Health, Safety and Nutrition DCF Practice Test

Unofficial practice for Florida's Health, Safety and Nutrition child care exam: 129 questions, each with the handbook section behind it.

Loose ground cover in a playground use zone must be at least how deep?

Pick an answer, then press Check answer. Then you see Correct or Not quite, with the reason. Keys: A to D pick, Enter checks.

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Exam mode: 40 questions, 45 minutes.

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Florida Department of Children and Families. Bank checked October 8, 2026.

The real exam, as the Department's own pages describe it

Time limit
45 minutes
Fee
$1.00 for each instructional hour of the course, paid when you register. This course is 8 hours.
Retakes
After the course is completed there is no limit on attempts, and each attempt is paid for.
Languages
English or Spanish
Format
Multiple choice. One separate exam for each course, and more than one exam may be taken in a day.
To pass
A weighted score of 70 or better. The handbook calls a weighted score a scaled score, not a percentage.
Question count
Not published by the Department.
Before the course
One chance to pass the exam without taking the course. After a fail, the course comes first.
Registering
Online in a Child Care Training account, at least 7 days before the exam date.
Results
Online within two weeks. The questions you missed are not shown: the exam is kept confidential.

Checked October 8, 2026 against the Department's page "Scheduling Your Child Care Training Competency Exams", its exam FAQ and the Child Care Facility Handbook of December 2025. Rules change, so confirm with the agency itself before your test.

The Department's Training and Credentialing page

Next step DCF rules and regulations test

All 129 questions

A safe environment, indoors and out 22

  • A bucket of water was used for an activity. What does the handbook require afterward? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.11, Indoor Equipment
  • A facility has ordinary outlets, not tamper-resistant ones. What do accessible outlets need? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.1, General Health and Safety Requirements
  • A facility keeps a classroom pet. What must parents receive? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.1, General Health and Safety Requirements
  • A facility uses a pool more than three feet deep. Who must be present and on duty? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 2.4.5, Water Activity Supervision
  • A toy has been in one child's mouth. When must it be cleaned and sanitized? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.11, Indoor Equipment
  • Children of mixed ages are in the water together. Whose age sets the swimming ratio? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 2.4.5, Water Activity Supervision
Show all 129 questions (123 more)

A safe environment, indoors and out, continued

  • During water activities, how close must the supervising adult be to children aged 1 up to 5? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 2.4.5, Water Activity Supervision
  • Guardrails or barriers are required at open sides of stairs and ramps where the drop is more than what? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.1, General Health and Safety Requirements
  • How far must the fall zone extend around permanent playground equipment? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.12, Outdoor Equipment
  • How must cleaning supplies and other harmful items be stored? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.2.1, Toxic Substances and Hazardous Materials
  • How often must indoor play areas be inspected for basic health and safety? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.1, General Health and Safety Requirements
  • How often must playground supports, connectors and moving parts be inspected? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.12, Outdoor Equipment
  • In which part of a facility are animals never allowed? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.1, General Health and Safety Requirements
  • Loose ground cover in a playground use zone must be at least how deep? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.12, Outdoor Equipment
  • What does the handbook recommend for infants younger than six months outdoors? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.5, Medication
  • What does the handbook say about wading pools? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.12, Outdoor Equipment
  • What must be done with a sandbox at the end of each day? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.12, Outdoor Equipment
  • What staff-to-child ratio applies while preschoolers (3 up to 5 years) are swimming or wading? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 2.4.5, Water Activity Supervision
  • When may pest control be carried out in a room? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.1, General Health and Safety Requirements
  • Where does the handbook prohibit smoking while children are in care? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.1, General Health and Safety Requirements
  • Which cords and strings must be kept away from children as strangulation hazards? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.1, General Health and Safety Requirements
  • Which surface is suitable under playground equipment? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.12, Outdoor Equipment

Napping and safe sleep 13

  • A floor mat used for napping must be at least how thick? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.6.1, Bedding and Linens
  • A sleep sack may be used for an infant under which condition? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.6.4, Safe Sleep
  • Crib bars may be no farther apart than what width? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.6.3, Crib Requirements
  • How is a young infant who cannot yet roll over positioned for sleep? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.6.4, Safe Sleep
  • How much space must be kept around each napping or sleeping space? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.6.2, Nap/Sleep Space
  • How often must linens be washed, at a minimum? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.6.1, Bedding and Linens
  • How soon after hire must staff at a facility that cares for infants have safe sleep and shaken baby syndrome training? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 4.2, Safe Sleep/Shaken Baby Syndrome Training
  • May a facility use stacked or bunk-style cribs and cots? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.6.1, Bedding and Linens
  • What bedding belongs in a crib used by an infant? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.6.4, Safe Sleep
  • When may an infant be swaddled for sleep? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.6.4, Safe Sleep
  • Where must a child under one year of age nap? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.6.3, Crib Requirements
  • Which bedding is prohibited for napping or sleeping? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.6.1, Bedding and Linens
  • Whose safe sleep recommendations must personnel who care for infants follow? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.6.4, Safe Sleep

Fire, emergencies and first aid 20

  • A child has a life-threatening injury. What is the order of the two calls? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.3, Emergency Telephone Numbers
  • A child is seriously injured in care. When is the licensing authority told? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.4, Accident/Incident Notification
  • A facility has 30 staff in direct supervision of children. How many with pediatric CPR certification must be on site? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 4.2, First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
  • A lockdown drill may stand in for a monthly fire drill. How many such substitutions are allowed in a licensure year? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.8.5, Emergency Preparedness
  • After a fire or natural disaster, how soon must the operator tell the licensing authority its operational status? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.8.6, After a Fire, Man-made, or Natural Disaster
  • Does an online-only CPR course meet the handbook's requirement? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 4.2, First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
  • First aid and CPR certificates are valid for the time their program sets, up to what limit? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 4.2, First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
  • How far may the nearest fire extinguisher be from a room occupied by children? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.8.2, Fire Safety
  • How often must fire drills be held during the license year? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.8.4, Fire Drills
  • How often must lockdown and inclement weather drills be held? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.8.5, Emergency Preparedness
  • Staff give a child epinephrine for an allergic reaction. What must they do at once? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 2.5.3, Emergency Care Plans
  • What minimum rating must the facility's fire extinguishers have? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.8.2, Fire Safety
  • What must staff carry out of the building during a fire drill? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.8.4, Fire Drills
  • When must a first aid kit be restocked? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.2, First Aid Kit Minimum Requirements
  • When must an accident or incident involving a child be written up and shared with the parent? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.4, Accident/Incident Notification
  • Where must the emergency evacuation plan with its diagram of exit routes be posted? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.8.5, Emergency Preparedness
  • Which fire drill must be held at least once in the year? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.8.4, Fire Drills
  • Which item is on the handbook's minimum list for a first aid kit? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.2, First Aid Kit Minimum Requirements
  • Which kitchens need an automatic range-top fire suppression system? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.8.2, Fire Safety
  • Which number must be among the emergency numbers posted on or near every telephone? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.3, Emergency Telephone Numbers

Illness and medication 17

  • A child is found to have head lice. When may the child return? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.1, Communicable Disease Control
  • A cook was sent home with signs of a communicable disease. How long must the cook be free of signs before returning to the food preparation area? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.1, Communicable Disease Control
  • A parent sends diaper cream that no doctor prescribed. What is needed to use it? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.5, Medication
  • An infant younger than 2 months has a fever. What does the handbook say? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.1, Communicable Disease Control
  • The handbook names three common ways microorganisms spread in child care. Which are they? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6, Health Requirements
  • How does the handbook define diarrhea as a sign of suspected communicable disease? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.1, Communicable Disease Control
  • How must a child in the isolation area be supervised? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.1.1, Isolation Area
  • How must medication be stored at the facility? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.5, Medication
  • How often must children be observed for signs of communicable disease? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.1, Communicable Disease Control
  • In what container must medication brought by a parent arrive? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.5, Medication
  • Is a child care program required to give medication? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.5, Medication
  • Two or more children or staff show similar symptoms. Within what period does that count as a suspected outbreak? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.1.2, Outbreaks
  • What is done with medication that has expired? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.5, Medication
  • What must the program have before giving a child any medication? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.5, Medication
  • When must staff be educated on the facility's exposure plan for blood and body fluids? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6, Health Requirements
  • Which temperature, with another sign of illness, is on the handbook's list of signs of suspected communicable disease? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.1, Communicable Disease Control
  • Whom must the operator notify immediately of a suspected outbreak? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 6.1.2, Outbreaks

Hand washing, diapering and cleaning 13

  • A staff member has a cast on one hand that prevents proper hand washing. What may this person not do? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.10.1, Handwashing
  • By Caring for Our Children Basics, when is hand hygiene due as staff move through the day? Caring for Our Children Basics (U.S. Administration for Children and Families, 2015), standard 3.2.2.1, Situations that Require Hand Hygiene
  • Caring for Our Children Basics lists hand hygiene both before and after which task? Caring for Our Children Basics (U.S. Administration for Children and Families, 2015), standard 3.2.2.1, Situations that Require Hand Hygiene
  • How are soiled disposable diapers discarded? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.10.2, Diapering Requirements
  • How does the handbook define "sanitize"? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 1.2, Definitions
  • How often must each toilet and sink be cleaned and sanitized or disinfected? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.7, Restrooms and Bath Facilities
  • How often must the diaper changing surface be cleaned and sanitized or disinfected? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.10.2, Diapering Requirements
  • May a safety strap be used to hold a child on the diaper changing table? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.10.2, Diapering Requirements
  • What is the last step of the diaper changing procedure in Caring for Our Children Basics? Caring for Our Children Basics (U.S. Administration for Children and Families, 2015), standard 3.2.1.4, Diaper Changing Procedure
  • When may hand sanitizer take the place of hand washing? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.10.1, Handwashing
  • Where must the diaper changing area be in relation to food? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.10.2, Diapering Requirements
  • Where must the times for hand hygiene be posted? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.10.1, Handwashing
  • Which item is on the handbook's weekly cleaning list and not its daily one? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.11, Indoor Equipment

Food safety and storage 18

  • A freezer thermometer must read what temperature or below? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.2, Food Storage
  • An opened package of leftover food is covered and dated. Within how long must it be discarded? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.2, Food Storage
  • Cold food is held at or under what temperature? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.2, Food Storage
  • Dishes sanitized with hot water are immersed for at least one-half minute at what temperature? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.4, Dishwashing and Sanitization
  • Food may not be served to children hotter than what temperature? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.5, Food Handling
  • The hand washing station in the food preparation area needs hot running water of at least what temperature? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.1, Food Preparation Area
  • Hot food must be held at or above what temperature? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.2, Food Storage
  • How long may milk and food sit out before the meal begins? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.5, Food Handling
  • In a three-compartment sink, what is the third compartment used for? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.4, Dishwashing and Sanitization
  • In the handbook's cooking table, what internal temperature must fish reach? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.3, Food Safety
  • In the handbook's cooking table, what internal temperature must ground beef, pork or lamb reach? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.3, Food Safety
  • In the handbook's cooking table, what internal temperature must poultry reach? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.3, Food Safety
  • Leftovers must be reheated to what minimum internal temperature? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.3, Food Safety
  • What must staff wear when working where food is prepared? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.1, Food Preparation Area
  • When must meal and snack menus be posted? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.3, Food Safety
  • Where must cans, boxes and bags of food be stored? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.2, Food Storage
  • Which food is on the handbook's list of potentially hazardous foods that need temperature control? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 1.2, Definitions
  • Which of these may a facility serve? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.3, Food Safety

Meals, infant feeding and nutrition 26

  • A facility does not provide meals, and a parent sends a lunch that is not nutritious. What must the program do? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.3, Food Safety
  • A parent brings a jar of baby food that has already been opened. What does the handbook say? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.6, Breastmilk, Infant Formula, and Food
  • A physician orders a special diet for a child. What goes in the child's file? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.3, Food Safety
  • A prepared bottle is put in the refrigerator. Within how long must it be used? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.6, Breastmilk, Infant Formula, and Food
  • An infant is given another child's breastmilk by mistake. What must the provider do? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.6, Breastmilk, Infant Formula, and Food
  • An infant may not be fed solid foods before what age unless a physician directs it? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.6, Breastmilk, Infant Formula, and Food
  • Breastmilk or formula is left in the bottle after a feeding. Within how long must it be discarded? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.7, Bottle Warming
  • Do grain-based desserts count toward the grains requirement of a CACFP meal? 7 CFR 226.20(a)(4)(iii), Child and Adult Care Food Program, requirements for meals
  • Foods linked to choking, such as whole grapes, must not be served to children under what age? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.3, Food Safety
  • How are young infants bottle fed? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 2.4.4, Meal time Supervision
  • How many of the five meal components make a CACFP snack? 7 CFR 226.20(c)(3), Child and Adult Care Food Program, requirements for meals
  • How many times may the same bottle be warmed? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.7, Bottle Warming
  • How may a bottle of breastmilk or formula not be heated? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.7, Bottle Warming
  • How must sippy cups and bottles from home be labeled? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.5, Food Handling
  • Infants' food is cut into pieces of what size? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.3, Food Safety
  • Toddlers' food is cut into pieces of what size? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.3, Food Safety
  • Under the CACFP infant meal pattern, may juice be served to infants? 7 CFR 226.20(b)(4)(ii), Child and Adult Care Food Program, requirements for meals
  • Under the CACFP infant meal pattern, when may solid foods begin to be introduced? 7 CFR 226.20(b)(3), Child and Adult Care Food Program, requirements for meals
  • Under the CACFP meal pattern, how often may fruit or vegetable juice be served? 7 CFR 226.20(a)(3)(i), Child and Adult Care Food Program, requirements for meals
  • Under the CACFP meal pattern, how often must a grain serving be whole grain-rich? 7 CFR 226.20(a)(4)(i)(A), Child and Adult Care Food Program, requirements for meals
  • Under the CACFP meal pattern, what is true of milk served to children 2 through 5 years old? 7 CFR 226.20(a)(1)(ii), Child and Adult Care Food Program, requirements for meals
  • Under the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program meal pattern, what milk is served to a 1-year-old? 7 CFR 226.20(a)(1)(i), Child and Adult Care Food Program, requirements for meals
  • Unless a physician directs otherwise, infants should not be given plain water before what age? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.8, Drinking Water
  • Which food is on the handbook's list of choking risks for children under 4? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.3, Food Safety
  • Which guide does the handbook name for deciding the food groups that go into each meal or snack? Child Care Facility Handbook (Florida Department of Children and Families, December 2025), section 3.9.3, Food Safety
  • Which three components does the CACFP meal pattern require at breakfast? 7 CFR 226.20(c)(1), Child and Adult Care Food Program, requirements for meals

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the Safety, Health, and Food and Nutrition topics marked for the Florida Department of Children and Families course Health, Safety, and Nutrition in Table 5 of the training review prepared for the Department, dated June 28, 2023 and posted on its website (https://www.myflfamilies.com/documents/57961.pdf). The exam format is on the Department's page Scheduling Your Child Care Training Competency Exams (https://www.myflfamilies.com/services/child-family/child-care/competency-exams-schedule): multiple choice, 45 minutes, with no published count of questions or topic weights. Every fact was read on October 8, 2026 in the Child Care Facility Handbook of December 2025 (https://www.myflfamilies.com/documents/64981.pdf), in 7 CFR 226.20, the meal requirements of the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/section-226.20), or in Caring for Our Children Basics (U.S. Administration for Children and Families, 2015, https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ecd/caring_for_our_children_basics.pdf), and each question names its section. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site, written from a public handbook, a federal rule and a federal publication.

How it works

This health, safety and nutrition DCF practice test is unofficial and not affiliated with the Florida Department of Children and Families. It is exam practice, not medical advice, and every answer names the public source it was checked against.

Read the full guide

What the exam covers

A 2023 review of the Department's training, posted on its website, marks this course's topics under Safety, Health, and Food and Nutrition: safe spaces, safe sleep, emergencies and first aid, illness and medication, hygiene and diapering, food safety, and feeding infants and children.

Numbers worth memorizing

Cold food stays at 41°F or below and hot food at 135°F or above. Poultry and leftovers reach 165°F. A fever sign is 101°F with another symptom. Napping spaces need 18 inches around them.

Where the answers come from

Florida's Child Care Facility Handbook of December 2025 for 117 questions, the federal meal rule 7 CFR 226.20 for 9, and Caring for Our Children Basics for 3.

  • A bottle is warmed once and never in a microwave, and what is left after a feeding is discarded within one hour.
  • Under age 4, no whole grapes, popcorn or nuts. Infant food is cut to 1/4 inch and toddler food to 1/2 inch.
  • Hand sanitizer does not replace hand washing at the facility.

Questions and answers

How many questions are on the DCF health, safety and nutrition exam?

No count is published. The Department's exam page, read October 8, 2026, gives the format: one multiple-choice exam per course, 45 minutes, English or Spanish. This page's exam mode draws 40 questions for the same 45 minutes.

Is a DCF health, safety and nutrition practice test the same as the real exam?

No. The Department keeps its exam questions confidential, so nobody outside it can print them. These questions are our own, each written from a section of the handbook, the federal meal rule or Caring for Our Children Basics.

Who can skip the Health, Safety and Nutrition course?

Handbook section 4.4.2 exempts staff with an associate degree or higher that includes six college credit hours in early childhood education or child growth and development, an elementary education degree with teaching certification, or an active National Early Childhood Credential or Birth Through Five FCCPC.

Does the Health, Safety and Nutrition course count as safe sleep training?

Yes. Safe sleep and shaken baby syndrome training is due within 30 days of hire at a facility that cares for infants, and the handbook accepts the Health, Safety and Nutrition course, the Safe Sleep course or Early Learning Florida's Safe Sleep Practices.

How long is the DCF Health, Safety and Nutrition course?

Eight hours. It is one of five Part I courses, which make up 30 of the 40 hours of introductory training. The Department's exam page prices each exam at $1.00 per course instructional hour.

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