summary
Introduced
01/09/2026
01/09/2026
In Committee
03/10/2026
03/10/2026
Crossed Over
03/05/2026
03/05/2026
Passed
03/17/2026
03/17/2026
Dead
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
An act relating to child care and early learning services; amending s. 402.306, F.S.; revising the information on child care required to be disseminated electronically to the community; amending ss. 402.313 and 402.3131, F.S.; deleting the requirement that family child care homes and large family child care homes, respectively, provide specified information to parents each year; conforming provisions to changes made by the act; amending s. 402.316, F.S.; requiring that certain child care facilities exempt from licensure requirements meet certain minimum requirements; providing that failure to meet such minimum requirements results in the loss of the exemption from licensure; requiring a child care facility exempt from licensure requirements to include a specified statement on its website and in its promotional materials and facility-created documents and forms provided to families served by the child care facility; amending s. 627.70161, F.S.; changing the term “family day care home” to “family child care home”; providing legislative findings and intent relating to large family child care homes; defining the term “large family child care home”; prohibiting residential property insurance policies from providing coverage for liability for claims arising out of, or in connection with, the operations of large family child care homes; providing that insurers are under no obligation to defend against lawsuits covering such claims; providing exceptions; prohibiting insurers from denying, cancelling, or refusing to renew a policy for residential property insurance on the basis that the policyholders or applicants operate large family child care homes; providing exceptions; amending s. 1001.24, F.S.; revising the definition of the term “Department of Education direct-support organization”; creating s. 1002.821, F.S.; creating the Florida Child Care Fund for a specified purpose; requiring a Department of Education direct-support organization to administer the fund; requiring funds to be deposited into the Early Learning Fund; requiring legislative appropriations from the Child Care and Development Block Grant Trust Fund to be deposited into the Early Learning Fund; requiring that funds from state sources and interest earnings be accounted for separately; specifying uses for such funds; beginning on a specified date, requiring the Division of Early Learning to prepare, and the Department of Education to publish on its website, an annual report on the performance of the fund; specifying requirements for the reports; amending s. 1002.95, F.S.; requiring the administrator of the Teacher Education and Compensation Helps Scholarship Program, subject to an appropriation, to establish and administer the Center for Early Childhood Professional Recognition for a specified purpose; amending ss. 39.202, 125.0109, 166.0445, 212.08, 402.302, 402.305, 402.309, 402.310, 402.3115, 402.312, 402.315, 402.318, 402.319, 409.988, 411.203, 1002.55, 1002.82, 1002.83, 1002.84, 1002.88, 1002.895, 1002.92, 1002.93, and 1002.945, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made by the act; providing an effective date.
AI Summary
This bill makes several changes to child care and early learning services in Florida, including updating the information about child care facilities that is made available to the public electronically, and removing the yearly requirement for family child care homes and large family child care homes to provide specific information to parents. It also mandates that certain child care facilities exempt from licensure must meet minimum health and safety requirements, or they will lose their exemption, and requires these facilities to clearly state their exemption status on their websites and in materials provided to families. The bill also renames "family day care home" to "family child care home" and defines "large family child care home," while clarifying that residential property insurance policies generally will not cover liability claims arising from the operations of large family child care homes, though insurers cannot deny, cancel, or refuse to renew policies solely because someone operates one. Additionally, it revises the definition of a "Department of Education direct-support organization" to include early learning programs for young children and establishes the Florida Child Care Fund, to be administered by a direct-support organization, to support early learning and child care needs, with funds deposited into the Early Learning Fund and used for specific purposes, including funding a waiting list for early learning coalitions. The bill also requires the establishment of a Center for Early Childhood Professional Recognition to align statewide training, and makes various conforming changes throughout Florida Statutes to reflect these updates.
Committee Categories
Budget and Finance, Education
Sponsors (1)
Other Sponsors (3)
Appropriations (Senate), Children, Families, and Elder Affairs (Senate), Education Pre-K - 12 (Senate)
Last Action
Ordered enrolled (on 03/17/2026)
Official Document
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