Attendance Due Date

SR and VPK Providers,

This is a friendly reminder about submitting attendance during a holiday month (September 2022). Both the School Readiness (SR) and Voluntary PreKindergarten (VPK) Contracts address Attendance Documentation submission deadlines (See excerpts below). For the August 2022 submission, the Attendance and all supporting documentation will be due on September 2, 2022.

SR Contract – Paragraph 57 Attendance Documentation

PROVIDER agrees to document daily attendance and submit monthly attendance reports for payment. PROVIDER agrees to submit all required attendance records to COALITION on or before the third (3rd) business day of each month. If the due date falls on a holiday, PROVIDER agrees to submit all required attendance records to COALITION on the preceding business day. Records submitted late will be processed and paid in the next open payment cycle.

VPK Contract – Paragraph 44 Attendance Documentation

PROVIDER agrees to document daily attendance and submit monthly attendance reports for payment. PROVIDER agrees to submit all required attendance records to COALITION on or before the third (3rd) business day of each month. If the due date falls on a holiday, PROVIDER agrees to submit all required attendance records to COALITION on the preceding business day. Records submitted late will be processed and paid in the next open payment cycle.

As always, we look forward to serving you and wish you all a safe Labor Day Holiday weekend!

VPK Notification Requirements when Information Changes 

We are excited that the VPK 2022-2023 school-year program has started!

Just a few important reminders regarding notification requirements when VPK information changes:

Information Change Notification

PROVIDER agrees that it will comply with each of the following notification requirements:

a. Provide notice to the COALITION of class transfers of children at the same

provider location within fourteen (14) calendar days;

b. Provide notice to the COALITION of changes to information provided on Forms OEL-

VPK 10. OEL-VPK 11A, and OEL-VPK 11B within fourteen (14) calendar days after

the information changes in accordance with Rule 6M-8.300, F.A.C.;

c. Provide notice of temporary closure in accordance with the requirements of Rule 6M-

8.204, F.A.C.:

d. Provide notice and documentation specifying reasons for dismissal of children within

fourteen (14) calendar days.

If you have a closure – you must report it via the Redline (redline@elcnwf.org) by close of business on the first day of closure. The schedule modification needs to be submitted on the second day after resuming VPK in the VPK Application. 

As a best practice for compliance, review documents on a regular basis for expiration such as background screenings and credentials along with DCF license, accreditation, and insurance requirements.

Wishing you all a safe and successful school year!

VPK FAST Important Information

VPK providers,

As you all know there have been many changes to VPK programs this year. The following paragraphs have essential information for you to be aware of in the future.

It is vital that VPK programs have the information in the Provider Portal up to date as this information is sent to Renaissance to populate their testing sites. VPK programs will not enter or roster students in the Renaissance system. The Division of Early Learning (DEL) will send nightly files to Renaissance generated from the DEL Provider Portal. The files will include students enrolled in VPK and information about classrooms and instructors. This allows the Renaissance system to setup the site for VPK Programs to administer the Star Early Literacy Assessment. All program changes must be made in the Provider Portal and may take up to 48 hours to reflect in the Renaissance site. Changes cannot be made in the Renaissance site.

Click HERE to access the testing URL that has been assigned to our coalition.

Please note that you DO NOT have to set the screening windows, Renaissance and DEL Provider Portal team will set these on the backend of the system. Screening Windows for each Progress Monitoring (PM) Period:

Progress Monitoring 1 (PM1): Is the first thirty (30) instructional days of the VPK class schedule beginning with the first VPK instructional day. 

Progress Monitoring 2 (PM2): Is the period of time in a VPK class schedule where at least 40% of the instructional hours have been completed and no more than 60% of the instructional hours have been completed. 

Progress Monitoring 3 (PM3): Is the last thirty (30) instructional days of the VPK class schedule ending on the last VPK instructional day

Please see the attached document for log in credentials and passwords

2022-23 $15 Hourly Wage for VPK Personnel

Dear VPK Providers:

House Bill 5001, also known as the General Appropriations Act, was passed by the 2022 Florida Legislature, and signed into law as Chapter 2022-156, Laws of Florida, by Governor DeSantis. This law became effective on July 1, 2022.

Proviso language (see below) following specific appropriation 82 provided additional compensation to Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) providers in the base student allocation for the 2022-23 school-year and summer programs. VPK providers who elect to participate in this additional payment program must complete an application in the EFS Mod Provider Portal.

Within the application on the portal, each VPK provider will attest via affidavit that every VPK program employee’s hourly rate is at least $15 per hour for all time worked on the VPK program within 30 days of receiving the funds.

As further explained below, the starting date for paying the minimum of $15 per hour rate must be within 30 days of the VPK provider’s rate increase funded with this incentive. The provider’s rate increase will begin on the first day of VPK classes, or on the date, the affidavit affirming the agreement is submitted to ELCNWF in the EFS Mod Provider Portal, whichever is later.

A VPK provider is deemed to be in receipt of this additional funding on the date that the provider’s VPK rates are increased through this allocation. Thus, for example, if a provider submits this affidavit and will be paid for VPK students at a rate that includes this incentive pay beginning on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, then all VPK employees must be paid at least $15 per hour for VPK duties beginning no later than Friday, September 9, 2022, which is 30 days after the provider’s rate increase.

VPK program employees include all employees who work on the VPK program, including the VPK Lead Instructor, Assistants and Substitutes listed in each VPK Classroom on Form OEL-VPK11A, and VPK Directors or Principals listed on form OEL-VPK10, who have been approved by ELCNWF.

The Division of Early Learning continues to perform requirements gathering to complete the build of the additional payment program application and attestation in the EFS Mod Provider Portal. They will provide additional instructional materials to successfully implement this program.

If you have any questions, please email the Redline at redline@elcnwf.org.

Flamingo Early Learning

Flamingo Early Learning is an online learning platform that partners with the Department of Education and the Division of Early Learning. This platform offers early childhood educators the opportunity to take free online courses that are flexible while meeting the requirements of the Department of Children Families as well as the Division of Early learning. 

All courses from Flamingo Early Learning are offered to meet the individual needs of educators at a variety of different levels: foundational, intermediate, and advanced levels. There are courses for you at Flamingo Early Learning regardless of the age of the children you teach, or if you are looking to get your introduction, director/advanced teacher credentials. 

Below you will find information outlining how to register for classes whether you are a new student or a returning student. Fall Registration dates are 8/17/2022 to 9/5/2022 and the Fall Term dates are 9/12/2022 to 11/15/2022.

 Virtual Training Event Sessions

Looking for food program training? Earn up to 10.5 hours of CEUs.

The National Platform for the Child and Adult Food Care Program is having four half-days of workshops on nutrition, program administration, operations, management and more on Zoom.

Standard registration is $99, increasing to $129 after September 2, 2022. Your registration fee also includes access to the on-demand sessions, available through September 30, 2022. 

To view the full list of courses and register, click the button below. 

August 24

National Waffle Day

August 30

National Beach Day

August 31

Eat Outside Day

National Zoo Awareness Day

World Distance Learning Day

Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida

Phone: 850.747.5400 | Fax: 850.747.5450

WWW.ELCNWF.ORG