EARLY LEARNING COALITION: FOR PARENTS

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Parenting Tips

by United Way's Success By 6 initiative:

• Talk with, and listen to, your child.
• Accept your child for the individual he or she is.
• Discipline your child with love and consistency.
• Be a good role model.
• Approach problems with a positive attitude.
• Be involved in your child’s education.
• Encourage good feelings within your family.
• Encourage creativity.

If you are looking to prepare your child for school or looking for good childcare, the Early Learning Coalition can help you. Look at the following links for information on school readiness, voluntary pre-kindergarten and child care. Some of the articles require downloading Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download it here:

~ Child Care ~ Voluntary Pre-K ~ School Readiness ~ Family Services

Child Care

Child care training and workshops are provided on a monthly basis in the areas of parent skill building, health and nutrition, life management skills and literacy.

Finding Quality Child Care

If you need assistance finding quality childcare, we can refer you. Contact the ELC at

Putnam: 386-328-8225
St. Johns: 904-824-9036

What is Child Care Resource & Referral? Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) is a free service to all parents regardless of income that acts as a bridge between parents needing child care and the child care programs that will best meet the needs of the family.

We believe parents should have choices and in giving parent's the tools to make an informed decision. Therefore, we are experts in quality care in all kinds of settings from family child care homes to center based care and will gladly help parents know what quality care means.

We help our families find child care that is easily accessible, educational, safe and affordable through Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R), a free service offered to you by the Office of Early Learning.

To speak with a CCR&R Counselor, call today!

Toll free 1-800-238-3463

Administrative Office: (904) 726-1500

Fax: (904) 726-1516

Putnam County: (386) 329-4878

St. Johns County: (904) 819-8192

Hablamos español

To find child care or VPK online in your area or to view licensing reports go to http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/childcare

Please note: There are no charges/fees associated with a provider listing in the Child Care Resource & Referral Database or for referrals to your program. If you are asked to provide a payment for a referral or listing in the Child Care Resource & Referral database, please call the Agency for Workforce Innovation’s Office of Early Learning at 1-866-357-3239. The information reported about a provider’s program is objective program information that is based on standards that are attainable for providers based on their type of care.

Checklist:

Choosing Quality Childcare: A comprehensive checklist for parents looking for childcare

NACCRRA

Another resource is the NACCRRA, the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies. They work with more than 800 state and local Child Care Resource & Referral agencies to ensure that families in every local community have access to high-quality, affordable child care.

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Voluntary Pre-K

Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten is not based on income and is open to everyone.

The VPK program allows parents to enroll his or her eligible child (four years old by September 1 and residing in Florida) in a free educational pre-kindergarten program. The program is voluntary for children and providers and is designed to prepare children for kindergarten and to build a foundation for educational success. The program runs for 540 instructional hours during the school year and 300 instructional hours during the summer.

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School Readiness

School readiness programs are designed to increase children’s chances of achieving future educational success and for them to become productive members of society. The program targets families receiving temporary cash assistance and meet federal work participation requirements.

Other children who qualify are at-risk of abuse or neglect, at risk of future school failure or are considered economically disadvantaged based on federal poverty guidelines. Parents pay a co-payment based on a sliding fee scale.

This child care system enables parents to work and earn money to support their families, a critical component of economic stability and growth. School readiness programs meet minimum quality standards including developmentally appropriate practices and curriculum instruction and health and safety requirements.

Developmental screenings are conducted at least semi-annually to chart the individual developmental progress made by each child.

For more information, please read the following article:

What Is School Readiness?

Checklist:

A Child Who Is Ready for School Checklist

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Family Services

ELC also provides the following family services:

• Links parents, regardless of income, to the child care services they seek.
• Educates parents to available, accessible, quality child care.
• Encourages and assists child care providers to become registered, licensed and/or accredited.
• Assists parents eligible for receipt of subsidized child care with the application process.
• Maintains a database of available child care options.
• Refers parents to other social service agencies as needed.
• Educates local consumers about the various services offered through the agency.
• Maintains a lending library for parents, child care providers and the community.
• Provides technical assistance and support to child care providers in the community.
• Resources and materials, including a quarterly newsletter and a monthly tip sheet, are distributed to parents.

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