State of Florida Mandated Ratios
This table represents the minimum standards for the care of children in a licensed child care facility, established by DCF. When children two years of age and older are in care, the staff-to-child ratio shall be based on the age group with the largest number of children within the group . When children below the age of 12 months are in a group, the 1:4 ratio is required for the entire group.
Child Care Centers
- Birth to 12 months old (1 adult:4 infants)
- 12-24 months old (1 adult:6 toddlers)
- 2 years old (1 adult:11 2 year-olds)
- 3 years old (1 adult:15 3 year-olds)
- 4/5 years old (1 adult:20 preschoolers)
- 4 year olds in Voluntary Pre-K (1 adult:10 VPK children)
- School age children (1 adult:25 school-agers.)
Family Child Care Homes
- Birth to 12 months old (1 adult:4 infants)
- No more than 3 are under 12 months (1 adult:6 children)
- At least 5 of the children are school-age and no more than 2 are under 12 months or all 10 can be school-aged (1 adult :10 children)
- Large Family Child Care Homes, a max of 12 children, no more than 4 children under 24 months (2 adults:12 children)
