serving hendry, glades, collier and lee counties early learning coalition of southwest florida
TRANSCRIPT
Serving Hendry, Glades, Collier and Lee Counties
Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida
Presentation OverviewPresentation Overview• Who is the Early Learning Coalition?• What Does the Early Learning
Coalition Do?• How are we funded? • How can you be involved?
Who are we?Who are we?
Our Coalition Our Coalition VisionVision
ALL children in Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee communities will be healthy, eager, and successful learners, supported by well-informed parents, involved citizens, and collaborative community partners.
Our Early Learning programs will have high quality standards, comprehensive services, seamless delivery system with diverse settings, and well-educated, competent, and adequately compensated staff.
YOUR EARLY LEARNING COALITION
•The Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida is the administrator of state and federal funding for early learning programs
•These funds total approximately $40,000,000 dollars for our 4 county area
•The programs include resource and referral, School Readiness and Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten
•We have contracted with a Local Agency to administer these programs - COMMUNITY COORDINATED CARE FOR CHILDREN
Community Coordinated Community Coordinated Care for Children, Inc (4C)Care for Children, Inc (4C)
• Established in 1969 by the Human Services Established in 1969 by the Human Services Council of United Way and the Orange Council of United Way and the Orange County (FL) GovernmentCounty (FL) Government
• 501(C)3 private, non-profit organization501(C)3 private, non-profit organization• Began serving SW Florida in July 2007 Began serving SW Florida in July 2007
through a contract with our Early Learning through a contract with our Early Learning CoalitionCoalition
• Provides Services for Children in partnership Provides Services for Children in partnership with the Coalition with the Coalition
Considered to be the “front door’ to all Early Considered to be the “front door’ to all Early Learning Programs. Links made between Learning Programs. Links made between parents and providers.parents and providers.
All Florida residents eligible to utilize All Florida residents eligible to utilize services to help them find child care, services to help them find child care, regardless of income level.regardless of income level.
Those meeting Income guidelines can also Those meeting Income guidelines can also access SCHOOL READINESS programs access SCHOOL READINESS programs (subsidies to help pay for child care)(subsidies to help pay for child care)
Early Learning Programs – Early Learning Programs – Child Care Resource and ReferralChild Care Resource and Referral
Early Learning ProgramsEarly Learning ProgramsSCHOOL READINESSSCHOOL READINESS
This program is in place to ensure that all This program is in place to ensure that all children are intellectually, emotionally, children are intellectually, emotionally, physically and socially ready to enter school physically and socially ready to enter school and ready to learn, fully recognizing the crucial and ready to learn, fully recognizing the crucial role of parents as their child's first teacher.role of parents as their child's first teacher.
Parents earning up to 200% of federal Parents earning up to 200% of federal poverty guidelines can qualify for financial poverty guidelines can qualify for financial assistance to help pay assistance to help pay for child carefor child care
School Readiness ServicesSchool Readiness ServicesIn 2006-2007…In 2006-2007…
• 6,760 children served in our 4-county area. • 548 school readiness programs in private
and faith-based centers, family child care homes, and school district programs
STATEWIDE Funding: approximately $490 million; Our Coalition has a School Readiness Budget of approximately $20 million dollars
Even with this budget, over 4,000 children are on waiting lists for childcare in four-county area
These children are at risk - Even though their parents qualify for assistance, there isn’t enough $$ to help them.
SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM FUNDING
FY 2006-2007 School FY 2006-2007 School Readiness Services for Readiness Services for
ChildrenChildren
Collier Glades/
Hendry
Lee ELC-SWFL Total
Total Children Funded
1508 67 498 4,687 6,760
Waitlist numbers for 7/24/07
1,630 4 132 2,359 4,125
Early Learning Programs Early Learning Programs Voluntary Prekindergarten Voluntary Prekindergarten
Education Education
Florida Voters passed a constitutional amendment in November 2002 to provide a FREE, VOLUNTARY Program for all Florida 4 year olds.
First year of program was in the 2005-2006 School Year
The Voluntary Pre-kindergarten (VPK) The Voluntary Pre-kindergarten (VPK) Education ProgramEducation Program
Our Coalition has a budget of approximately $20,000,000 for Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (Statewide budget: approx. $388,000,000)
Summer program is 300 hours. The School-year program 540 hours
PARENTAL CHOICE is critical component – private, public and faith-based providers
Program is Voluntary and Free
Budget does NOT include dollars for transportation
Voluntary Prekindergarten Voluntary Prekindergarten Education ServicesEducation Services
In 2006-2007…In 2006-2007…
…In our Second VPK year, we enrolled over 6,663 children in 199 VPK Providers in the Lee, Collier, Glades, and Hendry Communities.
FY 2006-2007 Voluntary Pre-K FY 2006-2007 Voluntary Pre-K Services for ChildrenServices for Children
As of 6/30/07
Collier Glades/Hendry Lee ELC-SWFL Total
Total Children Served School Year
1,593 17 117 3,345 5,072
Total Summer Enrollments
532 0 187 872 1,591
Total VPK Enrollment
2,125 17 304 4,217 6,663
EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMSEARLY LEARNING PROGRAMSThe Results Are Impressive!The Results Are Impressive!
High Quality Early Learning Programs result in:
• Fewer children being held back a grade• Children more likely to graduate from high school• Children less likely to become involved in crime and
delinquency• Future Adults that are less dependent on welfare• For every $1 spent on early learning, a return of $7
is generated due to factors sited above.
Strongest results have been shown for at-risk and low-income children
• National Institute for Early Education Research, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J:
Other ResultsOther Results
• Children tested as they are admitted to Kindergarten in Public Schools to assess the results of Pre-Kindergarten
• Results after just the First Year clearly showed that children who participated do BETTER in learning assessments than children who did not participate in VPK
Demographics of our Demographics of our Coalitions Voluntary Pre-Coalitions Voluntary Pre-
Kindergarten childrenKindergarten children
• 19% are English Language Learners• 8% identified with Disabilities• 43% qualify for free or reduced lunch
• RCMA (Redlands Christian Migrant Association) programs and children included in SW Florida coalition – many of these
children live in extreme poverty
OUR CHALLENGESOUR CHALLENGES• By 2013 all lead teachers of VPK must have a
bachelor’s degree certified in early childhood education. Efforts to change to AA.
• The pay for teachers, and in particular early learning teachers is not very appealing
• Lack of Transportation – means children who need it most, may not be receiving
• Waiting list for School Readiness Programs (working poor assistance) of over 4,000 children
How can we improve?How can we improve? The Entire Community Needs to be Involved:
• More $$ could help get more children into school readiness programs
• More Children enrolled in school readiness can mean more parents can go to work, thus lower the number on welfare
• Investing in early learning helps prepare children for future school success
• Quality program help strengthen the future work force • More $$ could help us save money as a society: For
every dollar invested in quality care for children, more than $7 is realized by society.
How Can Business and Private How Can Business and Private Individuals be Involved:Individuals be Involved:
Child Care Executive Partnership: a public/
private partnership that matches funding for
child care costs • Helps businesses hire and maintain loyal and reliable
employees by offering $$ for child care assistance. • For every dollar raised in our community, we can
receive a dollar match.• These funds go under utilized most years• Cultivate Florida’s future work force by reducing the
need for social service programs as children grow
If you are interested in enrolling your business in the Child Care Executive Partnership, please see me afterthe program
This is one of the few benefits where you can double your financial impact on employees with the $ for $match
How Can Business and Private How Can Business and Private Individuals be Involved:Individuals be Involved:
SPONSOR A CHILD• Over 4000 children are on the waiting list
for school readiness programs• A donation of just $284 will:
– Allow a child to enroll in an early learning program for a year
– LEVERAGE AN ADDITIONAL $4,448 in State and Federal Funds
– Enhance and expand services to families who need your help
How $284 grows to $30,000How $284 grows to $30,000Your $284 dollar donation, with it’s match
Of federal and state funding will become a
total of:
$4,732 and provide services for a child for
one year.
Your $284 InvestmentYour $284 Investment
Studies show for every $1 spent, a savings of $7 is incurred :
(welfare, school retention, drop out rates, juvenile crime, etc.)
Your investment, with it’s match to over $4,000….Becomes $30,000 in the future!
How Can Business and Private How Can Business and Private Individuals be Involved:Individuals be Involved: Professional Professional
Development Scholarship SupportDevelopment Scholarship Support
• At a minimum, all VPK Teachers must have a Child Development Associate Degree.
• Tuition Costs to teachers for this degree is approximately $500.
• State and Coalition professional development scholarships are very limited.
• Contributions to the Dr. Wanda Slayton Memorial CDA Scholarship Fund will help our teachers achieve their education goals and prepare our children to be successful in school and in life.
How Can Business and Private How Can Business and Private Individuals be Involved:Individuals be Involved: Classroom Classroom Quality Enhancement Mini-GrantsQuality Enhancement Mini-Grants
• Children learn best in a literacy-rich environment with age-appropriate materials and a variety of hands-on learning centers and experiences.
• The Coalition offers Mini-Grants to teachers to improve the classroom environment, purchase high quality early education resources and emergent literacy materials.
• Contributions to the Coalition’s Mini-Grant Program will ensure that teachers have the resources they need to help children reach their highest potential.
On behalf of the Children of Southwest Florida, Thank you for your time and
attention today