Monthly Newsletter - December 2020

December 2020

December 4, 2020 Provider netWORK Webinar

You are invited to a Zoom webinar!

When: December 4, 2020 09:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Topic: December Provider netWORK Meeting

Please register for this webinar using the blue button below. You will receive a confirmation email after completing your registration.

If you have any questions please submit them through the Redline.

Provider netWORK Webinar Registration

December Virtual Board Meeting

December 9, 2020 11:00 AM CDT

Mark your calendars and don't miss the December Board Meeting!

Please call: (646) 558-8656 using meeting ID number: 365 921 3194

We look forward to you joining us virtually on Wednesday, December 9!

Paid Designated Holiday Reminder

Just a reminder that there is one paid/designated holiday in the month of December.

That date is: December 25, 2020

Providers were allowed to choose 2 floating holidays this year. Some providers selected days around the Christmas and New Year time. If you would like to view the holidays for your program, please refer to the School Readiness Provider Contract, Exhibit 6 for the Holiday Schedule.

Please take a moment to review the PROFILE-Closure Calendar.

If you have changes or are going to be open on a day previously listed as closed, please make the updates to the calendar as soon as possible to prevent any delays in processing your attendance.
If you will be open but closing early – please do not designate that on the closure calendar.
If you have a change to the normal operational hours or are closing your program early, please remember to send notification to the Redline.

If you need assistance please submit a request with the Redline and one of our contract specialist will reach out to help you through the process.

As mentioned last month, the Coalition is hosting 20-minute Power TA Sessions focusing on various topics throughout the new year, excluding holidays. Along with the power sessions, we are offering additional socially distanced, in-person training options and virtual alternatives. Please reach out to the Redline with any questions and click the buttons below to register for your preferred training courses!

Math and Success Add Up – Virtual

December 1, 2020 6:00pm - 7:00pm

Thursday Power Session: Behavior Management

December 3, 2020 1:00pm - 1:30pm

December 3, 2020 5:30pm - 6:00pm

Typical or Terrible Expulsion & Suspension in Toddlers and Twos - In-Person

Chipley Office: December 7, 2020 6:00pm - 7:30pm

Thursday Power Session: ASQ Basics

December 10, 2020 1:00pm - 1:30pm

December 10, 2020 5:30pm - 6:00pm

Thursday Power Session: Virtual Regards for Child Perspective

December 17, 2020 1:00pm - 1:30pm

December 17, 2020 5:30pm - 6:00pm

Florida GLR Presents Dr. Paige Pullen from the Lastinger Center at UF

Helping Students Read Words Virtually: The Flamingo Literacy

Teaching Platform

December 11, 2020 9:30am

Ages and Stages Questionnaire Edition 3 (ASQ-3) Updates

The Coalition would like to thank you for your continued dedication and hard work completing the required Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ).

To further assist you in the ASQ completion process, the Coalition is now:

Sending a copy of all ASQ requests and reminders to your Coalition Document Exchange folder entitled “ASQ Requests.” in addition to sending the provider a redacted email with the ASQ requests.

Sending out a full list of ASQs that are still needed in your “mid-way” email reminders.

Giving you a courtesy call when your 30-day deadline is coming up.

We’re also available for online or phone technical assistance “walk-throughs” if you are still not fully comfortable with using Brookes ASQ Online.

If you have any questions or need to request assistance, please email ASQ@elcnwf.org.

The Florida Department of Education (DOE) and Office of Early Learning (OEL) have worked to find flexible and meaningful ways to help providers meet the financial challenges brought on by the pandemic. From April through September, both SR and VPK providers were reimbursed based on enrollment instead of attendance. For November, SR providers were reimbursed for up to 14 total absences without documentation. VPK providers were reimbursed according to the “80/20 rule” consistent with the VPK contract.

For November:

Open SR providers in the month of November could claim a total of 14 days because of the Covid-19, without having any Documents to back the days up. The absent days must be coded as "D" (Absence due to Disaster). If you do not designate with ‘D’s you will have to have back-up documentation or we cannot pay for those days. For absences in excess of the 14 payable days, providers should code those days as "N" (Enrolled/NonReimburseable) days.

We encourage providers to submit the attendance as early as possible, however, we want you to ensure that what you submit is accurate. When you submit attendance, please be aware that an error rate of 10% or higher could result in a determination that the provider is considered high risk and prompt more frequent payment validation/reviews for the program.

For December:

Open SR providers will be reimbursed for up to 12 total absences or for 52% of the month without documentation, as this was waived in a DOE executive order. SR providers will continue to be reimbursed for the required parent copayments for all reimbursable days.

Open VPK providers will continue to be reimbursed according to the “80/20 rule” consistent with the VPK contract. This means that you will be reimbursed 100% for students who attend at least 80% of the month.

Regarding provider site closures, OEL will continue the standard practice of paying for temporary closures due to COVID or another state of emergency in accordance with rules 6M-4.501 and 6M-8.204(5), F.A.C. Please note that absences are not counted during a temporary closure due to a state of emergency.

All Providers have been issued a Contract Monitoring Date and Time. This year’s SR and VPK Notification Letters and Desktop Reviews have been uploaded in the Coalition Document Exchange .

Please upload your documentation using the appropriately labeled folder below:

SR Provider Contract Monitoring 2020-2021

VPK Provider Contract Monitoring 2020-2021

Early Steps

Early intervention supports families and caregivers to increase their child’s participation in daily activities and routines that are important to the family. Click here to view additional information about Early Steps

Remember, you can always contact the Warmline with concerns you may have for children in your program. These concerns can relate to developmental delays, behavior challenges, or learning differences.

DCF Exam Completion Date Extended

In a November 2020 memo released to all providers by DCF's Office of Child Care Regulation Director, Hue Reynolds, completion dates for competency exams were extended an additional 60 days to January 28, 2021.

In addition, DCF Child Care Regulation has also extended the ability to allow for completion of online courses beyond the 45-day requirement. For those students who enrolled in an online class as of Jan. 28, 2020, and later, they will be allowed additional time to complete the course. The course will remain open through March 31, 2021, so that students may review the materials prior to taking the competency exam.

Where feasible, Child Care Regulation will offer technical assistance to assist providers with achieving these training requirements and they are working to ensure non-compliance citations will not be issued.

More information can be found by clicking on the full memo.

Click above to visit the T.E.A.C.H resource page for information for you and your staff.

If you have used T.E.A.C.H to assist you or your staff with educational needs, please share your story by submitting to the Redline by December 14, 2020.

Each story will be entered into a drawing for a special Christmas basket!

As a reminder please log into Quality Performance System (QPS) by the 10th of each month to update your staff roster. Once your staff rosters are updated, remember to press submit, ensuring the system remains current and up to date.

The Office of Early Learning (OEL) requires all providers receiving composite scores to update their rosters at least monthly in the QPS.

November and December Virtual Study Buddies Sessions are available to all early childhood educators who have completed the targeted online course, and would like to participate in a review or refresher of the course content prior to taking the end of course assessment.

Click above for the calendar.

Hand Washing

Now more than ever, hand washing is essential to help prevent the spread of germs. Although there are many reminders around us daily, here is another source of information to share with your parents, during these unpredictable times

Click here for flyer

We know that this year has been hard, and when you find the teacher that is the right fit for your center you want to try to recognize them as much as you can. While we are all still picking up the pieces, we know that you and your teachers still have a job to do.

This year, the Coalition would like to help you recognize teachers in your centers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. During the last week of every month, one teacher will be chosen for a prize in recognition of their hard work and dedication to the children they teach every day. You can nominate teachers from your centers by the 30th of every month by sending the following information through the Redline :

A photograph of the teacher (can be a head-shot or photo of them in action)
A 1-paragraph biography
One thing (or more) this teacher has done to go above any beyond the call of duty

If your nominee wins, he or she must like the Coalition Facebook page and/or Twitter to be able to claim their prize. They can find us by searching @ELCNWF on both social media platforms.

Office Closures

The Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida hopes you, your family, and friends have a safe and wonderful Christmas Holiday and a Happy New Year. In observance of the Holidays, all Coalition offices will be closed: