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Florida VPK

VPK Near Me

VPK is Florida's free pre-K for children who live in Florida and are 4 by September 1. Pick a provider below, then apply for a VPK certificate on the state's Family Portal.

VPK providers listed
5,453
towns
391
towns have their own VPK providers page
259
of all Florida daycares
54%

Map of Florida: each dot is a town with VPK providers, sized by how many are listed

Florida VPK
What puts a daycare on this listIts Florida license record says it offers Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK).Public schools also run VPK classes that may not be on the child care license list; your school district or early learning coalition lists them.

Florida VPK

How VPK works

by September 1 of the school year
Age 4
Children who live in Florida and are 4 on or before September 1 can enroll that school year. A child born from February 2 to September 1 may wait and enroll at age 5.
for the VPK hours
Free
A provider may charge for care outside VPK hours, such as the rest of a full day or extended care.
in the school-year program
540 hours
Or 300 hours in the summer program before kindergarten. Each provider sets its own days and hours, so ask.
Apply for VPK on the Florida Family Portal

Florida

Largest towns for VPK providers in Florida

Miami493 providersJacksonville365 providersOrlando282 providersTampa250 providersHialeah150 providersKissimmee77 providersTallahassee73 providersWest Palm Beach72 providersFort Myers67 providersPensacola64 providersHomestead63 providersLakeland60 providers

Programs

Programs in Florida

Counts come from the state record and what each daycare says it offers. A daycare without a tag may still offer the program; ask.

ProgramListed
All daycares10,171
Take infants7,124
Child care centers9,020
Accept subsidy5,973
In-home daycares1,151
Christian & church daycares1,273
Montessori schools298
Preschools & pre-K8,034
Early morning daycare1,935
Part-time daycare443
Drop-in daycare116
After-school care9,506
Bilingual daycare210
Head Start772
Florida VPK5,453

The Florida state record

Florida Department of Children and Families, Office of Child Care Regulation licenses daycares in Florida.

License list
The state's public list of licensed child care
Ages served
The ages on each license
Inspections
On the state's own site; each listing links to it
Search the Florida state records

Before you enroll

Choosing a VPK provider in Florida

  1. 1

    Get the certificate first

    Apply on Florida's Family Portal for a VPK Certificate of Eligibility, then take it to the provider you choose.

  2. 2

    School year or summer

    Ask whether the provider runs the school-year program, the summer program or both, and on which days and hours.

  3. 3

    Ask about the rest of the day

    VPK hours are free. Ask what the provider charges for care before or after VPK hours.

  4. 4

    Visit a classroom

    Ask how many children are in the class and how the day runs.

Florida

Cost, inspections and ratios in Florida

Daycare cost in FloridaWeekly prices by age and countyStaff-to-child ratios in FloridaHow many children each adult may care forDaycare tour checklistQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 391 Florida towns with VPK providers, A to Z

A16 towns
B23 towns
C27 towns
D19 towns
E14 towns
F15 towns
G10 towns
H20 towns
I7 towns
J7 towns
K5 towns
L34 towns
M36 towns
N17 towns
O17 towns
P41 towns
Q1 town
R6 towns
S33 towns
T14 towns
U1 town
V4 towns
W20 towns
Y2 towns
Z2 towns

Nearby

Nearby states

Georgia6,150 daycaresAlabama2,286 daycares

Questions

Questions about VPK providers in Florida

How many VPK providers are in Florida?

5,453 VPK providers are listed in 391 Florida towns. Public schools also run VPK classes that may not be on the child care license list; your school district or early learning coalition lists them.

Which Florida town has the most VPK providers?

Miami, with 493 listed. Next are Jacksonville (365) and Orlando (282).

What is VPK?

Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) is Florida's free pre-K for 4-year-olds, run by the Division of Early Learning through local early learning coalitions. Children go to a VPK provider of the family's choice: a center, a school or a family child care home.

Who can enroll in VPK?

Children who live in Florida and are 4 on or before September 1 of the school year. A child born from February 2 to September 1 may wait and enroll the next year at age 5.

Is VPK free?

Yes, for the VPK hours. A provider may charge for extra care, such as the rest of a full day.

School-year or summer VPK?

The school-year program has 540 hours of instruction. The summer program has 300 hours and is for the summer before kindergarten. Each provider sets its own days and hours.

How do I get a VPK certificate?

Apply on Florida's Family Portal. Your local early learning coalition reviews the application and, if approved, sends a Certificate of Eligibility that you take to the VPK provider you choose.

Who licenses daycares in Florida?

Florida Department of Children and Families, Office of Child Care Regulation licenses daycares in Florida. It publishes inspections on its own site; use the state search linked on this page.