DCF CHILD CARE FACILITIES STUDY 2026 GUIDE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Seat Belt/Child Restraints - ✔✔Each child, when transported, must be seated in a
back seat in an individual factory
installed seat belt or federally approved child safety restraint. The child safety
restraint must be installed, secured and used in accordance with the
manufacturer's instructions and a copy of such instructions must be maintained (in
the vehicle and/or on file)
✔✔Seat Belt/Child Restraints - ✔✔A. Children aged birth to one year old must be
secured in a rear-facing car safety
seat.
B. Children aged one through 3 years, such restraint device must be a separate
carrier or a vehicle built-in child seat.
C. For children aged 4 years, a separate carrier, a vehicle built-in child seat, or a
child booster seat must be used with appropriate seat belt.
D. All children 5 and older must be in seat belts.
E. When applicable, any vehicle used for transporting children must
accommodate the placement of wheelchairs with four tie-downs affixed
according to the manufactures' instructions in a forward-facing direction and
the wheelchair occupant must be secured by a three-point tie restraint during
transport; or the child must be placed in a federally approved child safety
,restraint or factory installed seatbelt when transported, in accordance to the
child's needs.
✔✔Planned Activities - ✔✔Each group or class must have a written and followed plan of
scheduled activities posted
in an easily seen location accessible to parents.
Promote emotional, social, intellectual, and physical growth
✔✔Field Trip Activities - ✔✔A. Parents must be advised in advance of each field trip
activity.
B. The date, time, and location of the field trip must be posted in an easily seen location
at least two working days prior to each field trip.
C. Written parental permission must be obtained in the form of a general or event-
specific
permission slip.
D. If special circumstances arise where notification of an event cannot be posted for two
working days, individual permission slips must be obtained from the custodial parent
or legal guardian for each child participating on the field trip.
E. Emergency contact information for each child on the field trip, including walking field
trips, must be in the possession of a child care personnel on the field trip.
F. A telephone or other means of instant communication must be available to staff
responsible for children during all field trips, including walking field trips. Cellular
phones, two-way radio devices, citizen band radios, and other means of instant
communications are acceptable.
G. Documentation of parental permission for field trips must be on file and maintained
for
at least 4 months from the date of the field trip.
✔✔Child Discipline - ✔✔The child care facility shall adopt a discipline policy consistent
with Section
402.305(12), F.S., including standards that prohibit children from being subjected to
discipline which is severe, humiliating, frightening, or associated with food, rest, or
toileting. Spanking or any other form of physical punishment is prohibited.
✔✔B. The child care facility operators, employees, substitutes, and volunteers -
✔✔must comply
with written disciplinary and expulsion policies.
✔✔Child Discipline Rules - ✔✔Verification that the child care facility has provided the
parent or guardian a written
copy of the disciplinary and expulsion policies used by the program must be
documented on the enrollment form with the signature of the custodial parent or legal
guardian.
, ✔✔What is the main purpose for regulatory agencies in child care? - ✔✔govern child
care in Florida so they can provide a safe and healthy setting for children in out-of-home
care.
✔✔How do regulatory agencies
influence the care each child receives? - ✔✔ensure that children are well cared for in a
safe, healthy, positive, and educational environment by trained, qualified child care staff
✔✔The Florida Statutes (F.S.) - ✔✔outline the legislative intent of the child care
regulations
✔✔Legislature - ✔✔established child care standards and establishes the intent to
protect the health, safety, and well-being of Florida's children through the establishment
of minimum standards of care for Florida.
✔✔The licensing standards established by the Department address the - ✔✔Physical
environment (health, sanitation, safety, and physical surroundings) and
Children in care (health, nutrition, and development)
✔✔Child Care Standards - ✔✔The health and safety standards support all areas of
children's development, as well as the environment where care is provided. The
standards provide families with options for child care so they are able to make decisions
that best align with their goals and needs.
✔✔The Florida Department of Children and Families' Office of Child Care Regulation's
mission - ✔✔to "ensure the health, safety, and well-being of the children of the state
while in care through licensing and regulatory activities. The purpose of this program is
to ensure that children are well cared for in a safe, healthy, positive, and educational
environment by trained, qualified child care staff."
✔✔Regulation - ✔✔is a law, rule, ordinance, or other order prescribed by authority,
especially to regulate conduct. Rules and regulations exist to protect the health and
safety of children in out-of-home care.
✔✔Florida Law - ✔✔means a bill passed by the Florida Legislature, which includes the
House and Senate, and signed by the governor of Florida.
✔✔Florida Statutes - ✔✔a permanent collection of state laws organized by subject area
into a code made up of titles, chapters, parts, and sections. The Florida Statutes are
updated annually by laws that create, amend, transfer, or repeal statutory material.
✔✔Rules - ✔✔implement, interpret, and/or describe laws found in the Florida Statutes
✔✔Florida Administrative Code
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Seat Belt/Child Restraints - ✔✔Each child, when transported, must be seated in a
back seat in an individual factory
installed seat belt or federally approved child safety restraint. The child safety
restraint must be installed, secured and used in accordance with the
manufacturer's instructions and a copy of such instructions must be maintained (in
the vehicle and/or on file)
✔✔Seat Belt/Child Restraints - ✔✔A. Children aged birth to one year old must be
secured in a rear-facing car safety
seat.
B. Children aged one through 3 years, such restraint device must be a separate
carrier or a vehicle built-in child seat.
C. For children aged 4 years, a separate carrier, a vehicle built-in child seat, or a
child booster seat must be used with appropriate seat belt.
D. All children 5 and older must be in seat belts.
E. When applicable, any vehicle used for transporting children must
accommodate the placement of wheelchairs with four tie-downs affixed
according to the manufactures' instructions in a forward-facing direction and
the wheelchair occupant must be secured by a three-point tie restraint during
transport; or the child must be placed in a federally approved child safety
,restraint or factory installed seatbelt when transported, in accordance to the
child's needs.
✔✔Planned Activities - ✔✔Each group or class must have a written and followed plan of
scheduled activities posted
in an easily seen location accessible to parents.
Promote emotional, social, intellectual, and physical growth
✔✔Field Trip Activities - ✔✔A. Parents must be advised in advance of each field trip
activity.
B. The date, time, and location of the field trip must be posted in an easily seen location
at least two working days prior to each field trip.
C. Written parental permission must be obtained in the form of a general or event-
specific
permission slip.
D. If special circumstances arise where notification of an event cannot be posted for two
working days, individual permission slips must be obtained from the custodial parent
or legal guardian for each child participating on the field trip.
E. Emergency contact information for each child on the field trip, including walking field
trips, must be in the possession of a child care personnel on the field trip.
F. A telephone or other means of instant communication must be available to staff
responsible for children during all field trips, including walking field trips. Cellular
phones, two-way radio devices, citizen band radios, and other means of instant
communications are acceptable.
G. Documentation of parental permission for field trips must be on file and maintained
for
at least 4 months from the date of the field trip.
✔✔Child Discipline - ✔✔The child care facility shall adopt a discipline policy consistent
with Section
402.305(12), F.S., including standards that prohibit children from being subjected to
discipline which is severe, humiliating, frightening, or associated with food, rest, or
toileting. Spanking or any other form of physical punishment is prohibited.
✔✔B. The child care facility operators, employees, substitutes, and volunteers -
✔✔must comply
with written disciplinary and expulsion policies.
✔✔Child Discipline Rules - ✔✔Verification that the child care facility has provided the
parent or guardian a written
copy of the disciplinary and expulsion policies used by the program must be
documented on the enrollment form with the signature of the custodial parent or legal
guardian.
, ✔✔What is the main purpose for regulatory agencies in child care? - ✔✔govern child
care in Florida so they can provide a safe and healthy setting for children in out-of-home
care.
✔✔How do regulatory agencies
influence the care each child receives? - ✔✔ensure that children are well cared for in a
safe, healthy, positive, and educational environment by trained, qualified child care staff
✔✔The Florida Statutes (F.S.) - ✔✔outline the legislative intent of the child care
regulations
✔✔Legislature - ✔✔established child care standards and establishes the intent to
protect the health, safety, and well-being of Florida's children through the establishment
of minimum standards of care for Florida.
✔✔The licensing standards established by the Department address the - ✔✔Physical
environment (health, sanitation, safety, and physical surroundings) and
Children in care (health, nutrition, and development)
✔✔Child Care Standards - ✔✔The health and safety standards support all areas of
children's development, as well as the environment where care is provided. The
standards provide families with options for child care so they are able to make decisions
that best align with their goals and needs.
✔✔The Florida Department of Children and Families' Office of Child Care Regulation's
mission - ✔✔to "ensure the health, safety, and well-being of the children of the state
while in care through licensing and regulatory activities. The purpose of this program is
to ensure that children are well cared for in a safe, healthy, positive, and educational
environment by trained, qualified child care staff."
✔✔Regulation - ✔✔is a law, rule, ordinance, or other order prescribed by authority,
especially to regulate conduct. Rules and regulations exist to protect the health and
safety of children in out-of-home care.
✔✔Florida Law - ✔✔means a bill passed by the Florida Legislature, which includes the
House and Senate, and signed by the governor of Florida.
✔✔Florida Statutes - ✔✔a permanent collection of state laws organized by subject area
into a code made up of titles, chapters, parts, and sections. The Florida Statutes are
updated annually by laws that create, amend, transfer, or repeal statutory material.
✔✔Rules - ✔✔implement, interpret, and/or describe laws found in the Florida Statutes
✔✔Florida Administrative Code
