Provider Network Newsletter September 15, 2021

September 15, 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.

Conference Update

Stay tuned for more information about our fabulous speakers and session details.

Registration information will be available soon.

Don't Forget! The next September training will be a virtual session.

Sign-up Today!

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

Top 3 Tips for Supporting Children Who Don't Want to Join the Group

Make sure you have a cozy corner that children can retreat to. Yes, this is for them to use when they are upset, and you can use a puppet or doll to show them that the cozy corner is also a great place to go before they get upset when they just want a few minutes alone.
If a child runs off or won't join the group but they are safe, let them be. This can be especially supportive during the first weeks of school. If you are singing a good morning song with each child's name or do something else where everyone gets a turn, you can still include them and let them chime in from across the room if they want.
Notice the child's interests and use those interests to form a connection at other times of day. Sit on the rug and build Legos silently next to them tomorrow, even if just for 3-5 minutes. Ask about their superhero shirt or cool car sneakers at drop-off. Bond with them over the junkiest junk food in their lunch. Connecting with a child through their interests will help you build a trusting relationship with them over time and you might just find they start joining you and the group!

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

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.