SESSION WATCH
Superseded — its companion passed HOUSE · SESSION 2026

No. CS/CS/CS/CS/HB 765

Child Care and Early Learning Services
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SPONSOR
Health & Human Services Committee; Budget Committee; Student Academic Success Subcommittee; Human Services Subcommittee; McFarland; Basabe
FILED BY
Fiona McFarland — District 73, Republican [search donations]
Fabián Basabe — District 106, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
COMPANION
CS/CS/CS/SB 1690 — CS/CS/CS/CS/HB 765 was set aside and its companion carried the policy

Filed under Education.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Child Care and Early Learning Services ; Revises minimum standards for child care facility licensing; removes provisions requiring family day care homes & large family child care homes to provide specified information to parents; prohibits residential property insurance policies from providing coverage for liability for claims arising out of, or in connection with, operations of large family child care homes; prohibits insurers from denying, cancelling, & refusing to renew policy for residential property insurance on basis that policyholders or applicants operate large family child care homes; revises requirements for certain prekindergarten curricula; establishes review & approval process for such curricula; creates Florida Child Care Fund; requires DOE direct-support organization to administer fund; requires that funds from state sources & interest earnings be accounted separately; provides for use of funds; provides for establishment & administration of Center for Early Childhood Professional Recognition under specified circumstance.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Exempts school-run before- and after-care programs from child care licensing.

A new licensing exemption lets public and nonpublic elementary schools run before-school, after-school, and off-hours programs for their own students without a child care facility license.

Family child care homes and large family child care homes no longer have to hand parents yearly flyers on flu risks or the dangers of leaving a child in a hot car.

Large family child care homes get the same homeowners-insurance protections family child care homes already have: insurers can't cancel a policy or refuse to renew one just because the home operates child care.

A new Florida Child Care Fund, run by a Department of Education support organization, raises donations to pay for children on early-learning waiting lists or chosen by the donor.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 New licensing exemption for school before- and after-care programs majors. 402.302

AIBefore-school, after-school, and other off-hours programs run by public or nonpublic elementary schools for their own students are no longer 'child care facilities' and do not need a child care license under chapter 402.

“Before-school and after-school programs, and any programs during off-school hours, offered and operated by public and nonpublic elementary schools at school sites” bill text, line 79 →
§ 2 Repeals parent-notice duties on flu risk and hot car deaths majors. 402.313

AIFamily child care homes and large family child care homes no longer must give parents yearly written information on flu symptoms and vaccination, or on the danger of an adult forgetting a child in a hot car.

“information regarding the potential for a distracted adult to fail to drop off a child at the family day care home” bill text, line 395 →
§ 3 Homeowners insurance protections extended to large family child care homes majors. 627.70161

AIInsurers can no longer deny, cancel, or refuse to renew a residential property policy solely because the applicant operates a large family child care home, the same protection family child care homes already had.

“operates a family child care home or a large family child care home”
§ 4 Creates the Florida Child Care Fund majors. 1002.821

AIA new donation-funded Florida Child Care Fund, run by a Department of Education direct-support organization, pays for child care for children on early learning coalition waiting lists, with a parent copayment based on income.

“The early learning coalition shall fund school readiness program providers and providers selected by the donor's recipient at the reimbursement rate” bill text, line 642 →
§ 5 Screening exemption for school personnel broadened beyond K-12 moderates. 402.302

AIPublic and nonpublic school staff providing after-hours care tied to a school program no longer need child-care background screening only for grades K-12; the exemption now covers any school program serving students.

“after hours for activities related to a school's program for students attending public or nonpublic school programs” bill text, line 104 →
§ 6 New fast-track curriculum review for multi-site VPK providers moderates. 1002.67

AIThe department must review and may approve proprietary or purchased prekindergarten curricula used by a provider operating in more than five locations, through a separate process with a 60-day decision deadline.

“curriculum must be used by a private provider or public school district that operates a Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program in more than five distinct locations” bill text, line 606 →
§ 7 Creates Center for Early Childhood Professional Recognition moderates. 1002.95

AISubject to appropriation, the TEACH scholarship program administrator must set up a Center for Early Childhood Professional Recognition to standardize early-childhood training and competency-based assessments statewide.

“shall also establish and administer the Center for Early Childhood Professional Recognition to ensure alignment of training statewide” bill text, line 680 →
TIMELINE
3/11/2026
Laid on Table; Companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/CS/SB 1690 (Ch....
3/5/2026
Added to Second Reading Calendar
3/5/2026
Temporarily postponed, on 2nd Reading
3/2/2026
Bill added to Special Order Calendar (3/5/2026)
2/26/2026
Added to Second Reading Calendar
2/25/2026
1st Reading (Committee Substitute 4)
2/25/2026
Bill referred to House Calendar
2/25/2026
CS Filed
2/25/2026
Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
2/25/2026
Reported out of Health & Human Services Committee
2/24/2026
Favorable with CS by Health & Human Services Committee
2/20/2026
Added to Health & Human Services Committee agenda
2/18/2026
Now in Health & Human Services Committee
2/18/2026
Referred to Health & Human Services Committee
2/18/2026
1st Reading (Committee Substitute 3)
2/17/2026
CS Filed
2/17/2026
Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
2/17/2026
Reported out of Budget Committee
2/16/2026
Favorable with CS by Budget Committee
2/12/2026
Added to Budget Committee agenda
2/9/2026
Now in Budget Committee
2/9/2026
Referred to Health & Human Services Committee
2/9/2026
Referred to Budget Committee
2/9/2026
1st Reading (Committee Substitute 2)
2/6/2026
CS Filed
2/6/2026
Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
2/6/2026
Reported out of Student Academic Success Subcommittee
2/5/2026
Favorable with CS by Student Academic Success Subcommittee
2/3/2026
Added to Student Academic Success Subcommittee agenda
2/2/2026
Now in Student Academic Success Subcommittee
2/2/2026
Referred to Health & Human Services Committee
2/2/2026
Referred to Budget Committee
2/2/2026
Referred to Student Academic Success Subcommittee
1/30/2026
1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
1/30/2026
CS Filed
1/30/2026
Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
1/30/2026
Reported out of Human Services Subcommittee
1/28/2026
Favorable with CS by Human Services Subcommittee
1/26/2026
Added to Human Services Subcommittee agenda
1/13/2026
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
1/5/2026
Now in Human Services Subcommittee
1/5/2026
Referred to Health & Human Services Committee
1/5/2026
Referred to Budget Committee
1/5/2026
Referred to Student Academic Success Subcommittee
1/5/2026
Referred to Human Services Subcommittee
12/12/2025
Filed
40 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 402.302
+81 / −12
s. 402.305
+3 / −5
s. 402.313
+36 / −229
s. 402.3131
+0 / −199
s. 627.70161
+300 / −24
s. 1001.24
+39 / −0
STAFF ANALYSES