WEEKLY COALITION BLAST | NOVEMBER 29, 2017
WE EXIST TO GROW HEALTHY CHILDREN , PARENTS , AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM.

Lynne's Message 
Dear Providers -

This is the last call for you and your staff to complete the 2017-18 Child Care Practitioner Survey. The final deadline is tomorrow, November 30. We are asking that each contracted provider allow their staff to complete this online survey. Providers and staff who complete the survey will qualify for a quality stipend. More information on this stipend will be provided at the December Face-to-Face Meeting that will be held on Wednesday, December 6, at Trinity Pentecostal Tabernacle. See you at 9:00 a.m. next Wednesday! Please bring a dish to share.

In your service,

Lynne
December Reimbursement Reminder
To help with payment processing, please submit your November reimbursement documentation on December 1, 2017, rather than waiting until the third business day. As always, all reimbursement paperwork and documentation is due by close of business on the third business day. By submitting early, you help the Reimbursement Team process faster during this holiday season. If you closed your center for Thanksgiving Day, please code that day with an "H." Otherwise, no payment will be received for that day.

There are several holidays in the month of December that could delay payment to providers if crucial deadlines are not met. Coalition offices will be closed Christmas Day and the day after (December 25-26). Additionally, bank closures could delay the timely release of funds.  Please code your attendance certification with an "H" for December 25. 
 
Please be sure to check initial reimbursement documents you uploaded to the Coalition Document Exchange . Uploading the same documents during the reimbursement period can become confusing and result in incorrect payments. All supporting documents (doctors' notes, Rilya Wilson documentation, etc.) must be uploaded along with the attendance certifications. Any documentation not submitted with the attendance certification will need to be sent as an adjustment .

If you have any questions about this special request, please submit it to redline@elcwnf.org . 
OEL's Online VPK Resources
The Florida Office of Early Learning’s website is an excellent resource for l esson plans and a tool kit to help prepare the VPK child for Kindergarten. You can access and download a copy of "Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for Four-Year-Olds (2011)." 

OEL Guidance: Changes to Email Addresses for Parents + Providers
The Florida Office of Early Learning has requested that parents and providers who need to change their email address contact their local Coalition. The Coalition will submit the change request on behalf of the provider or parent. If you have any questions regarding these requests from the Office of Early Learning, please email your questions to redline@elcnwf.org .
Performance Funding Project Updates
We are excited to start a new year of the Performance Funding Project (PFP) and to see so many providers returning this year. We are excited to have new providers joining us this year as well. The first benchmark started on November 1, 2017, and ends on January 31, 2018. This year, there are only three benchmarks.

There have been some changes to the MyTeachingStrategies website. These changes relate to the required online training for completing child assessments. “Basic Gold As We Know It” is no longer offered. This means that providers participating in child assessment training must complete the following online courses through MyTeachingStrategies: 

  • “Introducing MyTeachingStrategies” (2-hour course)
  • “Objectives for Development and Learning” (10-hour course)

Once participants log into the MyTeachingStrategies website, they should look under the “Develop” tab to locate the training needed and to access the reliability test.

The Coalition will start offering the Infant and Toddler Making the Most of Classroom Interactions (MMCI) and Pre-K MMCI in December. For the Infant and Toddler MMCI, meetings will be once a week for 2 hours; the meetings will continue for 12 weeks. The Pre‑K MMCI group will also meet once a week for 2 hours; the meetings will continue for 10 weeks. 

If you are a PFP participant, you will receive a separate special blast with specific information about registering for MMCI and Early Learning Florida (ELFL) courses. If you have questions, please email redline@elcnwf.org.
November is Family Engagement Month!
Attached please find several fliers from OEL's Child Care Resource and Referral Team regarding Family Engagement Month (November).

  • The "Family Engagement Month Tips" attachment includes helpful tips as well as suggestions for promoting your programs via social media. Anytime you engage families and share photos on social media (including Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter), use #EngagedFamiliesFL. Just like with #1stDayVPK, OEL will feature programs throughout the state that are going above and beyond to engage families.
  • OEL is celebrating Vroom Week Florida from November 27 - December 1. Look at the attached "Vroom Week Florida Flier" for more information about involving your program. If you would like Vroom materials to display in your program or to send home to families, PLEASE let us know. We would be happy to provide those materials to you. Email redline@elcnwf.org to request Vroom materials.
  • The "New CCR+R Materials for Providers" button includes helpful hints and a wealth of information about tips for engaging parents as well as scholarship information for children with IEPs.
School Readiness Contract Monitoring
Contract monitoring for November 2017 has started. You will begin to see our new staff member, Amy Branton, in the field. While completing the monitoring, Coalition staff will use the School Readiness (SR) Provider Contract Monitoring Tool ( Form OEL-SR 20M).

Some the most common areas of noncompliance are:

  1. Not having the Approved Curriculum version on site for verification
  2. Lesson plans not posted for each classroom and/or lesson plans that do not reflect evidence of curriculum implementation
  3. Child records not stored properly
  4. Necessary documentation requested not provided (NOTE: The Desktop Review requires that the following documents be submitted for ALL SR children for the payment validation month.)

  • Enrollment and attendance certifications (attendance rosters)
  • Documentation to support excused absences (including Rilya Wilson documentation)
  • Child payment certificates (eligibility paperwork receive from Coalition/parent)
  • Proof of parent copayments
  • Sign-in/sign-out documentation

5. The daily sign-in/sign-out sheets missing times and signatures
6. Daily documentation/notification to case managers for Rilya Wilson children

Please review the attached SR Provider Contract Monitoring Tool prior to the monitoring. This guide will be used by Coalition staff to guide monitoring, including the questions asked regarding your program. If you have questions regarding the SR Contract Monitoring Tool and/or process, please email the Redline at redline@elcnwf.org.   
"Disable" Teacher Function in MyTeachingStrategies
Between checkpoint periods is an appropriate time to "clean up" your TeachingStrategies site. Please review your list of teachers, and disable any that are no longer with your program. Some programs have teachers listed who have not logged into TeachingStrategies since 2013. If personnel are no longer utilizing TeachingStrategies, they should be disabled.

To disable a teacher:
  1. Click on the circle at the top right that indicates your initial.
  2. Click on “Administration.”
  3. Look for the white box at the left-hand side of your screen. Click on “View Users.” A list of your teachers will appear.
  4. Click on the underlined name of the teacher, and the profile will appear.
  5. In the middle of the page under the heading “Security” is the "Username," and under the "Username" is a box beside the word “Disable.” Click on that box to disable.
  6. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “Save.”

After you complete these steps, inactive users (teachers) will be disabled and unable to access TeachingStrategies. If needed, any previous users can easily be reactivated. Email redline@elcnwf.org if you need to reactivate a teacher or need assistance with the instructions above.
Rotary Read Aloud Program Reminder
If you are a participating Rotary Read Aloud program, please remember to bring your completed Parent Comment Cards to the December Face-to-Face Meeting on Wednesday, December 6.
Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! 2018
Attached please find updated information about Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! 2018. The books have been selected, so make plans to share these stories in your program.
Children's Week "Hanging of the Hands"
It's ALMOST that time of year again!

Children's Week will be January 21-26, 2018, and will share the week with Celebrate Literacy Week Florida. (Look above for updated information about Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! 2018.) You can begin creating hand artwork as soon as you would like. This year, we are asking that each program string together their hand art into 8- to 10-foot strands, and attach a name card including the program name, program city, class name, and class age group. We want our legislators to spot hand art from their hometown.

Strands of hand art will be collected at the January Face-to-Face Meeting on January 5, or you can drop off your strands at any Early Learning Coalition office (Chipley, Marianna, or Panama City). For more information on the locations of our Coalition offices, visit our website.

Attached is a flier that you can post in your center, and it provides specific instructions for artwork and deadlines. Please visit https://childrensweek.org/event/hanging-of-the-hands/ for statewide information or www.elcnwf.org/childrens-week/ for information about our local efforts.

If you have any questions or need additional information about Children's Week, please email redline@elcnwf.org .
Above: Northwest Florida Hand Art Hanging in the Florida Capitol Rotunda, March 2017
OEL: "VPK Snapshots" for November 2017
Click here or below to view the November 2017 edition of "VPK Snapshots."
Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida | Phone: 850.747.5400 | Fax: 850.747.5450 | www.elcnwf.org
Sponsored by the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida and the State of Florida, Office of Early Learning