Getting your Florida DCF license is just the beginning. Once you're licensed, you're responsible for maintaining compliance with a long list of posting, documentation, and operational requirements from day one. This checklist covers what you need to have in place before you open your doors.
Posted Signs Before your first child arrives, every required sign must be posted in the correct location. This includes Licensed Capacity Signs in each room, Emergency Evacuation Route Diagrams in each room, Hand Hygiene Instructions at every diaper changing area, food prep area, and restroom, a Diaper Changing Procedure Poster at each changing station, a No Smoking notice at the entrance, and your Daily Activity Schedule in a parent-accessible area. You'll also need your full set of Florida state and federal employer posters posted in your staff area.
Documentation Before you open, you need written versions of your discipline and expulsion policy, shaken baby syndrome policy, emergency preparedness plan, and routine cleaning and sanitizing schedule. These must be available for inspector review at any time.
Child Records System Have your enrollment forms, emergency medical consent forms, and health record templates ready before your first enrollment. Every child needs a complete file from their first day.
Staff Records Every staff member must have a completed background screening on file before they work with children. Keep these organized and accessible.
Logbooks Set up your logbooks before you open — attendance, medication administration, fire drill, emergency drill, injury and incident, illness, visitor, and volunteer logs at minimum. Start logging from day one.
Your First 90 Days DCF typically conducts an initial inspection within the first few months of a new license. Treat every day like an inspector could walk in, because they can. The facilities that pass their first inspection without citations are the ones that set up their compliance systems before they needed them, not after.
If you want everything above handled for you before you open, our Signature Binder Kit includes all required posted signs, logbooks, and policy documents: organized, printed, and shipped to your door. Or start with the Digital Starter Kit if you'd prefer to print everything yourself.