Terms Used In Florida Statutes 402.316

  • Child care: means the care, protection, and supervision of a child, for a period of less than 24 hours a day on a regular basis, which supplements parental care, enrichment, and health supervision for the child, in accordance with his or her individual needs, and for which a payment, fee, or grant is made for care. See Florida Statutes 402.302
  • Child care facility: includes any child care center or child care arrangement which provides child care for more than five children unrelated to the operator and which receives a payment, fee, or grant for any of the children receiving care, wherever operated, and whether or not operated for profit. See Florida Statutes 402.302
  • Department: means the Department of Children and Families. See Florida Statutes 402.302
  • Screening: means the act of assessing the background of child care personnel, in accordance with state and federal law, and volunteers and includes, but is not limited to:
    (a) Employment history checks, including documented attempts to contact each employer that employed the applicant within the preceding 5 years and documentation of the findings. See Florida Statutes 402.302

(1) The provisions of ss. 402.301402.319, except for the requirements regarding screening of child care personnel, shall not apply to a child care facility which is an integral part of church or parochial schools conducting regularly scheduled classes, courses of study, or educational programs accredited by, or by a member of, an organization which publishes and requires compliance with its standards for health, safety, and sanitation. However, such facilities shall meet minimum requirements of the applicable local governing body as to health, sanitation, and safety and shall meet the screening requirements pursuant to ss. 402.305 and 402.3055. Failure by a facility to comply with such screening requirements shall result in the loss of the facility’s exemption from licensure.
(2) Any county or city with state or local child care licensing programs in existence on July 1, 1974, will continue to license the child care facilities as covered by such programs, notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1), until and unless the licensing agency makes a determination to exempt them.
(3) Any child care facility covered by the exemption provisions of subsection (1), but desiring to be included in this act, is authorized to do so by submitting notification to the department. Once licensed, such facility cannot withdraw from the act and continue to operate.