Before the first shift:

1. Download and print the substitute’s full file from the Tandem portal
2. Store it with your other personnel files
3. Add the teacher to your Clearinghouse roster

This ensures full compliance and smooth licensing inspections.

When a Tandem substitute is booked, centers can access all required compliance documents through the Tandem portal and the Florida Clearinghouse.

Before the substitute’s first shift, centers must:

1. Download and print the substitute’s file from the Tandem portal
2. Store it with other personnel files
3. Add the teacher to their Clearinghouse roster

This ensures documentation is readily available during licensing visits.

Yes. Providers must add the substitute to their Employee/Contractor Roster in the Clearinghouse within 10 days of hire. To ensure full compliance, we recommend adding them before their first shift.

Set the start date as their first shift and the end date 10 days later, adjusting the end date if they continue working.

‍Regulatory Reference: Child Care Facility Handbook, Section 5.1.K. “Employers must add child care personnel to their Employee/Contractor Roster in the Clearinghouse within 10 days of hire and must enter an end date within 10 days of termination.”

Yes. Tandem substitutes must be treated like any other personnel member. All licensing rules apply.

Tandem ensures core compliance requirements are completed prior to booking. Providers are responsible for maintaining the personnel file onsite and adding the teacher to their Clearinghouse roster.

Each Tandem substitute file includes documentation required for licensed DCF child care programs, including:

• Level 2 background screening with Clearinghouse eligibility
• Employment application
• CF-FSP Form 5131 with verified 5-year employment history
• Florida Affidavit of Good Moral Character
• Florida Child Abuse & Neglect Reporting acknowledgement
• Education verification (high school diploma, GED, associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree, as applicable)
• DCF training transcript, including:
  
  • Child Care Facility Rules and Regulations (RNRF) training
  • Completion of the 40-hour introductory training, if the training start date was more than one year ago
• Safe Sleep / Shaken Baby Syndrome training, if the teacher has worked in a licensed facility for more than 30 days
• Early Literacy training, if the teacher has worked in a licensed facility for more than one year
• First Aid/CPR certification, if applicable (and if serving a School Readiness program)
• School Readiness training and documentation, if serving a School Readiness program
• VPK credentials, including 40-hour training and Early Literacy completion, if serving a VPK program

Tandem substitutes should not participate in transportation activities unless they have completed the required transportation training, which they are not required to do by Tandem. If transportation-related duties are included in the job description, providers can request a substitute with approved transportation training when posting the job. Only teachers with proper documentation will get booked for the job.

Regulatory Reference: Child Care Facility Handbook, Section 4.2.5. “All personnel participating in transportation must complete approved transportation safety training prior to transporting children, and documentation must be maintained in the personnel file.”

You set the hourly rate for the substitute. The average hourly rate for shifts in Martin County is $15.80/hr. Tandem adds a 35% service fee to that rate. For example, if you post a job at $15.80 per hour, Tandem adds $5.53 per hour, bringing the total to $21.33 per hour. There are no sign-up fees, subscription fees, or buy-out fees. You only pay when a substitute works a shift in your program.

Through our partnership with ELC IRMO, you are eligible for one reimbursable shift. Simply submit a reimbursement form and your Tandem invoice to Sean Lewis at slewis@elcirmo.org.  

Yes. When posting a job, centers set requirements such as years of experience, training hours, or credentials. Tandem only matches teachers who meet those criteria.

Centers can remove the substitute from their schedule, leave feedback, and block the teacher through the portal. Feedback helps Tandem address performance concerns and manage ongoing eligibility.

Yes. Providers are encouraged to evaluate substitutes before hiring permanently. After a substitute works 120 hours at your center, you may transition them to your payroll at no additional cost.