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Dear Providers,
Developmental screenings completed by families and ongoing assessment completed at your School Readiness program are critical to help identify children who might benefit from further screenings. Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System (FDLRS) Child Find, in coordination with the school districts, identify children ages 3-to-5 years old who are potentially eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and links them with needed services.
Sometimes the path through this process can be challenging to understand.Below is a link to The Road Through Child Find map that explains from start to finish how the Child Find process works. Please share this information with staff and families who may have questions about the Child Find referral process. As always, if families or your staff have questions regarding the referral process, please have them contact Donna Carnley, RN our Inclusion Specialist who will be happy to assist them find the answers or connect them to someone who can help.
Thank you for all the work you do with families to help ensure each child in your care receives the best early education possible. You are critical to the work. I hope you have a wonderful week.
In your service,
Lynne
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Performance Funding Project (PFP): Things are progressing quickly for providers who are a part of the Performance Funding Project. The deadline is approaching for the Benchmark 3 deliverables to be uploaded. Remember that all Benchmark 3 deliverables are due by March 31, 2017, but please do not wait until the final day to upload deliverables. If you wait until the deadline to upload your deliverables, you will receive a delinquent notice from OEL.
Making the Most of Classroom Interactions (MMCI): Both of the MMCI cohorts are moving along well, and both groups have completed 14 of 20 required hours of training.
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Children's Week "Hanging of the Hands" Hand Art Collection
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The Coalition is partnering with public libraries to create art stations where children can create hand art for the annual "Hanging of the Hands." All hand art collected will be delivered to Tallahassee to be hung in the Capitol Rotunda during Children's Week (March 27-31).
If your center is interested in participating, simply create artwork with children in your center. Connect hand art from your center with ribbon or yarn making strands between 8-10 feet. Turn in your prepared hand art to one of the Coalition offices or participating public libraries by Friday, March 17.
We will keep an updated list of participating Coalition offices and public libraries on our website here. Attached you will find the flier that will hang in each Coalition office and participating library.
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"Early Mathematics for Early Learners" Course Offering at PC Coalition Office on March 22
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The Coalition will offer the "Early Mathematics for Early Learners: Making Sense of Sets and Numbers" training on Wednesday, March 22, from 1 - 4 p.m. at the Panama City Coalition office. If you are a VPK teacher and interested in participating, please visit the below link to use the DCF portal for class registration. Class space is limited to 25 participants.
Once you have logged into the "DCF Child Care Training" site, choose "Instructor Led or Online Courses Enroll/Uneroll." There will be a blank space to enter the "Course Reference" ID (listed below). If you have questions, please contact Jana Miller at jana.miller@elcnwf.org.
Course ID: 7263
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Winter TSGs have been received and reviewed by the Coalition. If a child scored two or more steps down in four or more areas on the TSG, that child is considered a candidate for further evaluation by the Developmental Assessment Task Force (DATF) Team. This is a collaborative partnership between the Coalition and FDLERS/Child Find or CHS/Early Steps based on the age of the child. Multiple criteria are considered when examining the child’s TSG and history. Every effort is made to meet the child's needs by either continuing to monitor their progress or to refer the child for further evaluation by another agency. Some children do not meet the requirements for further evaluation.
When a child is REFERRED by the DATF Team, a letter is sent to the parent giving them the appropriate agency’s contact information for further evaluation. Your positive relationship with parents is an important piece of this process in supporting them and encouraging them to follow through with the referral. The childcare providers will be informed of those children who were referred for further evaluations via email. You are the expert, and it could make a difference on their decision to act. Emphasize that the first 5 years of their child’s life is important, and include how early intervention supports and reinforces that foundation for lifelong learning.
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The 5th Annual ArtKidDoo will be held on Saturday, April 8, in Chipley at Shivers Park from 10 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. If you would like to participate with us as a vendor booth, please complete the vendor application included below and email it to Suzan Gage at suzan.gage@elcnwf.org. There is no fee to participate as a vendor booth, so sign up today!
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THIS SERVICE IS NOW ACTIVE!
Attached please find the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Flier regarding services available for free income tax preparation from January 23 - April 17 in Bay County. VITA will also be available in Jackson and Washington Counties this year, and a flier will be included in the BLAST when it has been made available.
Please hang THIS VITA FLIER in your center for any who might need assistance with income tax preparation.
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Questions about child development or behavior? Ask the Warm Line.
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