Staff /Teacher Requirements

In an early childhood setting the following are the requirements based on state and county Department of Children and Families qualifications for personal working with young children:

  1. All teachers must have a Bachelor or Master Degree in Early Childhood Education and/or a CDA or Childcare Approved Courses.
  2. All staff members working with young children must obtain 40 credit hours of approved course work stated by the Department of Children and Families on their website, in order to work with children in a preschool setting; and all staff members have credits and pass an exam at an approved college site.
  3. All staff members are required to pass a medical exam prior to working with young children and submit the results via Form 8, provided by the Department of Children and Families.
  4. All staff must prior to working in an early childhood setting receive a criminal, FBI and county background check. Only until the results are produced to the center, can an employee begin working.
  5. All staff members must sign and agree to the Discipline procedures of the preschool where they are working.
  6. All staff members must understand the duty that they have as a Mandatory Reported of Child Abuse. Such duties are a federal mandate and are severely enforced, thus a written document must be signed by all staff members prior to working in an early childhood setting.
  7. All staff members must adhere to school codes of how to appropriately speak to children, making sure that they are age-appropriate when presenting lessons and taking care of everyday routines.
  8. All staff members must acknowledge as their duty to maintain and upkeep the school medical and safety codes, such as not accepting or reporting sick children and placing all chemical/dangerous items out of reach of children.
  9. All staff members are to adhere to school dress code policies, which will make sure that they are comfortable and safe in the environment set to take care of young children.
  10. All staff members will update in-service points on a yearly basis in order to stay on top of all new regulations in the early childhood safety codes of Florida