VPK Instructor Requirements | VPK Help

School year VPK Program

Each credentialed VPK Instructor (lead teacher) must have:

  1. Copy of one (1) of the following credentials: Copy of a five (or more) hour Early Literacy training certificate. If Literacy training was completed after October 1, 2005, it must be the Florida Standards for Four-Year-Olds as well as VPK Emergent Literacy.
    • Child Development Associate (CDA) or Florida Child Care Professional Certificate (FCCPC) earned within the last five (5) years; or
    • An Associate’s Degree or higher in Child Development; or
    • An Associate’s Degree or higher in an unrelated field, with at least 6 credit hours in early childhood education or child development, and at least 480 hours of experience in teaching or providing childcare services for children any age from birth to 8 years of age; or
    • A Bachelor’s Degree or higher in early childhood education, prekindergarten or primary education, preschool education, or family and consumer science; or
    • A Bachelor’s Degree in elementary education, if the pre-k instructor has been certified to teach children any age from birth through 6th grade, with a Florida Educator’s Certificate, regardless whether the certificate is current or not, and has not had this educator certificate suspended or revoked.
    • Please note that a teaching degree from another country must be evaluated and translated by an accredited organization and submitted to DCF for approval.

  2. Copy of Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Criminal Background screening completed in the past 5 years.

  3. Copy of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Background check completed within the last 5 years.

  4. Copy of Affidavit of Good Moral Character

You must include the following for each VPK aide/assistant:

  1. Copy of Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Criminal Background screening completed in the past 5 years.
  2. Copy of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Background check completed within the last 5 years.
  3. Copy of Affidavit of Good Moral Character

 Summer VPK Program

You must include the following for each credentialed VPK Instructor:

  1. Copy of one (1) of the following credentials:

    • A Bachelor’s Degree or higher in early childhood education, prekindergarten or primary education, preschool education, or family and consumer science; or

    • A Bachelor’s Degree in elementary education, if the pre-k instructor has been certified to teach children any age from birth through 6th grade, with a Florida Educator’s Certificate, regardless whether the certificate is current or not, and has not had this educator certificate suspended or revoked.

    • A valid (current) Florida Educator Certificate

    • Please note that a teaching degree from another country must be evaluated and translated by an accredited organization and submitted to DCF for approval.

  2. Copy of Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Criminal Background screening completed in the past 5 years.

  3. Copy of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Background check completed within the last 5 years.

  4. Copy of Affidavit of Good Moral Character