Formal Educational Qualifications
A child care professional using a formal education to meet the staff credential requirement, must have one of the following:
A). B.A., B.S. or advanced degree in ONE of the following areas:
- Early Childhood Education/Child Development,
- Pre-Kindergarten or Primary Education,
- Preschool Education,
- Family and Consumer Sciences (formerly Home Economics/Child Development),
- Exceptional Student Education,
- Special Education,
- Mental Disabilities,
- Specific Learning Disabilities,
- Physically Impaired,
- Varying Exceptionalities,
- Emotional Disabilities,
- Visually Impaired,
- Hearing Impaired,
- Speech-Language Pathology, or
- Elementary Education with certification to teach any age birth through 6th grade (certification may be inactive provided the certificate is not suspended/revoked).
B). A.S., A.A. degree or higher in Early Childhood Education/Child Development
C). Associate's degree or higher WITH at least six (6) college credit hours in early childhood education/child development AND at least 480 hours experience in a child care setting serving children ages birth through eight (8).
Degrees must be earned from an accredited institution.
If a college degree is earned outside the U.S., it must be evaluated by an approved credential evaluation agency approved by the Bureau of Educators Certification or an accredited college/university to be equivalent to a U.S. degree.
Staff credentials met through formal education qualifications do not expire.
Download a copy of the Florida Child Care Staff Credential Application, CF-FSP 5211, October 2017.