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Florida VPK certificate starts in the family portal

Florida's VPK path starts with the family portal, age check, local early learning coalition, and a certificate that belongs with school papers.

Florida VPK is a school errand that works better when the paper trail starts early.

The program is for children who live in Florida and turn 4 on or before September 1 for that school year. Some families with children born from February 2 through September 1 can wait and use VPK the next year instead. The state route starts in the Family Portal. Local early learning coalitions can help with provider questions.

Keep the certificate, portal login, child’s legal name, birth date proof, address, provider choice, calendar, and emails together. A preschool move, a provider change, or a later start is easier when the certificate is not lost in a phone download.

Start with the Family Portal. Then confirm the provider, schedule, meals, care before or after class, and any local papers. VPK may be statewide, but the school day is still local.

Official sources

Last checked against these sources: July 6, 2026.

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