In 2004, the Florida Legislature enacted legislation to implement the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Program, in accordance with the State Constitution. This legislation assigns responsibilities for the day-to-day management of the program to: The Agency for Workforce Innovation, Office of Early Learning Licensing and credentialing to the Department of Children and Families; and the creation of standards, curriculum, and accountability to the Florida Department of Education, Office of Early Learning. These agencies work together to provide leadership and support to the local early learning coalitions, school districts, and public and private providers to ensure the successful implementation of effective prekindergarten education programs for Florida’s four-year-old children. The statutes and administrative rules governing the program are available below and include changes from the 2008 legislative sessions. Please note that as agencies adopt new rules to comply with the statutory changes these will be updated as well.

Florida Statutes – Title 48 – Chapter 1002 – Part V
Chapter 1002 – Student And Parental Rights And Educational Choices
Part V – Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program

1002.51 Definitions
1002.53 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program; eligibility and enrollment
1002.55 School-year prekindergarten program delivered by private prekindergarten providers
1002.57 Prekindergarten director credential
1002.59 Emergent literacy training courses
1002.61 Summer prekindergarten program delivered by public schools and private prekindergarten providers
1002.63 School-year prekindergarten program delivered by public schools
1002.65 Professional credentials of prekindergarten instructors; aspirational goals; legislative intent
1002.67 Performance standards; curricula and accountability
1002.69 Statewide kindergarten screening; kindergarten readiness rates
1002.71 Funding; financial and attendance reporting
1002.72 Records of children in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program
1002.73 Department of Education; powers and duties; accountability requirements
1002.75 Agency for Workforce Innovation; powers and duties; operational requirements
1002.77 Florida Early Learning Advisory Council
1002.79 Rulemaking authority

Florida Statutes – Title 48 – Chapter 1003 – Part V
Chapter 1003 –Public K-12 Education

1003.575 Assistive technology devices; findings; interagency agreements

Florida Administrative Code – Chapter 6A-1
Chapter 6A.1: Finance And Administration

6A-1.099821 Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate (Word)
6A-1.099823 Performance Standards for Children Participating in the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Program (Word)

Florida Administrative Code – Chapter 6A-6
Chapter 6A-6 Special Programs I

6A-6.040 Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Director Endorsement for Private Providers

Agency For Workforce Innovation
Florida Statutes – Title 30 – Chapter 411
Chapter 411 – Handicap Or High-Risk Condition Prevention And Early Childhood Assistance
Part I – General Provisions

411.01 School readiness programs; early learning coalitions
411.0101Child care and early childhood resource and referral
411.0105 Early Learning Opportunities Act and Even Start Family Literacy Programs; lead agency
411.011 Records of children in school readiness programs
411.201 Florida Prevention, Early Assistance, and Early Childhood Act; short title
411.202 Definitions
411.203 Continuum of comprehensive services
411.205 Rules

Part II - Prevention And Early Assistance

411.22 Legislative intent
411.221 Prevention and early assistance strategic plan; agency responsibilities
411.223 Uniform standards
411.224 Family support planning process
411.226 Learning Gateway
411.227 Components of the Learning Gateway
411.228 Accountability

Part III - Infants And Toddlers

411.23 Short title
411.231 Legislative intent; purpose
411.232 Children's Early Investment Program
411.233 Dangers of shaking infants and young children; requirements for distributing brochures
411.24 Short title
411.241 Legislative intent
411.242 Florida Education Now and Babies Later (ENABL) program
411.243 Teen Pregnancy Prevention Community Initiative

Florida Administrative Code – Chapter 60BB-8
Chapter 60BB-8 – Voluntary Prekindergarten Program
Creating Rules 60BB-8.100, 60BB-8.200, 60BB-8.201, 60BB-8.202, 60BB-8.300, F.A.C

60BB-8.100 Definitions
60BB-8.200 Voluntary Prekindergarten Child Eligibility
60BB-8.2015 VPK Child Registration Pilot Project
60BB-8.202 Child Eligibility Determination and Enrollment Procedures
60BB-8.204 Uniform Attendance Policy for Funding the VPK Program
60BB-8.300 Provider and Class Registration Procedures; Application; Eligibility Determination
60BB-8.301 Statewide Provider Agreement for the VPK Program
60BB-8.305 Recording and Certifying Child Attendance in the VPK Program
60BB-8.400 VPK Class Sizes; Blended Classes; Multi-Class Groups
60BB-8.451 VPK Class Schedules
60BB-8.900 Obtaining VPK Forms

Department Of Children & Families
Florida Statutes – Title 29 – Chapter 402 – Sections 402.26-402.319
Chapter 402 – Health And Human Services: Miscellaneous Provisions
Sections 402.26-402.319 – Child Care

402.26 Child care; legislative intent
402.281 Gold Seal Quality Care program
402.301 Child care facilities; legislative intent and declaration of purpose and policy
402.3016 Early Head Start collaboration grants
402.3018 Consultation to child care centers and family day care homes regarding health, developmental, disability, and special needs issues
402.302 Definitions
402.3025 Public and nonpublic schools
402.3026 Full-service schools
402.3045 Requirement for distinguishable definitions of child care
402.305 Licensing standards; child care facilities
402.30501 Modification of introductory child care course for community college credit authorized
402.3051 Child care market rate reimbursement; child care grants 402.3054 Child enrichment service providers
402.3055 Child care personnel requirements
402.3057 Persons not required to be refingerprinted or rescreened
402.306 Designation of licensing agency; dissemination by the department and local licensing agency of information on child care
402.307 Approval of licensing agency
402.308 Issuance of license
402.309 Provisional license or registration
402.310 Disciplinary actions; hearings upon denial, suspension, or revocation of license or registration; administrative fines
402.311 Inspection
402.3115 Elimination of duplicative and unnecessary inspections; abbreviated inspections
402.312 License required; injunctive relief
402.3125 Display and appearance of license; posting of violations; information to be provided to parents
402.313 Family day care homes
402.3131 Large family child care homes
402.3135 Subsidized child care case management program
402.314 Supportive services
402.3145 Subsidized child care transportation program
402.315 Funding License Fees
402.316 Exemptions
402.317 Prolonged child care
402.318 Advertisement
402.319 Penalties
402.56 Children's cabinet; organization; responsibilities; annual report

Florida Administrative Code – Chapter 65C-20
Chapter 65C-20 – Family Day Care Standards And Large Family Child Care Homes

65C-20.008 Application
65C-20.009 Staffing Requirements
65C-20.010 Health and Safety Related Requirements
65C-20.011 Health Records
65C-20.012 Enforcement
65C-20.013 Large Family Child Care Homes (LFCCH)

65C-20.014 Gold Seal Quality Care Program
Florida Administrative Code – Chapter 65C-22
Chapter 65C-22 – Child Care Standards

65C-22.001 General Information
65C-22.002 Physical Environment
65C-22.003 Training
65C-22.004 Health Related Requirements
65C-22.005 Food and Nutrition
65C-22.006 Record Keeping
65C-22.007 Evening Child Care
65C-22.008 School Age Child Care

Florida Approved Child Care Accreditation Programs

Gold Seal Quality Care Program List Of Approved Accrediting Agencies (2007)
Accrediting Agency Side-By-Side Comparison 08/05
Accrediting Agencies For Religious Exempt Child Care Facilities

VPK Funding

Section 1002.71, Florida Statutes (F.S.), Funding; financial and attendance reporting.

(3)(a) The base student allocation per full-time equivalent student in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program shall be provided in the General Appropriations Act and shall be equal for each student, regardless of whether the student is enrolled in a school-year prekindergarten program delivered by a private prekindergarten provider, a summer prekindergarten program delivered by a public school or private prekindergarten provider, or a school-year prekindergarten program delivered by a public school. (b) Each county's allocation per full-time equivalent student in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program shall be calculated annually by multiplying the base student allocation provided in the General Appropriations Act by the county's district cost differential provided in s. 1011.62(2). Each private prekindergarten provider and public school shall be paid in accordance with the county's allocation per full-time equivalent student.

(d) For programs offered by school districts pursuant to s. 1002.61, each district's funding shall be based on a full-time equivalent student enrollment that is evenly divisible by 10. If the result of dividing a district's full-time equivalent student enrollment by 10 is not a whole number, the district's enrollment calculation shall be adjusted by adding the minimum number of full-time equivalent students to produce a full-time equivalent student enrollment calculation that is evenly divisible by 10.

Memo #08-12 (PDF) 2008-09 Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Program Appropriation and Minimum Funding Level for School District 2008 Summer VPK Programs

2008-09 VPK Allocations for Districts and Coalitions (PDF)

Memo # 07-37 (Word) Special Legislative Session – Technical Revision 2007-08 Budget Year for the Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Program

2007-08 VPK Conference Report with 89% Payout Rate (Excel)

Memo #06-10 (PDF) 2006-07 Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Funding: Minimum Funding Level for District Summer VPK Programs

2006-07 VPK Funding (Excel) 2006-07 VPK Allocations for Districts and Coalitions

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