Day Care Resources

The Florida Department of Children and Family Life offers an online search for licensed day care by county. YMCAs and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America also provide day care opportunities in many locations throughout Central Florida. The Florida Children’s Forum is an advocate for quality child care, early education, and work/family solutions. The Forum serves as the hub for the Child Care Resource & Referral network, with local agencies that offer complete databases and assist with critical issues of availability, affordability, and quality. The Florida Children’s Forum can advise you of the nearest CCR&R:

Florida’s Childrens Forum

Information & Referral

888-FL-CHILD

www.fcforum.org

Florida Public School System

To be eligible for kindergarten, a child must be at least five years old on or before the first day of September of the current school year. Those registering for first grade must have completed kindergarten and be at least six years old by the same cut-off date. The documents needed to register include a legal birth certificate, immunization proof signed by a physician, a record of a recent health exam by a Florida physician, and proof of residence. The following resources offer more complete details:

Florida Partnership for School Readiness

866-FL-READY

www.schoolreadiness.org

Immunization Information

Florida Department of Health

850-245-4342

www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/immune

Assessment & Testing

Schools in Florida administer the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), an achievement test designed to measure Sunshine State Standards benchmarks in reading and math. Test scores are measured on a scoring range from 100 to 500 and grouped into five achievement levels: Level 1 (the lowest) to Level 5 (the highest). For more details on the FCAT or standardized nationwide tests, contact Accountability, Research & Measurement.