Does a provider have to be licensed to qualify for the Gold Seal Program?
Not necessarily. Any legally operating child care provider, facility, home, religious-exempt program, or public school program, is eligible to achieve Gold Seal Quality Care Program status if it is accredited by one of the Department’s approved Gold Seal Quality Care Program Accrediting Agencies. Although the Department doesn’t require that a provider be licensed in order to participate, some accrediting agencies may require licensure as part of their accrediting process. For example, the National Association for Family Child Care requires a family day care home to be licensed in order to become accredited.
