through five years. The 35 hours of training must be completed prior to registration.

Please be advised that you must complete the registration process and receive a registration letter from DCF prior to providing child care.

Are You Registered?

If you are thinking about becoming a Registered Family Home provider for the FIRST TIME, please click the link below:

First Time Home Child Care Provider

Intent to Apply

If you are a new applicant for a Family Day Care Home Registration, please click on the Intent to Apply link below and complete the form. If you should have any questions regarding this process, please call 850-488-4900.

To apply, fill out the Intent to Apply: Registered Family Day Care Home application.

Registration Renewal

If you are currently a Registered Family Day Care Home provider and wish to RENEW your registration, please download and print all of the documents listed below. Complete all forms and mail them all together with your $25 application fee to:

Department of Children and Families
Office of Child Care
2415 North Monroe Street
Suite 400, Room N216
Tallahassee, FL 32303

How to Become a Home Provider