For information to keep you safe and up-to-date with COVID-19 Updates !

Please report any closures, reopenings, or program changes due to COVID-19 to the Redline .

Child Care During COVID-19

Yale School of Medicine Survey

Dear Early Childhood Provider,

Your participation in a Yale School of Medicine survey regarding child care during the COVID-19 crisis is requested. 

Please help us by participating in a brief (12-20 minute long) survey being sent to child care providers like you across the nation. Your answers will be completely confidential. We need as many voices and experiences as possible as we try to determine the rate at which child care providers have become ill with COVID-19 symptoms and which strategies may have helped keep them safer. We need to hear from you whether you were open or closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

We think of you as heroes for the work you do caring for children and families. After completing the survey you will be invited to participate in a free online webinar, hosted by  Child Care Aware ^®  of America , to discuss the results and answer any questions you may have, including questions regarding the latest science on COVID-19 spread in classroom settings and how best to keep children and staff safe.

We hope that you will help us. Please click the button below, to review and begin the survey. It should take only about 12-20 minutes to complete the survey.

Mini Grant Update

Important Deadlines

Recently the Coalition has received additional guidance from OEL regarding the application process for the Infrastructure Mini Grant, the Health and Safety Mini Grant, and the Professional Development Mini Grants .  All grant applications will need to be submitted by June 30, 2020, to ensure timely payments into your account .  Professional Development courses will need to be completed by June 30, 2020 and the certificate of completion, teacher application and banking information with W9s will need to be uploaded to the Coalition’s Document Exchange by June 30, 2020. Please submit all questions to the Redline.

Free Library On Wheels

F.L.O.W

The FREE Library on wheels wants to help you reinforce summer reading across Bay County!

The Bay County Public Library Foundation wants to provide books, free of charge, to child care providers across Bay County! The goal of this program is to increase literacy in young children and foster their love for reading at an early age. This program is currently only distributing books across Bay county, but we are still hoping to spread this program throughout surrounding counties in the future.

To request books from F.L.O.W please submit a request to the Redline .

Virtual Study Buddies for the Courses Included in the

DOE Approved Staff Development Plan (SDP)

Providers on Probation (POPs) who selected the DOE Approved Staff Development Plan (SDP) must complete the required training courses linked to the Virtual Study Buddies Information button below. Due to the current travel ban and social distancing guidelines, all instructor-led courses are canceled until further notice. In an effort to support POPs and other preschool educators taking the online courses, the VPK Regional Facilitators will offer a Virtual Study Buddies session for each course included in the DOE Approved SDP.

 

The Virtual Study Buddies sessions are recommended for participants who have completed the specified online course, but have not yet completed the end of course assessment. Each session will provide a high-level review of the online course content, while allowing time for the Regional Facilitators to answer participant questions about the course and clarify any uncertainties.

 

The Office of Early Learning plans to make the Virtual Study Buddies sessions available to providers beginning June 1 ^st . If you are interested, please register for your desired session(s) via the June Content Calendar and/or Registration buttons below.

5 ways early care and education providers can support children’s remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

While there are many online resources suggesting activities to promote children’s learning at home, less guidance is offered on how child care providers can work with families remotely. Drawing on research and practice, Child Trends offers five recommendations for how providers can best support at-home learning. Click the button below to learn more!

First Responder Child Care Referral Program

Dear Providers,

We, at the Coalition, appreciate you sharing the First Responders Child Care Referral Program with the families you serve. To ensure you are providing them with the most accurate information, please review the list below. Additional details can be downloaded by clicking the blue button at the bottom of the page.

Attached to the blue button below is an excerpt from Governor DeSantis’s Executive Order 20-91 that lists essential services for Healthcare/Public Health and Law Enforcement, Public Safety and Other First Responders. At this time, these are the only personnel eligible for the First Responders Child Care Program.

Coalition Mental Health Program

Offered to ELC Children, Families and Child Care Staff

In light of recent events, the Coalition will be offering support services including the opportunity to talk with  mental health specialists  who can help provide information, support, and even counseling.

These services are  free  to the children and families in your care as well as child care center staff. Sessions can be conducted via phone or video until it is safe to meet in person.  These services are confidential and are designed to help in this time of increased stress and uncertainty.

There are many ways that we can help. We can explain the current health crisis to young children, develop plans to deal with the isolation associated with social distancing, provide advice on handling increased fears/anxieties, or address other needs in the family.  Sessions typically meet once a week for 50 minutes at a time that is convenient for all.

If you are interested, please submit a request to the   Learning Line !

When submitting requests please include the following:

We are so excited to share the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida has been selected to be a part of the Community Bag Program, which is designed to make it easy for customers to contribute to their local community while supporting the environment. For the month of  JUNE, each time a $2.50 reusable Community Bag is purchased at the local Winn-Dixie store located in Jackson County, $1 will be donated to the Coalition, unless otherwise directed by the customer through the Giving Tag. Also, if you live outside of Jackson County and would like to participate, don't worry! The Giving Tag Program runs all year long. All you have to do is purchase the Community Bag at any Winn-Dixie store and follow the instructions on the attached Giving Tag to direct the $1 donation to our organization. This is a great way to raise awareness, support the environment and fundraise for our cause. To learn more about this program and locate your nearest Winn-Dixie, please click the blue buttons below.

Florida KidCare

Don't miss out on the year-round open enrollment with Florida KidCare!

With the help of Florida KidCare, staying healthy doesn't have to be difficult.

Florida KidCare provides the families of Northwest Florida with low-cost options for health and dental insurance for children birth to 18!

For eligibility information and applications click the blue button below.

Sponsored by the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida and the State of Florida, Office of Early Learning