Now Accepting VPK 2022-2023 Enrollments
Training & Exams
Training Florida’s Child Care Teachers
Child Care of Southwest Florida provides the Department of Children and Families (DCF) Introductory Child Care Training classes and competency exams.
Introductory Training
Competency Exams
Trauma-Informed Care for Child Care Program
Florida Child Care Introductory Mandated Training
With the sponsorship of the Department of Children and Families (DCF), we offer Florida Child Care Mandated Training for child care personnel and family child care home providers.
The courses are offered online or instructor-led. Child Care of Southwest Florida oversees and coordinates the training only in the following counties:
- Charlotte
- Collier
- Glades
- Hendry
- Lee
For more information regarding training requirements, staff credentials, director credentials, course enrollment, transcripts, and competency exams in the State of Florida go to the Department of Children and Families website: www.myflfamilies.com/childcare.
For information about training in other counties in the State of Florida, click here.
Competency Exams
In addition to mandated training, we administer the competency exams. All child care personnel, child care center operators, as well as operators of family child care homes are required to pass the competency exams. Child Care Center personnel must pass the exams within one year after the date on which they began their initial child care training. Child care facilities will be held responsible for ensuring their staff successfully complete the necessary training and have passed the exams, within the required time frames.
We coordinate the competency exams in the following locations:
Child Care of Southwest Florida:
6831 Palisades Park Ct., Ste 6
Fort Myers, FL 33912
Family Church PC
20035 Quesada Ave
Port Charlotte, FL 33952
Eagle Lakes Community Park:
11565 Tamiami Trail E.,
Naples, FL 34113
RCMA Krome Child Development Center:
551 W Cowboy Way
LaBelle, FL 33935
RCMA Immokalee
402 W Main Street
Immokalee, FL 34142
402 W Main Street
Immokalee, FL 34142
Special Accommodations Request
If you need to request special accommodations because of a disability in order to participate in the child care training program in the areas that we serve, contact CCSWFL at least two weeks prior to the first training date at (239) 278-0160 from Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Trauma-Informed Care for Child Care Program Director Credential Endorsement
The Department of Children and Families Office of Child Care Regulation has developed an endorsement for the Florida Director Credential. The goal of this course is to assist programs in implementing trauma-informed care for families they served. For participants who have the credential and complete both the online Trauma-Informed Care for Child Care Professionals and this course, the Director Credential will automatically show the endorsement.
Participants can use this course towards meeting the renewal requirements for the Director Credential. With successful completion of the CEU assessment, 4.0 CEUs are available. Additionally, successful completion of the course will meet the professional contribution requirement. The online course has 0.5 CEUs available for participants, which if combined with the 4.0 CEUs from this course, will fulfill renewal training requirement of 4.5 CEUs.
The instructor-led course will give students 40 clock hours of credit, which includes:
- 15 hours of in-class time (5 sessions)
- 20 hours of observation
- 5 hours of out-of-class assignments/reading
In order to successfully complete this course, participants must attend all the course sessions and actively participate in class discussions and activities.
T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships are available at www.teach-fl.org (and please allow 6-8 weeks to process your application before starting the course). Participants can apply for the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship to renew credentials as early as 20 months before the expiration date. Scholarship should be used within the 18 months prior to the expiration date.
Questions about Training? Let’s Talk!
For more information about our training programs, please complete the form below or call 239-278-1002.
