About the Gold Seal Quality Care Program

In 1996, the Florida Legislature established the Gold Seal Quality Care Program to recognize child care facilities and family day care homes that have gone above the required minimum licensing standards to become accredited by recognized agencies whose standards reflect quality in the level of care and supervision provided to children. 

The Gold Seal Quality Care Program is not an accreditation, but a designation with potential benefits to those that participate including, but not limited to:​

• A positive marketing tool for prospective parents.
• Tax exemptions - The Department of Revenue issues the exemption certificates for sales tax. This exemption is for certain educational materials. The application for a sales tax exemption for Gold Seal Quality Care Child Care Facilities can be found here. To obtain an application for property tax exemption, facilities will need to contact the local property appraiser’s office. The property appraisers process these applications and issue the property tax exemption.  
• Higher reimbursement for School Readiness providers. Please click here for more information the School Readiness Program.
• Eligibility to participate in Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK). Please click here for information on the Voluntary Prekindergarten Program.

Participation in this program is voluntary and is available to all provider types that meet the definition of child care with the exception of certain license-exempt school-age programs identified in Chapter 65C-22.008(3), F.A.C. A link to the Gold Seal designation process and application for providers can be found below.

NOTE: Effective July 1, 2021, the Gold Seal Quality Care Program was transferred to the Department of Education (DOE) from the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The DOE’s Division of Early Learning is currently working in collaboration with DCF and the Children’s Forum to ensure a smooth transition. What does this mean for providers? If you currently hold a Gold Seal designation, your status remains unchanged. The Children’s Forum will continue to accept and process new applications, manage renewals and handle any questions.  Additionally, the DCF will continue inspections for providers holding a Gold Seal designation, including those who are exempt. 

An accrediting association wishing to be approved as a Gold Seal Association must apply and substantially meet or exceed the Gold Seal Quality Care standards. 

NOTE: Accrediting associations are encouraged to review the information below about the Gold Seal program, however during the transition, accrediting association applications will not be accepted until the Gold Seal rule has been adopted by DOE’s Division of Early Learning in 2022. Please come back to this page in February 2022 as the process and application information for accrediting associations will be updated and included in the links below.

• Find a Gold Seal Quality Care Provider – Provider Map
• Find an Approved Gold Seal Accrediting Association – Association List
• Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Gold Seal
• Gold Seal Designation Process for Child Care Providers
• Gold Seal Quality Care Summary and Detail Data
• Statutory References 
• Side-by-Side Comparison of Approved Gold Seal Accreditation Associations