VPK Reminders

Applications

Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received. If your application is currently in Initiated, Incomplete, or Rejected status, please review the outstanding requirements, make the necessary corrections, and resubmit as soon as possible.

If you need assistance with your application, please contact:

• Dianne Lawrence at dlawrence@elcsarasota.org
• Tess Scarcella at tscarcella@elcsarasota.org

Planning for an August 10 Start Date

If you plan to begin your VPK program at the start of the school year on Monday, August 10, 2026, we encourage you to carefully review your application for accuracy and completeness. Applications submitted after July 10, 2026, may not be processed in time for a VPK contract to be executed by an August 10th start date.

VPK Office Hours - Tuesday, July 21, 1:00-2:00 PM

Join us for our monthly VPK Office Hours, designed to provide VPK providers with an opportunity to ask questions, receive guidance, and stay informed about VPK updates, requirements, and important deadlines. We encourage all providers to participate in this collaborative support session.

We look forward to connecting with you and addressing any questions you may have!

Microsoft Teams Meeting

Click here to join

Meeting ID: 265 875 114 995 063

Passcode: dY2b3qF3

Take Five

It only takes a few minutes, but finding those few minutes in a busy day isn’t always easy. To help avoid any issues with your SR and/or VPK contract, please take five minutes to verify that your child care license expiration date is current in your Provider Portal profile.

1. Log in to the Provider Portal
2. Go to Profile
3. Select Facility
4. Update License Expiration Date

From Recovery to Readiness: Arts-Based Healing is Coming to Child Care Classrooms this Fall

We had to remind you about this one! This August, ELC Sarasota and the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation are launching Mindful Recovery: An Arts Integration Approach for Early Learning.

Mindful Recovery is a $350,000 program funded through the ELC’s Hurricane Ian Impact Disaster Grant, bringing trained teaching artists directly into early learning classrooms to build emotional resilience, calm, and connection for both children and teachers.

The program will reach up to 60 early learning sites and 260 classrooms across Sarasota County. The program is at no cost to you! 



Participating programs will receive:

• Personalized planning with your educator before any visit begins
• Three 1-hour in-classroom visits from a professional teaching artist
• All materials and resources for your classroom to keep
• Professional development support for your teacher built into every session
• A classroom gift at the end of the residency



Contact Lorrie Young at lyoung@elcsarasota.org to learn more about how your program can participate! 

Help Families Make a Splash - Safely!

Summer fun starts with water safety! Please share the attached flyers with families to encourage safe swimming and constant supervision that can prevent drowning. Post them in your program, include them in family communication, or send them home to help keep children safe all summer long!

From Chaos to Connection

August 4 @ 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Kick off the school year with strategies that help create a positive, connected classroom from day one. Led by Becky Atluru, the ELC’s new Social & Behavioral Consultant, this interactive training will explore proactive approaches to building strong relationships, establishing effective routines, setting clear expectations, and preventing behavior challenges before they arise. Participants will leave with practical tools and actionable strategies they can immediately implement to foster a supportive and successful learning environment throughout the year.

Educators working with children of all ages are welcome to join. Must register ahead of time. 

Click here to register.

Devereux Center for Resilient Children (DCRC): Virtual Trainings & Free Webinars

Our friends at DCRC have their 2026-27 year all planned out!

DCRC strives to foster resilience and support the social-emotional development of young children (infants, toddlers, preschoolers) and to promote the resilience of the adults who work with and care for them. They offer both virtual trainings and free webinars designed to support YOU and your work. If you’re looking for high-quality, engaging professional development, we recommend exploring what they have to offer.

CLASS® 2nd Edition Crosswalk Now Available

As we transition to CLASS® 2nd Edition, we encourage directors and teachers to review the CLASS® 2nd Edition Crosswalk. This resource provides a side-by-side comparison of the original CLASS® dimensions and indicators with those in the updated edition, making it easier to understand what has changed, what remains the same, and how observation practices have evolved.



The crosswalk is a valuable tool for educators preparing for CLASS® observations and professional development. While many of the interactions that support children's learning and development are the same, the 2nd Edition offers clearer language and a streamlined structure to better reflect effective teaching practices.

Take a few minutes to explore the crosswalk and use it as a guide as you continue to strengthen high-quality teacher-child interactions!

Upcoming Board of Directors Meeting

August 11, 2026 at 3:00 PM

6003 Honore Ave, Suite 106

Sarasota, FL 34238

Open to the Public

Individuals who wish to address the Board of Directors must complete a

Public Comment Request Card, available on our website and onsite.

Comments are limited to three (3) minutes per person, on a first-come, first-served basis, and will be heard at the time designated for public comment on the official meeting agenda.

elcsarasota.org