By participating in Florida Choose Safe Places, early care and education providers can do their part to help protect children and staff from environmental hazards. There are currently three different options for participation. You may choose to participate in option 1 or 2 separately, option 2 and 3 together, or complete all three.
Option 1
Participate in the Florida Choose Safe Places Training for Child Care Providers: How to Choose a Safe Environment for Child Care. This free 45-minute training provides an overview of Florida Choose Safe Places and the factors to consider when choosing a safe environment for child care.
This course can be used towards the Florida Department of Children and Families’ annual in-service training within the fiscal year it was completed. The certificate of completion of the training can be used as supporting documentation for the annual in-service training log. Providers who submit pre and post-tests for this training will receive a Florida Choose Safe Places Certificate of Participation from the Florida Department of Health.
Option 2
Complete an Environmental Health Self-Assessment of your child care location. The environmental health self-assessment allows providers to self-assess their location to identify potential environmental hazards that could harm children and staff. Completed forms should be sent back to the Florida Department of Health. Submission directions are provided on the form.
Option 3
Request an in-depth assessment of your location. When completing the environmental health self-assessment (see option 2), you will be able to request an in-depth assessment of your location that includes a more detailed screening of publicly available databases to check for potential environmental hazards on or near your location. Recommendations will be provided by a health risk assessor. The environmental health self-assessment must be completed to receive an in-depth assessment.
CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
Florida Choose Safe Places is currently working on a certification program where providers can earn certificates based on their level of program completion. Stay tuned for more information!