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Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK)
If your program meets the
following, you may be eligible to offer Voluntary
Prekindergarten:
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Each private provider must be
a licensed child care facility, a licensed
family day care home (registered homes are not
eligible), a licensed large family child care
home, or a nonpublic school or faith-based child
care provider that is exempt from licensure.
Each private provider must also:
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OPTION 1 - Be accredited by an
accrediting association that is a member of one
of the following:
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OPTION 2 - Hold a current Gold
Seal Quality Care designation.
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OPTION 3 - Be a licensed child
care provider and demonstrate to the early
learning coalition that the provider meets the
VPK program requirements, including, but not
limited to, credentials and background
screenings of instructors, minimum and maximum
class sizes, director credentials, and
developmentally appropriate curriculum.
Unlicensed family day care homes and informal
child care providers are not eligible to
participate in the program.
The VPK program places no limit
on the number of children served by each provider.
It is each provider’s decision of how many children
to serve.
The VPK program is FREE for
eligible children, regardless of family income.
Providers are not permitted to charge a registration
fee or require parents to agree to any additional
services. State law does not, however, prohibit a
provider from charging registration fees for
programs or care that are not part of the VPK
program. Florida law specifies that each parent is
responsible for the transportation of his or her
child to and from the VPK program. Some VPK
providers may offer transportation services, and
families are encouraged to explore these options
before choosing a VPK provider. Florida law
prohibits VPK providers from discriminating against
children or their parents on the ground of race,
color, or national origin, including the refusal to
admit a child to the VPK program.
In order to be a VPK provider,
you are required to enter into an agreement with the
Early Learning Coalition as well as attend an
orientation session. Please contact our Quality
Department to learn more.
Approved Providers
Providers who have
completed the approval process and are
eligible to offer VPK classes for the
current VPK school year appear on the
List of Approved VPK Providers.
80/20 Attendance Policy
For the 2009-2010 VPK
school year, attendance is now
reimbursed using the "80/20 Rule". For more
information on the 80/20 Rule, see these
Frequently Asked Questions and
examples.
Summer 2010 Registration
For providers interested in
offering Summer VPK classes for 2010, applications
will be accepted beginning March 29. Please read our
Summer VPK Provider Registration Information for
answers on registering your program for summer.
Links to more information:
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| VPK CREDENTIAL LINKS |
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For VPK-related forms, please go to our
Forms for Providers
page.
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