The Group Care Facilities program is
comprised of permitting and inspection for a number of facility types, including
day care centers, assisted living facilities, foster homes, and schools. Please
see below for specific information on these inspections.
Day Care Facilities
Day care facilities which provide care for
five or more children unrelated to the facility operator are inspected twice a
year. These inspections look at the general sanitation of the facility, food
hygiene practices (if applicable), sewage disposal, water supply, garbage
disposal, and general safety issues. If a swimming pool is located on
the premises, this is also inspected.
Family Day Care centers provide care for four or less unrelated children plus up to five additional after-school
children. These facilities are not inspected by the Columbia
County Health Department.
Day care facilities are licensed by the Florida
Department of Children and Families, with the exception of some church-affiliated day
care centers. To contact the local office of the Department of Children
and Families, call (386) 758-1510.
Schools
Private and public school facilities are
inspected for general sanitation and safety issues twice each school year.
Group Residential Facilities
There are a number of residential care
facilities which provide housing, food, and other personalized healthcare
services to unrelated individuals on a 24 hour a day basis. These
facilities receive a general sanitation and safety inspection once a
year. If these facilities have food service for 25 or more residents, the kitchen receives a food
safety inspection four times a year.
Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs)
These types of facilities receive a general
sanitation and safety inspection once a year. If these facilities have food service for 25 or more residents, the kitchen receives a food
safety inspection four times a year.
All Nursing Homes receive a food service inspection
four times a year.
For more information on the permitting and
inspection of these types of facilities, please click here
to check out the Florida
Department of Health Community-based Residential Facilities web page.
Or, you may contact Patty Melgaard at the Columbia
County Health Department - (386) 758-1058
Back to Environmental Health Index
