Obtaining a License
The Office of Licensing offers the following child-caring agency settings for licensure to provide care and supervision to children and youth who require respite care, behavioral treatment, and for vulnerable children who have been declared dependents of the state. All child-caring agencies incorporate of high-level training, adequate policy and procedures, family engagement, suitable staff to youth ratio, and delivery of appropriate services/treatments to all children placed in the setting. As a community provider, licensed child-caring agencies partner with local stakeholders such as the Department of Juvenile Justice, Department’s Human Trafficking Team, Community Based Care Lead Agency, and Case Management Organizations.
Setting Types
At-Risk House: provides care and support services to children and youth who are at risk of becoming sex trafficking victims.
Emergency Shelter: provides 24-hour care and supervision for youth in need of shelter on a temporary basis.
Maternity Home: provides care and specialized support for prenatal, post-partum, or parenting youth.
Qualified residential treatment program (QRTP): provides care and treatment for youth who have serious emotional or behavioral disorders or disturbances. QRTP must be licensed by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) as a therapeutic group home and be credentialed as a child-caring agency by the Department.
Behavioral qualified residential treatment program (BQRTP): provide care and services for youth who have serious emotional or behavioral disorders or disturbances. Maladaptive behaviors are typically the underling factor for admission into a BQRTP.
Residential Group Home: provides care to meet the physical, emotional, and social needs of children.
Runaway Shelter: provides 24-hour care and supervision for children who are in conflict with their parents or who runaway or are recovered from a missing child episode.
Safe House: certified by the Department to provide 24-hour care and supervision to care for sexually exploited children, as outlined in Section 409.1678, F.S.
Traditional Group Home: provides care to meet the physical, emotional, and social needs of children. A traditional group home is located in a single family or multi-family community with a licensed bed capacity no greater than 14.
Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Program (URMP): a federally funded and state administered program that provides care of unaccompanied refugee minors, as further defined in Rule 65F-1.001, F.A.C.
Wilderness Camp: provides care to meet the physical, emotional, and social needs of children.
Becoming a Licensed Provider
In considering becoming a potential group care provider, please review and self-assess on the following information:
- Quality Standards for Group Care
- Introduction to Becoming a Child-Care Agency (Presentation)
- Child-Caring Agency Licensure Assessment
- Title IV-E Maintenance Budget - Child Caring Agency BQRTP (Presentation)
(For assistance with these documents, contact licensing staff member in your area.)
How to Get Started with Background Screenings
All child-caring agencies must obtain an OCA from the Department to complete the required background screenings to meet licensure requirements.