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VPK Accreditation Guidance

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Voluntary Prekindergarten Accreditation 

The information that follows offers guidance to help determine if a non-licensed private provider is eligible to provide the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Program.

According to Section (s.) 1002.55(3)(b), Florida Statutes (F.S.), to be eligible to offer VPK, private providers must either be

  • licensed as a child care facility under s. 402.305, F.S.; family day care home under s. 402.313, F.S.; or large family child care home under s. 402.3131, F.S.;

or 

  • license-exempt under s. 402.3025(2), F.S. (for nonpublic schools), or s. 402.316, F.S. (for faith-based providers), and
    • hold a Gold Seal Quality Care designation under s. 1002.945, F.S., or
    • be accredited by an accrediting association that is a member of the National Council for Private School Accreditation or the Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic Schools, or
      • be accredited by one of the following associations:
      • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
      • Western Association of Colleges and Schools
      • North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
      • Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
      • New England Association of Colleges and Schools

How to Verify Gold Seal Designations

If a facility is accredited by one of the Gold Seal accrediting agencies, the provider has to apply for the Gold Seal designation with the Department of Children and Families. To see the list of accrediting agencies approved for Gold Seal, check here.

A Gold Seal Quality Care program designation is accepted for child care providers to be eligible to participate in VPK.

How to Verify Accrediting Association Members

To check if an accrediting association is a member of

  • The National Council for Private School Accreditation
  • The Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic Schools

How to Verify Accreditation

To check if a facility is accredited by

  • The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 
  • The Western Association of Colleges and Schools
  • The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
  • The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
  • The New England Association of Colleges and Schools