01What do I need to enroll my child in school in Florida?
A Florida Certification of Immunization, a school-entry health exam, proof of your child's age, and the proofs of address your school district asks for.
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Is pre-K free in Florida?
Yes. Voluntary Prekindergarten, VPK, is free for every 4-year-old who lives in Florida, whatever the family's income: the child must be 4 on or before September 1 of the school year.
A child born between February 2 and September 1 may wait and go the next year, at 5. Families choose a school-year program of 540 instructional hours or a summer program of 300 hours, at a private center or school, a public school or a family child care home.
To sign up, apply at familyservices.floridaearlylearning.com or call 1-866-357-3239. You need a certified copy of the child's birth certificate and proof of Florida residence, such as a utility, cable, internet or phone bill dated within 12 months. An approved application gives you a Certificate of Eligibility to take to any VPK provider, and your county's early learning coalition can help you find one.
Where to go from here.
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02Where should a family with children live in Florida?
Start with the school, because in Florida the address decides it. The state grades its public schools and every school district from A to F each year; for 2025-26, 34 of the 67 districts were graded A, 23 B and 10 C, and none D or F. A district graded A still has schools graded lower, so look up the grade of the exact school assigned to the address before you make an offer.
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03How do I homeschool in Florida?
Send a written notice to the superintendent of your county's school district within 30 days of starting, signed by the parent, with each child's full legal name, address and birth date; the Department of Education calls it a letter of intent.
Read the answer →Where this comes from.
- Florida Department of Education, VPK for parents ↗ Read October 24, 2026
- Florida Statutes, section 1002.53 (VPK eligibility) ↗ Read October 24, 2026
- Florida Department of Education, VPK fact sheet ↗ Read October 24, 2026
- Florida Division of Early Learning, VPK parent handbook (form DEL-VPK 07) ↗ Read October 24, 2026
More questions like this.
How do I homeschool in Florida?
Send a written notice to the superintendent of your county's school district within 30 days of starting, signed by the parent, with each child's full legal name, address and birth date; the Department of Education calls it a letter of intent.
What colleges and universities are in Florida?
Florida's State University System has 12 public universities: Florida A&M University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, Florida Polytechnic University, Florida State University, New College of Florida, the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida, the University of North Florida, the University of South Florida and the University of West Florida.
Do I need a new will when I move to Florida?
Not necessarily. A will signed in another state, other than a handwritten or spoken one, is valid in Florida if it was valid where it was signed.
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