Florida state guide

Childcare centers in Florida

Florida has 11,913 childcare centers and homes in its state licensing records, across 456 cities, with about 671,000 licensed seats at the 6,868 centers that report capacity. Florida Department of Children and Families handles licensing, except programs in Broward, Palm Beach, Pinellas and Sarasota counties, which license child care themselves. This guide covers the rules that apply, how to check a license, how subsidy works, and how to find a center in your city.

Data updated October 1, 2026 · Source: Florida Department of Children and Families (opens in a new tab) public records · How we compile this →

Largest cities for childcare in Florida

Ranked by centers and homes on file. Each city page lists every center in that city.
  1. Miami924 centers and homes
  2. Jacksonville700 centers and homes
  3. Tampa691 centers and homes
  4. Orlando504 centers and homes
  5. Hialeah216 centers and homes
  6. Tallahassee182 centers and homes
Show 6 more
  1. West Palm Beach160 centers and homes
  2. Pensacola153 centers and homes
  3. Kissimmee151 centers and homes
  4. Lakeland150 centers and homes
  5. Homestead143 centers and homes
  6. St Petersburg142 centers and homes

Centers and homes listed per city, of 11,913 in Florida.

All 456 Florida cities

All 456 cities in Florida, A to Z

Jump to a letter, or open a group below.

A · 17 cities

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B · 29 cities

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C · 31 cities

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D · 20 cities

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E · 16 cities

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F · 17 cities

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G · 15 cities

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H · 24 cities

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I · 8 cities

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J · 8 cities

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K · 7 cities

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L · 38 cities

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M · 43 cities

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N · 17 cities

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O · 18 cities

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P · 45 cities

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Q · 1 city

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R · 8 cities

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S · 45 cities

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T · 15 cities

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U · 1 city

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V · 6 cities

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W · 22 cities

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Y · 2 cities

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Z · 3 cities

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Florida childcare centers by county

67 Florida counties have licensed centers or homes on file, ranked here by how many. Miami-Dade County has the most, with 1,836 centers and homes.
  1. Miami-Dade County1,836 centers and homes
  2. Hillsborough County1,209 centers and homes
  3. Duval County812 centers and homes
  4. Palm Beach County764 centers and homes
  5. Broward County758 centers and homes
  6. Orange County736 centers and homes
  7. Pinellas County569 centers and homes
  8. Polk County431 centers and homes
  9. Lee County311 centers and homes
  10. Brevard County249 centers and homes
  11. Seminole County244 centers and homes
  12. Osceola County233 centers and homes
  13. Pasco County230 centers and homes
  14. Volusia County225 centers and homes
  15. Leon County212 centers and homes
  16. Saint Lucie County206 centers and homes
  17. Escambia County197 centers and homes
  18. Lake County183 centers and homes
All 67 Florida counties, A to Z

License types in Florida

Florida’s licensing records use these categories. Each listing shows which one applies.

  • Child Care Facility

    5,850 listings

  • Family Child Care Home

    792 listings

  • Large Family Child Care Home

    230 listings

Florida child care ratios

Florida sets a maximum number of children per staff member for each age in licensed child care centers. Each row cites the regulation it comes from.
Florida ratios by age
Maximum children per staff member in licensed child care centers, by age, with the rule cited on each row
AgeStaff : childrenRule
0–11 months1:4Fla. Stat. §402.305(4)(a) (birth-1 year) (opens in a new tab)
12–23 months1:6Fla. Stat. §402.305(4)(a) (1-2 years) (opens in a new tab)
2 years1:11Fla. Stat. §402.305(4)(a) (2-3 years) (opens in a new tab)
3 years1:15Fla. Stat. §402.305(4)(a) (3-4 years) (opens in a new tab)
4 years1:20Fla. Stat. §402.305(4)(a) (4-5 years) (opens in a new tab)

These are the state’s minimums for licensed child care centers, and a center can staff richer. Read the linked rule text before relying on a figure: regulations change.

How to check a daycare license in Florida

Every licensed center in Florida has a public state record. Here is how to read it.

  1. Search the state’s site

    Open Provider Search (opens in a new tab) and look the center up by name and city. Confirm the license type and that its status is active.

  2. Read the inspection information

    Open the center’s record and read whatever inspection or compliance information the state posts for it.

  3. Compare with Clear Day’s center page

    Our page shows the license type and capacity next to the hours and programs the center lists, so you can weigh the state’s record beside what the center offers.

Open Provider Search (opens in a new tab)

Each Clear Day center page in Floridalinks to that center’s state record when the state publishes one, so step 3 starts one click from step 1.

Paying for childcare in Florida

These programs help Florida families pay for care. Which one fits depends on income, your child’s age and where you live.

Head Start and Early Head Start

Federal programs for families with low incomes, from pregnancy through age five.

11%accept Head Start504 of 4,694 centers reporting

Head Start locator (opens in a new tab)

Frequently asked questions about childcare in Florida

Answers use the numbers on this page, as of October 1, 2026.
How many childcare centers are in Florida?

Florida has 11,913 childcare centers and homes in the state licensing records Clear Day reads, across 456 cities. Miami has the most, with 924, followed by Jacksonville (700) and Tampa (691).

What is the child-to-staff ratio for infants in Florida?

For children 0–11 months in licensed child care centers, Florida allows up to 4 children per staff member, a ratio of 1:4 under Fla. Stat. §402.305(4)(a) (birth-1 year). For 12–23 months it is 1:6. The full table is on this page.

How do I check if a daycare is licensed in Florida?

Look the center up in Provider Search, the state's public license lookup. Confirm the license is active, then read whatever inspection or compliance information the state posts for that center. Clear Day center pages link to the state's record for that center when the state publishes one.

Does Florida help pay for childcare?

Yes. Florida's child care subsidy program is School Readiness Program. 4,722 of the 4,722 centers in our directory that report subsidy status (100%) are current providers. Public pre-K is a separate option: Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program.

Where does this data come from?

Center records come from Florida Department of Children and Families public records. Every share on the page names the number of centers it is counted over, and the methodology page explains how.

When was this data last updated?

The state records on this page were last imported October 1, 2026. Each center page shows its own record date. See the methodology for details.

How we compile the data →

For center directors

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Other state guides

Florida is one of 35 states in the directory: 173,052 centers and homes across 13,877 cities. Each state has its own guide with its own rules, agency and license lookup.

Where this data comes from

Center records come from Florida Department of Children and Families public records. Every percentage on this page names the number of Florida centers it is counted over. This page is a guide, not legal advice. Clear Day does not rate, rank or review centers.

Read the full methodology →

Last updated
October 1, 2026
Agency
Florida Department of Children and Families (opens in a new tab)

This information is sourced from public records and may be incomplete or out of date. For the most current and accurate details, please verify directly with Florida Department of Children and Families or contact the center directly. Clear Day does not rate, rank or endorse any center.

Data updated Oct 1, 2026 · Source: Florida Department of Children and Families public records · Florida license lookup (opens in a new tab) · How we compile this →