Child Care; Program Standards; Quality Improvement; Regulation & Standards
Status:
Active
Year Started:
1996
Administered By:
Florida Department of Children and Families
Description:
The Gold Seal Quality Care Program is a voluntary program that provides benefits to legally operating child care providers who achieve accreditation by one of the approved accrediting agencies. Benefits of participation include: sales tax exemption; a positive marketing tool for parents; an increased reimbursement rate for children participating in the Office of Early Learning School Readiness Program; and eligibility for participation in the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Program.
The Gold Seal program itself does not provide accrediting standards. Instead, it approves accrediting agencies whose standards meet or exceed the standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) or the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation Commission. A list of approved accrediting agencies is available on the Gold Seal website.