Licensed child care in Florida
How child care licensing works in Florida, where to verify a license and the cities we cover with the state's official data.
Who licenses child care
Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF); Broward, Palm Beach, Pinellas and Sarasota counties license locally.
Florida does not publish a downloadable list of licensed providers that is current, so our Florida pages list daycares, preschools and child care centers from public Google Maps business listings (November 6, 2026), without reviews and without any licensing data. Every Florida listing must be verified on the DCF Child Care Provider Search before you enroll.
DCF Child Care Provider SearchListing categories
| Type (as named by the state) | Programs |
|---|---|
| Day care center | 1,874 |
| Preschool | 805 |
| Child care agency | 276 |
| Home-based child care | 242 |
| After school program | 49 |
| Elementary school | 35 |
| Montessori school | 32 |
| Head start center | 29 |
| Private educational institution | 19 |
| Kindergarten | 17 |
| Non-profit organization | 16 |
| Montessori preschool | 12 |
| Church | 11 |
| Learning center | 11 |
| Nursery school | 10 |
| Educational institution | 8 |
| Charter school | 6 |
| Social services organization | 6 |
| Religious school | 6 |
| Community center | 5 |
| Catholic school | 5 |
| Education center | 4 |
| United Methodist church | 4 |
| Special education school | 3 |
| General education school | 3 |
| Indoor playground | 3 |
| Primary school | 3 |
| Conservative synagogue | 2 |
| Family day care service | 2 |
| K-12 school | 2 |
| Parochial school | 2 |
| Baptist church | 2 |
| School for the deaf | 1 |
| Language school | 1 |
| Child health care center | 1 |
| Evangelical church | 1 |
| Lutheran church | 1 |
| Youth organization | 1 |
| Gymnastics center | 1 |
| Art school | 1 |
| Disability services and support organization | 1 |
| Religious organization | 1 |
| Children's camp | 1 |
| Children's amusement center | 1 |
| Non-denominational church | 1 |
| Mental health service | 1 |
| Culinary school | 1 |
| Bilingual school | 1 |
| Youth club | 1 |
| Nursing home | 1 |
| Literacy program | 1 |
| Performing arts theater | 1 |
| Children's museum | 1 |
| Gymnastics club | 1 |
| Reform synagogue | 1 |
| Summer camp organizer | 1 |
Source: Public Google Maps business listings (child care categories), collected for the 29 Florida cities with the most daycare searches, data of November 6, 2026.
Florida cities
Help paying
School Readiness, through early learning coalitions. See child care assistance by state and daycare costs.
Questions
Who licenses child care in Florida?
Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF); Broward, Palm Beach, Pinellas and Sarasota counties license locally. Its official search is "DCF Child Care Provider Search".
How many licensed child care programs are in Florida?
The state data we use (November 6, 2026) lists 3,286 centers and programs and 242 family child care homes with an active license.
Is there help paying for child care in Florida?
Yes. The main program is School Readiness, through early learning coalitions. Eligibility depends on income, family size and work or school hours.