VPK Provider Resources

Provider Licensing

Training
Current VPK Providers
Become a VPK Provider

Getting Licensed

In the state of Florida, any individual who is paid to care for children in their home on a regular basis can choose to be either registered or licensed, depending on the requirements of the county where they reside.

In addition, child care programs that serve more than 10 children must be licensed as a child care center and cannot be located in a private residence. Some programs may be eligible to operate as preschool or licensed-exempt programs.

Why Should You Be Licensed?

Operating a family child care center without a license or registration can compromise the quality of your services. Without a license, you also miss out on the following benefits:

  • Opportunities to expand your skills and knowledge at local workshops, most of which are free of charge.
  • Client Listings from Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) cuts down on your vacancies.
  • Opportunity to take part in Quality Initiatives.
  • Opportunity to be a School Readiness Provider

Contact Episcopal Children’s Services for a packet that includes materials and checklists that will assist you in the step-by-step process to getting licensed.

Click here for more information.

Effective January 1, 2008, pneumonia vaccine is required for children in child care ages 2-24 months. For more information, please visit www.ImmunizeFlorida.org.

Effective April 2007, the Florida Director Credential terminology and requirements have been redefined in an effort to consolidate and streamline the program. Changes include revised program titles (“Level I”, “Level II”, and “Advanced”) and consolidation of programmatic requirements. Director Credential certificates stating “Foundational”, “Temporary”, and “Permanent” are still valid for licensing purposes. The new terminology will be reflected on the DCF training transcript. Upon renewal, the new terminology will be reflected on the certificate. To review requirements or download the application, please visit https://www.myflfamilies.com/childcaretraining/credentials/director-credential

Effective April 2007, DCF has made extensive revisions to the Florida Administrative Code in an effort to streamline the credentialing process and to enhance the programs by raising and changing requirements to model national standards. These changes affect programmatic requirements and the names of the continuing education programs that are accepted as meeting the Department’s Staff Credential requirements. For a complete copy of these changes, please visit https://www.myflfamilies.com/childcaretraining/credentials/staff-credential.

Effective July 1, 2005, the DCF Child Care Training Information Center (CCTIC) was launched. A team of CCTIC Specialists are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., to answer questions about state-mandated training, educational exemptions, and staff training requirements (CDA, CDAE, Director’s Credentials, VPK, etc.). CCTIC is also responsible for processing staff credential verifications and updating/creating training transcripts. Contact CCTIC at 1-888-352-2842 or CCTIC@thechildrensforum.com.

To receive a free copy of “Family Child Care: A Guide for Providers,” or other helpful information on becoming a licensed provider in your area, call us today at 904-726-1500.

Technical Assistance

Episcopal Children’s Services Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) is recognized as a model in our field as a Quality Assured Program through the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. Whether you are a brand-new provider or have been in the business a while, we can offer you the highest-quality assistance available through:

  • Individualized technical assistance
  • Accreditation assistance
  • Referrals to your business

Individualized Technical Assistance and Program Enhancements

Episcopal Children’s Services has a team of Program Specialists who work with providers and parents to ensure that children have the best chance to meet their potential.

Inclusion Specialists

  • Work with child care providers and family child care homes to ensure children with special needs are able to participate successfully.
  • Provide trainings on topics such as ADA, benefits of inclusion, and behavioral and environmental adaptations.
  • Offer technical assistance for children with special needs by operating a toll-free warm line: 1-800-238-3463 For Putnam and St. Johns select ext. 2227 or for Baker, Bradford, Clay and Nassau select ext. 2281.

The Early Learning Coalition of North Florida participates in the statewide Inclusion Initiative through the Division of Early Learning. Episcopal Children’s Services is contracted with the Early Learning Coalition of North Florida and provides Inclusion services in Clay, Nassau, Baker, Bradford, Putnam, and St. Johns counties. To learn more about the Early Learning Coalition of North Florida, click here.

To Learn more about the Division of Early Learning, click here.

To learn more about the statewide Inclusion Initiative, click here.

Screening Specialists

  • Ensure all School Readiness children are screened at enrollment and again annually with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire.
  • Make referrals to appropriate community agencies, as needed.

Education Specialists

  • Available to assist your program on the journey to achieving high-quality child care.
  • Are assigned to providers and will be able to offer training and technical assistance, as needed.
  • Work alongside birth to 5-year-old classroom teachers, providing training, modeling best practices, and offering curriculum support. Their goal is to ensure that children are being prepared for kindergarten by best practices that expose them to a wide variety of developmentally appropriate and high-quality early childhood literacy activities, and that the State Performance Standards are being met in the areas of Language/Communication and Emergent Literacy.
  • Work alongside infant and toddler teachers providing training, technical assistance, and support to create an appropriate, language-rich, early learning environment for infants and toddlers.
  • Employ standardized assessment tools to evaluate the classroom environment. He/she can work with the director to create an action plan that will lead to overall improvement, supply information regarding accreditation, and will be available to assist with developing both indoor and outdoor environments that will increase learning and meet children’s developmental needs. (back to top)

Accreditation: A Giant Step for Quality

Like any accredited school or college, child care programs that are accredited have attained a higher level of professional recognition and distinction than non-accredited programs. Accreditation represents the highest standard of quality child care, and it is awarded to centers and family child care providers that reach beyond the minimum child care standards defined by state licensing and registration agencies to meet standards of excellence.

Child care centers or family child care homes accredited by an association as one with standards that are deemed exceptional by the State of Florida are designated as Gold Seal Quality Care Programs. (click the link for more information).

Referrals to Your Business

Child Care Resource and Referral offers free information and referral services to families who are looking for child care. There are no charges/fees associated with a provider listing in the CCR&R database or for referrals to your program. Our agency maintains a database of all legally operating child care programs in Clay, Nassau, Baker, Bradford, Putnam and St. Johns Counties and we are required to update this information annually. Previously we used a paper form (referred to as the Provider Update Form) to collect this information from you. We have now moved this process into the new Statewide Provider Portal. The Provider Portal is an online database for child care providers and Early Learning Coalitions. This database is the database that we use to administer the School Readiness, CCR&R, and VPK Programs. Completing the annual provider update process in the Provider Portal is one of the first Child Care Resource & Referral components being utilized in the statewide Provider Portal.  We encourage you to complete this process and share your child care program’s information with us as it will be used on a statewide level to give state officials, agencies, the legislature and the governor’s office a picture of Florida’s child care community. Completing the provider update process is also a great opportunity to market your program, at no cost to you, to a wide range of families who may or may not know about the services you provide. Our office provides information and provider listings about available child care programs to families seeking child care. It is critical that this information be accurate to match families up with programs that most closely match their needs. If you have not already completed the registration process for an account, please start the process now by going to the following link:

https://providerservices.floridaearlylearning.com/Account/Login

After you register for an account, an ECS staff member will activate it. Once your account is activated you will be able to complete the Provider Portal Profile, which is the online version of the Provider Update Form. Once a Provider Portal Profile is completed, it can easily be updated on an annual or as needed basis so that your programs most up-to-date information is readily available to families seeking assistance with finding a child care provider. In the future if you become a contracted School Readiness or VPK provider, information already entered into the Provider Portal Profile will prepopulate into your contract. The staff of CCR&R strives to provide families with the most up to date and accurate information possible about provider services. It is important that you call us as changes occur to report changes in your hours, vacancies/enrollment, rates, recent training, and any special services you may be providing. We want to help you succeed in your business of providing quality child care and early education services. For any additional questions, please contact Sarah March at 904-726-1500 x 2206 or Sarah.March@ecs4kids.org

Child Care Resource and Referral provides listings, NOT recommendations.