Trusting your child to the care of a preschool is a massive responsibility. A licensed preschool will follow the rules and regulations that Florida have in place to make sure your child is safe and in the hands of the best care possible. These rules to make a licensed preschool are not always easy to attain, and your choice in preschool should consider those schools that have gone the extra mile for safety and legality.
What is the fuss for a licensed preschool?
Florida legislature has delegated authority to the Department of Children and Families to enact a series of regulations that relate to the likes of nutrition, physical activity, and screen time.
Any facility that provides a form of care to six or more children in return for compensation needs to follow local Florida State regulations. The regulations are there for the best interest of the child by ensuring the following:
- Reduce risks that stem from disease and transmission and injuries due to an unsafe physical environment.
- Child protection from caregivers that are unfit for their position in a child-focused environment.
- To prevent any form of neglect, abuse or any other inappropriate treatment.
What regulations constitute a licensed preschool?
A licensed preschool carries the responsibility of cultivating an environment that is both healthy and educational.
Child care and school-age facilities are under obligation to adhere to USDA MyPlate standards regarding children’s’ nutrition.
It is also required that the licensed preschool provides a mixture of active and quiet play, of which cannot be denied due to bad behavior. Florida law follows the HEPA standards that incorporates the need for daily play outdoors, and a variety of play activities.
Regarding electronics, law regulates that any child over the age of two may only be exposed to electronic purposes with the objective of education or physical activity. Even this exposure has a time limit.
Anyone professionally entrusted to a form of child care needs to undergo training as part of the requirements for licensing. A licensed preschool will have documentation to prove it. Their staff will be appropriately screened and have the correct staff-to-child ratio. Whatever disciplinary procedures that have been adopted need to be formally codified.
Teachers need to have at least 40 hours of child care training. This training needs to continue with an annual service training. Proper records are to be kept with information on child health, enrollment and personnel, accidents and incidents.
A licensed preschool will undergo random inspection to make sure that they are meeting the health, safety and licensing standards.
In summary, you can be sure that a licensed preschool has really jumped through hoops to make sure that they:
- Meet requirements of the physical facility
- Follow guidelines put in place for health, safety and nutrition
- Keep proper enrollment and attendance records
- Grant permission for parents/guardians to access their children always
- Comply with annual inspection schedules
- Adhere to staff and director training requirements. This includes background checks for teachers
- Document current immunization records and physical examinations for children
- Follow Americans with Disabilities Act that ensures accommodation is made for children with special needs
Don’t sell yourself, or your child, short. Make sure that you enroll into a licensed preschool.