SESSION WATCH
Became law SENATE · SESSION 2026 · CHAPTER 2026-140

No. CS/CS/CS/SB 1690

Child Care and Early Learning Services
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SPONSOR
Appropriations; Education Pre-K - 12; Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Calatayud
FILED BY
Alexis Calatayud — District 38, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026

Filed under Education.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Child Care and Early Learning Services; Revising the information on child care required to be disseminated electronically to the community; deleting the requirement that family child care homes and large family child care homes, respectively, provide specified information to parents each year; requiring that certain child care facilities exempt from licensure requirements meet certain minimum requirements; prohibiting residential property insurance policies from providing coverage for liability for claims arising out of, or in connection with, the operations of large family child care homes, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Bars standard home insurance from covering large family child care home liability.

Large family child care homes join family child care homes under the same insurance rule: a standard residential policy excludes liability for daycare-related claims unless the owner buys a specific rider, though insurers can no longer cancel the base policy just for operating one.

Two annual parent-notice duties are repealed: family child care homes and large family child care homes no longer must hand out yearly information on flu symptoms and on the danger of leaving a child in a hot car.

A new Florida Child Care Fund lets private donors pay down early learning coalitions' waiting lists, or direct their gift to one chosen provider, administered by a Department of Education direct-support organization newly authorized to fund birth-to-5 programs.

Child care facilities exempt from licensing -- church-run programs and those serving only certain eligible children -- must now post a plain notice that they are unregulated, and the state must publicly report deaths and abuse in those exempt settings too.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Insurance exclusion and anti-cancellation rule extended to large family child care homes majors. 627.70161

AIA residential property insurance policy may not cover liability for claims arising from operating a large family child care home unless the owner buys a specific rider or endorsement; insurers also may not cancel, deny, or refuse to renew a policy solely because the applicant runs one.

“the operation of a family child care home or a large family child care home”
§ 2 Florida Child Care Fund created to reduce early learning waiting lists majors. 1002.821

AIA new direct-support-organization-administered fund collects private donations and legislative appropriations to pay for child care for children on early learning coalitions' waiting lists, or for a specific provider a donor selects, subject to the standard parent copayment.

“The Florida Child Care Fund is established to support early learning and child care needs of Florida families.” bill text, line 494 →
§ 3 Two annual parent-notice requirements repealed for family and large family child care homes majors. 402.313

AIFamily child care homes and large family child care homes no longer must give parents yearly written information each August/September on flu symptoms and transmission, or each April/September on the danger of a distracted adult leaving a child in a hot car.

“provide parents of children enrolled in the home detailed information regarding the causes, symptoms, and transmission of the influenza virus” bill text, line 252 →
§ 4 Licensure-exempt child care facilities must disclose their unregulated status moderates. 402.316

AIA child care facility exempt from licensing because it is church-affiliated or serves only certain eligible children must post a specific statement, on its website, promotional materials, and forms given to families, that it is not licensed or regulated by the state.

“must include, at a minimum, the following statement on its website, in its promotional materials, and on its facility-created documents and forms” bill text, line 348 →
§ 5 Direct-support organization authority expanded to birth-to-5 early learning programs moderates. 1001.24

AIThe Department of Education direct-support organization that raises and spends money for public schools may now also make expenditures for the benefit of early learning programs serving children from birth to age 5, not just prekindergarten-through-12th-grade education.

“the benefit of early learning programs for children from birth to 5 years of age” bill text, line 457 →
§ 6 Public reporting on child care deaths and abuse extended to exempt facilities moderates. 402.306

AIThe state's electronically published yearly count of deaths, serious injuries, and substantiated child abuse in child care settings must now explicitly include incidents at facilities exempt from licensure, not only licensed and registered ones.

“including those which are exempt pursuant to s. 402.316(1) or (2)” bill text, line 82 →
§ 7 New Center for Early Childhood Professional Recognition technicals. 1002.95

AIThe TEACH Scholarship Program administrator must also set up a statewide center to approve trainers and training and administer competency-based assessments tied to early learning career pathways, funded only if the Legislature appropriates money for it.

“establish and administer the Center for Early Childhood Professional Recognition to ensure alignment of training statewide” bill text, line 54 →
TIMELINE
6/12/2026
Chapter No. 2026-140
6/12/2026
Approved by Governor
6/9/2026
Signed by Officers and presented to Governor
3/17/2026
Ordered enrolled
3/11/2026
CS passed; YEAS 111, NAYS 0
3/11/2026
Read 3rd time
3/11/2026
Added to Third Reading Calendar
3/11/2026
Read 2nd time
3/10/2026
1st Reading (Engrossed 1)
3/10/2026
Bill added to Special Order Calendar (3/11/2026)
3/10/2026
Bill referred to House Calendar
3/5/2026
In Messages
3/4/2026
CS passed as amended; YEAS 37 NAYS 0 -SJ 547
3/4/2026
Read 3rd time -SJ 547
3/4/2026
Amendment(s) adopted (353964) -SJ 546
3/4/2026
Read 2nd time -SJ 546
3/2/2026
Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/04/26
2/25/2026
CS/CS/CS by Appropriations read 1st time
2/25/2026
Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
2/25/2026
Pending reference review -under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
2/24/2026
CS/CS/CS by- Appropriations; YEAS 17 NAYS 0
2/19/2026
On Committee agenda-- Appropriations, 02/24/26, 9:00 am, 110...
2/12/2026
Now in Appropriations
2/11/2026
CS/CS by Education Pre-K - 12 read 1st time
2/11/2026
Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
2/10/2026
CS/CS by Education Pre-K - 12; YEAS 8 NAYS 0
2/10/2026
CS by Children, Families, and Elder Affairs read 1st time
2/5/2026
On Committee agenda-- Education Pre-K - 12, 02/10/26, 3:00 pm, 412...
2/5/2026
Now in Education Pre-K - 12
2/5/2026
Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
2/3/2026
CS by Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; YEAS 4 NAYS 0
1/29/2026
On Committee agenda-- Children, Families, and Elder Affairs,...
1/22/2026
Introduced
1/16/2026
Referred to Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Education Pre-K...
1/9/2026
Filed
29 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 402.306
+13 / −2
s. 402.313
+36 / −232
s. 402.3131
+0 / −202
s. 402.316
+192 / −42
s. 627.70161
+298 / −24
s. 1001.24
+13 / −0
STAFF ANALYSES
2 MORE →