Family day care homes in Clearwater follow Florida Statute 402.313, which sets registration, training, screening, and inspection rules, while the Community Development Code allows them as accessory home uses.
Florida Statute 402.313 governs family day care homes statewide, including operators in Clearwater. The law requires a 30-hour introductory child care course, a written emergency substitute plan, annual self-inspection checklists, and Level 2 background screening for the operator and adult household members. Home-based child care can also qualify as a home occupation under Section 3-920 of Clearwater's Community Development Code, provided the activity remains incidental to residential use. Pinellas County administers registration and licensing functions for family day care homes within Clearwater, while the Florida Department of Children and Families maintains state-level oversight and rule enforcement.
Operating an unregistered family day care home, exceeding allowed child counts, or failing background screening can result in DCF administrative fines, county registration revocation, and Clearwater code compliance citations with daily civil penalties.
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Clearwater, FL
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Pinellas County.
See how other cities in Pinellas County handle home daycare.
See how Clearwater's home daycare rules stack up against other locations.
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