Provider Network Newsletter September 8, 2021

September 8, 2021

VPK Providers:

AP1’s are required for ALL VPK Providers - Assessments must be completed within the first 30 days of the class start date. And the data must be entered in the Bright Beginnings system within 45 days of the class start date

Child Attendance and Parental Choice Certificates:

You have different options for VPK Attendance:

OEL-VPK 03S-Short Form - Form requires supporting documents such as a sign in and out sheet
OEL-VPK 03L-Long Form - Form is a Calendar – X means the child was Present and you will leave it BLANK or write A for an Absence

Forms CANNOT be signed prior to the last day of the VPK Program for the month as it verifies attendance. Documents should be uploaded to the Coalition Document Exchange/Sharefile by CLOSE OF BUSINESS on the 3rd Business Day.

VPK Contract Monitoring will begin soon. As always, your facility’s staff and children’s safety are our first priority. Monitorings will include a desktop review and a Payment Validation (Attendance Certification Review). Please ensure that you maintain proper attendance records, comply with record retention guidelines, and meet all contractual requirements. Look for Emails with more information as we begin to monitor your programs for compliance.

SR Providers,

Please remember that attendance is due on the 3^rd business day. Also, remember to upload your absence documentation to MOD as well as ShareFile. Failing to upload your absence documents into both locations could delay the processing of your attendance. We are working on a tight schedule this month due to the Labor Day Holiday.

If you are closed on Labor Day, please ensure that the day is marked on your closures calendar and is a blue/gray color. If it is not marked on your calendar, please reach out to your contract specialist before submitting attendance.

If you are coding your attendance and you had a closure and it is incorrect in MOD, please let us know before you submit attendance. Remember that partial closures do not get coded, for those children you will mark an “Absence Due to Disaster”. There is a new update that will let you code partial classroom closures in the future, but as of yet, that has not been deployed.

Rules Workshops Update

The webinar “Public Hearing 6M-4.200 and 6M-4.208 School Readiness Eligibility Rules” at: Thu, Sep 2, 2021 2:30 PM EDT - Thu, Sep 2, 2021 3:30 PM EDT and the webinar “Public Hearing 6M-9.300 CCR&R and Consumer Education” at: Thu, Sep 2, 2021 11:00 AM EDT - Thu, Sep 2, 2021 12:00 PM EDT have been canceled.

The public hearing date/time and location has been changed to the State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting scheduled for October 20, 2021, 9:00 a.m., Caribe Royale Orlando, 8101 World Center Dr, Sierra Ballroom A & B, Orlando, FL 32821 for Rules 6M-4.200 School Readiness Eligibility Provisions and 6M-4.208 Documenting Eligibility for the School Readiness Program.

Online Parenting Book Club for SR Parents

School Readiness parents in your programs are invited to participate in a virtual Parenting Book Club. This is an 8-week course featuring the book, The Whole-Brain Child.

Course Includes:

Live check-ins with a Registered Play Therapist who can answer questions and discuss strategies
Eight video lessons for each chapter including guidance on each strategy
Private Facebook group
Support and collaboration with other parents/caregivers
Resource materials (excluding books/workbook)

Virtual meetings start on September 15th. Books will be provided to parents.

The Whole-Brain Child

This book offers a revolutionary approach to child rearing with twelve key strategies that foster healthy brain development, leading to calmer, happier children. The authors explain—and make accessible—the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures. The “upstairs brain,” which makes decisions and balances emotions, is under construction until the mid-twenties. And especially in young children, the right brain and its emotions tend to rule over the logic of the left brain. No wonder kids throw tantrums, fight, or sulk in silence. By applying these discoveries to everyday parenting, you can turn any outburst, argument, or fear into a chance to integrate your child’s brain and foster vital growth.

Please email us at warmline@elcnwf.org if your school readiness parents would like to participate in this online book club - no later than September 10th as we will need to deliver you the required reading materials. Sessions will start on September 15th.

Good news! The next September training will be a virtual session.

You can attend from the comfort of your own home. Don't forget to sign-up!

Child Care Centers

Friday, September 24th 9am - 1pm

plus additional one-on-one training offered until 3pm

Family Child Care Homes

Saturday, September 25th 9am - 1pm

plus additional one-on-one training offered until 3pm

Please complete the pre-training survey below and a link for the Zoom registration will be sent to you.

You will receive a digital copy of Caroline's book, Child Care Success Formula when you register!

Contact kate.burch@elcnwf.org with any questions.

Pre-Training Survey and Registration Request

Disaster Relief Payments

The $1,000 teacher bonuses have started popping up in mailboxes across the state! DEL has asked that you and your teachers share selfies or group photos with your check on social media using the hashtag #TYEarlyLearningTeachers.

If you can get a few photos, but would prefer we share them on your behalf, send them into the Redline with “Social Post” in the subject line.

If you haven’t submitted the application for the $1,000 bonus/disaster relief payment, its not too late to do so. The deadline is 10/15.

If you have not received the email invitation to apply or if you are experiencing any difficulty in completing the application, contact DEL by email at disasterrelief@oel.myflorida.com or by phone at (833) 258-6735.

The Provider Recruitment Team is continually looking for opportunities for employee pools to assist with your staffing needs. Below are some additional resources for employee leads:

The Arc of the Bay/St Andrew Bay Center Vocational Rehab Program

Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington Counties
A DOE funded program for high school students with varying levels of disabilities
Currently have students successfully placed at two childcare centers in our area
Arc of the Bay will pay the student's salary for three months
Contact: Crystal Grizzle (cgrizzle@bayarc.org or 850.532.0884)

Gulf Coast Career Source Packet

Bay, Gulf, and Franklin Counties
Information on how to post positions on the Hot Jobs and Employee Florida sites
Take advantage of their Bonding Insurance Program
We plan to be a part of the fall Job Fair. Details soon!

Click the button below for additional information about these programs. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact: Tami.valdez@elcnwf.org

Employee Resource Information

Provider Conference Update

Fall Registration

Flamingo Early Learning Courses

Fall course dates are 9/13/21 to 11/16/21

As a Reminder: Upon completion of the course and receiving mastery, students will be eligible to receive stipend and CEUs.

Enrollment Information

Quarterly Frog Street Training will be available beginning November 2021.

These recurring trainings will be for new staff coming on board or current staff needing a refresher.

Frog Street roll-out training is available for providers needing beginners training for their current staff.
This can be completed virtually or on-site at your center.
80% of providers, currently using Frog Street Curriculum, has received this roll-out training for staff, but if you feel you need additional training, please email the redline.

HiMama Helps – Childcare Webinar Series

Now, more than ever, the early childhood community has to come together to figure out life during a global pandemic. The HiMama Helps Webinar series was created as a platform for ECEs and child care experts to share stories and practical tips with each other.

Join your hosts, Ria Simon and Kiah Price every Thursday at 2 PM, to explore different topics, offer practical strategies, and have your questions answered. Click below for the library of past webinar recordings.

Webinar Series

Conference-Quality Professional Development by Early Childhood Experts

Early Childhood Investigations offers free webinars to early childhood educators. The series is produced by Engagement Strategies, LLC., and presented by leading authors, experts, and leaders. Now, you can participate in conference-quality training without leaving your home, classroom, or office.

Upcoming Webinars

We are looking for parents to join the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC)

Download a copy of the flyer by clicking the button below. Please make sure all parents in your center receive a copy of this flyer. You can print to send home with each of your children, or you can simply post the flyer on your social media page.

PAC Flyer

Florida KidCare

In a time when the health and safety of our community are most important, help keep the children in your center insured.

Encourage families in your centers to contact ELCNWF for information and assistance applying for Florida KidCare. Call 850-747-5400 X 108 or request CCR&R via the link below!

CCR&R Request

Big Heart World is an initiative produced by Sparkler in collaboration with Noggin that enables parents and educators to help children explore what it means to have a “big heart” and how to grow one. This means:

Learning About Me — Awareness of self: identity & belonging, feelings and self-regulation
Learning About You — Awareness of others: empathy, appreciation of diversity
Learning About Us — Relationships with others: interpersonal strategies

Have your kids listen, sing, and dance along to "Help Work It Out", the next song from Noggin’s Big Heart Beats album. And be sure to follow their site as they will release a new video every month.