About the Gold Seal Quality Care Program
“In 1996, the Florida Legislature established the Gold Seal Quality Care program to acknowledge child care facilities and family day care homes that are accredited by recognized agencies and whose standards reflect quality in the level of care and supervision provided to children.
In addition, the Legislature established provisions for Gold Seal providers participating in the subsidized child care program, a.k.a. school readiness and early learning, to receive a higher reimbursement per child, than providers not receiving a Gold Seal designation. Since then, the Legislature has revised the maximum amount of the reimbursement. Currently, the rate differential cannot exceed 20% above the reimbursement rate established by the local early learning coalition, a.k.a. the local school readiness coalition.
In 1999, the Legislature revised the program to provide tax incentives through the Department of Revenue or county tax appraiser for participating in the Gold Seal Quality Care Program.
In December 2004, Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) legislation was passed and signed into law. This bill requires participating child care facilities and homes to maintain quality care accreditation and higher education standards for staff.
A Gold Seal Quality Care program designation is accepted for child care providers to be eligible to participate in VPK. For other VPK eligibility options, please click here for information on the Voluntary Prekindergarten Program.
Approved Accrediting Agencies
The following is a current list of approved agencies participating in the Gold Seal Quality Care Program.
- ACSI - Association of Christian Schools International
- ACTS - Association of Christian Teachers and Schools
- APPLE - Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment
- COA - Council of Accreditation (as part of multi-program organizations)
- FCCPSA - Florida Coalition of Christian Private School Accreditation
- FLOCS - Florida League of Christian Schools
- GAACS - Green Apple Accreditation of Children's Services
- NAC - National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs
- NAEYC - National Association for the Education of Young Children
- NAFCC - National Association for Family Child Care
- NCPSA - National Council for Private School Accreditation
- NECPA - National Early Childhood Program Accreditation
- NLSA - National Lutheran School Accreditation (FL/GA District)
- SACS - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(Before and After School; Birth through 5 effective February 28, 2014) - UMAP - United Methodist Association of Preschools
- Accrediting Agency Side-By-Side Comparison