Where to check a license, find help paying and get answers, from official Florida sources and trusted nonprofits.
In immediate danger? Call 911.
To report suspected child abuse or neglect, call the Florida Abuse Hotline. It is open 24 hours a day.
Call 1-800-962-2873Official source means a Florida or U.S. government website.
Look up a license and read inspection reports before you visit.
Official source
Search by name, city or ZIP to see a provider's license and inspection history.
Questions to ask a provider, plus the state's staff-to-child ratios.
Lists, by region, of providers accredited above the state's minimum licensing standards.
Checklists and local agencies that help you compare providers.
The state's Quality Checklist, Family Guide and child development sheets.
Checklists to use on a tour, by type of care.
Enter your address or ZIP to find the Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency that serves your area.
Programs that help with the cost of child care, plus free pre-K at age 4.
Official source
Financial help with early education and care for eligible low-income families.
Free pre-K for Florida children who turn 4 by September 1, and how the program works.
Apply online for School Readiness and VPK.
Find your county's coalition and its contact details.
Steps to enroll a child in Head Start, a federal early education and family support program.
Health coverage, food help and early support for young children.
Official source
Health and dental insurance for children, with costs based on age, household size and income. Apply online or call 1-888-540-5437.
Food help for pregnant women, new mothers and children under 5. Applications go through your county health department.
Early intervention services, at no cost to families, for children from birth to 36 months with developmental delays or disabilities.
Official guides on safe sleep for babies and on car seats.
Official source
Safe sleep information for babies from the National Institutes of Health.
The state's page on safe sleep for infants.
Federal guidance on choosing and installing a car seat or booster seat.
The state highway safety page on seat belts and child seats.
Where to take a safety concern about a child or a provider.
Official source
Takes reports of known or suspected child abuse, neglect or abandonment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 1-800-962-2873 or report online. In immediate danger, call 911.
For other concerns about a child care provider. This form is not for abuse or neglect; use the hotline for those.