Bill > S1336

This bill revises the requirements of the Gold Seal Quality Care program, which is a designation for high-quality child care facilities in Florida. The key provisions are: 1. The Department of Education (rather than the Department of Children and Families) will oversee the program and establish accreditation standards using nationally recognized accrediting standards. 2. The bill sets new requirements for accrediting entities that must be approved by the Department of Education to participate in the program, including having qualified personnel, meeting or exceeding the state's standards, and having a robust accreditation process. 3. The department will verify that accrediting entities meet the requirements, and can terminate an entity's participation if it fails to comply. 4. Accrediting entities can be held liable for repaying rate differentials if they grant accreditation through fraudulent means or fail to conduct onsite verifications. 5. The bill provides tax exemptions and rate differentials for child care facilities that achieve the Gold Seal Quality Care designation. Overall, the bill aims to strengthen the oversight and standards of the Gold Seal Quality Care program to ensure high-quality child care options for Florida families.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/1336