We have great news to share! As you may know, the ELCNWF’s Board of Directors approved School Readiness (SR) rate increases to the infant, toddlers, and 2-year-old care levels for licensed/licensed-exempt centers and family child care homes at the May 11th board meeting then staff submitted the request to the Division of Early Learning (DEL) for final approval. The ELCNWF recommended the rate increases as a way to continue our recovery efforts and support the needed care of the youngest children in our seven counties.

Please click the button below for a copy of the new SR Payment Rate Schedule.

If you are a SR provider and wish to change your private pay rates, please contact your Contracts Specialist or email the Redline at redline@elcnwf.org

VPK Applications will be issued NO LATER THAN Friday, June 3, 2022

ALL VPK Applications will need to be completed NO LATER THAN Friday, July 29, 2022 so that the COE’s can be entered prior to the first day of school.

The Readiness Rate Child Detail report will be uploaded to the Coalition Document​ Exchange 2021-2022 VPK Contract Folder and placed in the VPK Verification Folder.​

You will need to verify the information on that report.  In accordance with the rules of the Agency, the Coalition will not issue a final payment to the Provider for the VPK Program year until the Provider certifies the annual cumulative attendance of each child enrolled in the VPK Program. ​

As most of you know, the opportunity to receive stabilization funds deadline is quickly approaching. The deadline is June 30, 2022. It is imperative that you submit the application as soon as you can so you don’t miss the deadline. Below you will find some tips and tricks to assist you. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to Jenna Drew or Michelle Shadoan.

On May 11 the State Board of Education approved changes to Rule 6M-4.500, Child Attendance and Provider Reimbursement which will go into effect on July 1, 2022.

Among the changes in the approved rule, is an adjustment to Quality Performance Incentive differentials which will eliminate the differential payment for those programs whose CLASS scores range from 4.0 to 4.49. A child care provider’s Quality Performance Incentive differential shall be based on the most recent program assessment composite scores. The differential will be adjusted and applied at the next monthly provider reimbursement payment.

Additionally, a child care provider that is currently on a Quality Improvement Plan will not be eligible for the Quality Performance Incentive. The new differential thresholds are listed below:

To read more about the changes click the button below.

We are pleased to share with you some important information related to Florida’s Assessment in Student Thinking (FAST) using Star Early Literacy. Here is the memo on FAST using Star Early Literacy which includes a link to the new VPK FAST resource website.

Training sessions have been tailored to meet the individual needs of each participant based on their specific role as either a VPK director or VPK instructor. Individuals who serve as both the VPK director and instructor should attend the VPK director training.

VPK directors or individuals that serve as an on-site administrators role may register to attend the webinar training session for VPK Program Directors. Participants should only register and attend one webinar training session.

VPK instructors may register to attend the webinar training session for VPK Instructors. Participants should only register and attend one webinar training session.

If you or your staff have training questions related to FAST using Star Early Literacy, please direct them to contact the Division of Early Learning here. 

To better align with the Legislation and Rule for child screenings, the Coalition has changed annual child screening dates from birthdays to redetermination dates. 

(a) Initial screening. Each early learning coalition shall coordinate with parents and providers to complete an initial screening for each child, aged six (6) weeks to age of 60 months.

(b) Subsequent screenings. Each early learning coalition shall coordinate with parents and providers for subsequent screenings to be completed annually at redetermination.

The Division of Early Learning has flipped the enrollment schedules from part time to full time for the summer. This applies to all children on a school calendar. The part time copay will double when going to full time. Example: If a child’s part time copay is .68 per day, you would increase it to $1.35 per day for the summer.

Join us Friday, June 24th, from 9-12 pm at Lynn Haven United Methodist Church for The World's Greatest Baby Shower! Healthy Start of Bay, Franklin & Gulf Counties invites all pregnant women and those who have had a baby within the previous 6 months, as well as caregivers and family members, to their annual World’s Greatest Baby Shower event. This event includes door prizes, games, refreshments, a photo booth, and vendor tables representing many organizations and agencies in our community!

As inflation continues to impact families at the gas pump, the grocery store and elsewhere,

we know our education focused families are looking for a balance between saving for future college expenses and maintaining financial flexibility. With a Florida 529 Savings Plan, your family can choose when and how much to contribute to fit your budget and savings goals. That’s why Florida Prepaid College Savings Plans is encouraging families this summer to start saving for college with a Florida 529 Savings Plan, offering to contribute $50 into newly opened accounts. A Florida 529 Savings Plan is an investment account that provides a flexible and tax free way to save for college expenses including tuition, fees, room, board, books and supplies. The great thing about a Florida 529 Savings Plan is that as little as $25 a month over time can grow into a strong college savings fund for your child’s future.

A 529 Savings Plan gives you, the account owner, control of the account, and you get to choose how to invest to meet your savings goals. There is even an online gifting portal to invite family and friends to contribute to a child’s college education in lieu of more traditional birthday and holiday gifts. Saving for college is one of the many important steps you can take to secure your child’s future and the Florida 529 Savings Plan allows you to take that step even amid uncertain financial times/

As parents, we want to support our little ones during tough times. However, adults can’t help children navigate upset and reach a calm state unless we are composed ourselves. This printable resource provides a three-step process for calming yourself and providing the safety your children need.

The Early Care and Education Empowerment Toolkit, the ECEET, is a resource to help parents and caregivers find resources, support, or coping strategies that can be helpful while parenting in the classroom. Additionally, participants who finish the survey in the link below will receive a $100.00 gift card!

Each download contains twelve months of learning activities, book lists, nursery rhymes, and more. On one side is a calendar with a fun skills-building activity for each day and the other contains supplementary content like nursery rhymes, early literacy tips, song lyrics, or suggested reading material. Use these calendars to help your children engage in early literacy activities every day of the year!

The deadline of July 1, 2022, is fast approaching and all VPK instructors must have completed all three components of the emergent literacy training. This is your last chance for completing component 3, the virtual reflection sessions requirement.​

To register for the reflective session, you will need to go to the DCF training website and enter one of the course numbers listed below. The reflective sessions are scheduled from 6-7 pm each night. As a reminder, all the training listed on the DCF training website is listed in eastern time.​

All private VPK Providers must have a director with a current VPK Director Credential to be eligible for contracting in the 2022-2023 program year. The attached memo and flyer provide information regarding this requirement and identifies the five training courses that a director must have completed in order to obtain or maintain a VPK Director Credential.

If you have any additional questions regarding the VPK Director Credential requirements for private providers please email VPKQuestions@oel.myflorida.com.

To find these lesson plans, click the button below: 

PBS KIDS offers this FREE special collection of flexible self-paced learning to help inspire PreK-2 teachers and provide support for the classroom. Choose from several learning experiences designed to spark new ideas and expand your skill set—you may also be able to earn between one to three credit hours.

There are two different self-paced learning opportunities:

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.

 

In a time when the health and safety of our community are most important, help keep the children in your programs insured. Encourage families and teachers in your programs to visit floridakidcare.org for information about qualifying and how to apply for health insurance at little to no cost. 

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