Say how many children, their ages, and whose they are. In a few seconds you get whether you need a license or a registration, the ratio limits by age, the background screening and training you must finish before the first day, and the application list. No account. Nothing stored.
Free — 30 seconds
No names. Count your own children under 13 too — the law does.
Why this exists
Florida lets a caregiver run a small licensed or registered home — and pays subsidies to many of them — but the counting rule, the screening, the training and the county differences are spread across a statute, a rule and a website. This puts your numbers against the rule and lists the steps in order.
How it works
How many children, how many infants, whose. Nothing is saved.
License or registration, your ratio, screening and training before day one, your county's agency.
A dated checklist back from your start date and an enrollment paragraph — in the full version.
Plans
The free check tells you whether licensing applies and what the limits are. The full version writes the dated checklist back from your start date and the enrollment paragraph for parents.
The full check, a dated application checklist working back from your start date, the home-safety items, and a parent-facing enrollment paragraph. Printable.
For an Early Learning Coalition provider-recruitment team, a church or a community program that helps caregivers get licensed.
All prices in USD, handled by Stripe. The free check never goes behind a paywall.
Common questions
It depends on your county. Under Fla. Stat. 402.313, a family day care home must be licensed in the counties that have adopted licensing for family day care homes, and registered with DCF everywhere else. This tool explains the rules in plain language and is not legal advice — DCF or your county licensing agency confirms which one actually applies to you.
Fla. Stat. 402.302 sets four possible limits for a family day care home, counting your own children under 13: up to 4 children from birth to 12 months; up to 3 infants plus other children for a total of 6; up to 6 preschool children if all are older than 12 months; or up to 10 children if no more than 5 are preschool age and no more than 2 of those are under 12 months. The tool compares the ages and numbers you give against this table — it does not guess, so enter exact ages for an accurate read.
Before you accept any child, Rule 65C-20, F.A.C. requires Level 2 background screening (fingerprints through DCF's Clearinghouse) for you, any substitute, and every household member 18 or older — household members 12–17 may need it too. You also need the 30-hour Family Child Care Home training course, current infant/child CPR and first aid, and annual in-service training after that. Your application is not approved until screening clears, so do not take in children before then.
The first look — whether you need a license or registration and the ratio check — is free, and nothing you enter is stored; there's no account. If you want the printable checklist and timeline, it's $9 for one home, and there's a $49-per-month plan for coalitions, churches, and programs that need to check multiple homes.
Care that is only for relatives generally falls outside the 'family day care home' definition in Fla. Stat. 402.302, so licensing or registration may not be required. You can still choose voluntary registration or licensing, which can open up eligibility for subsidies through the Early Learning Coalition — DCF confirms whether that path fits your situation.
Depende del condado. Según el Fla. Stat. 402.313, un hogar de cuidado infantil familiar debe tener licencia en los condados que han adoptado ese requisito, y debe registrarse ante el DCF en los demás. Esta herramienta explica las reglas en lenguaje sencillo y no constituye asesoría legal — el DCF o la agencia de licencias de su condado confirma cuál le corresponde a usted.
El Fla. Stat. 402.302 establece cuatro límites posibles para un hogar de cuidado infantil familiar, contando a sus propios hijos menores de 13 años: hasta 4 niños de 0 a 12 meses; hasta 3 bebés más otros niños hasta un total de 6; hasta 6 niños en edad preescolar si todos tienen más de 12 meses; o hasta 10 niños si no más de 5 están en edad preescolar y de esos no más de 2 tienen menos de 12 meses. La herramienta compara las edades y cantidades que usted ingrese con esta tabla — no calcula por aproximación, así que indique las edades exactas para un resultado preciso.
Antes de recibir a cualquier niño, la Regla 65C-20, F.A.C. exige la verificación de antecedentes Nivel 2 (huellas dactilares a través del Clearinghouse del DCF) para usted, cualquier sustituto y todo miembro del hogar de 18 años o más — los de 12 a 17 años también pueden necesitarla. También debe completar el curso de capacitación de 30 horas para Hogares de Cuidado Infantil Familiar, tener vigente la certificación de RCP y primeros auxilios infantiles, y continuar con capacitación anual. Su solicitud no se aprueba hasta que la verificación de antecedentes quede aprobada, así que no reciba niños antes de eso.
La primera revisión — si necesita licencia o registro y la verificación de proporciones — es gratuita, y no se guarda nada de lo que usted escriba; no se requiere cuenta. Si desea la lista de verificación imprimible con cronograma, cuesta $9 por un hogar, y hay un plan de $49 al mes para coaliciones, iglesias y programas que necesitan revisar varios hogares.
El cuidado que es únicamente para familiares generalmente queda fuera de la definición de 'hogar de cuidado infantil familiar' del Fla. Stat. 402.302, por lo que puede que no se requiera licencia ni registro. Aun así, puede optar por el registro o la licencia voluntaria, lo cual puede abrirle la elegibilidad para subsidios a través de la Coalición de Aprendizaje Temprano — el DCF confirma si esa opción corresponde a su situación.
Built by the same team, free to try.