INVESTING IN EARLY LEARNING FROM PALM BEACH COUNTY, TALLAHASSEE TO DC The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County is dedicated to building community-wide commitment for comprehensive, high-quality early learning environments that benefit the children and families of Palm Beach County. Last year alone, the Coalition assisted in impacting over 30,000 children through a variety of programs including Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK), School Readiness and Children’s Services Council Scholarships. Early learning education is an issue of interest with a variety of stakeholders such as elected officials, parents, providers and the business community. In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama called for more public support for pre-school programs and last week an amendment passed in the U.S. Senate which would require both the health & human services secretary and the education secretary to review early learning and child care programs in the general government and recommend ways to streamline and consolidate the programs. On a state level, Governor Rick Scott’s proposed budget calls for the highest funding increase for early learning programs in a decade. His budget proposal to spend $1.1 billion on early childhood education and care includes an increase of almost $60 million in comparison to last year. Governor Rick Scott recognizes the importance of early leaning as his proposed budget illustrates. He spoke about his budget recommendations in Panama City recently, “A quality early learning system is essential to provide Florida children with the tools they need to succeed,” Scott said. “This $1.1 billion investment will result in an increase of $100 per child for voluntary prekindergarten. This funding will help to better prepare children as they start school. As the grandfather of three young boys, I appreciate just how important these early years are and I want to be sure Florida’s children have the best early learning opportunities possible.” Floridas VPK Program is a free educational program that prepares 4 year-olds to succeed in kindergarten. Children must live in Florida and be 4 years old on or before September 1 of the current year to be eligible for the VPK program. Different types of child care providers, including private centers, public schools and specialized instructional service providers, may offer the VPK and School Readiness programs. A quality childcare environment contributes to a solid foundation for higher learning. The VPK program provides children the necessary skills to be successful in kindergarten. Pre-school children have great potential and the VPK program offers an opportunity for these students to gain many important skills in order to assure their success in kindergarten, said Tijuana Williams, Director of Atkins Tender Loving Care, Inc. The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County applauded both President Obama and Governor Scott’s recommendations and support for early learning. The total for the School Readiness, VPK, and other essential early learning programs is proposed at $1.1 billion for the 2014-2015 fiscal year under Gov. Scott’s proposed budget. These high-quality programs in Palm Beach County and across Florida offer early learning and education opportunities for children to be prepared to succeed in kindergarten, academia, and throughout life, as well as help eligible low-income parents by providing education and care for their children while they work to become financially self-sufficient. Adam Hasner, Board Chairman of the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County, commended Gov. Scott for prioritizing early learning funding in this year’s state budget. “Early childhood development programs for children from birth to age 5 are important investments and can help narrow the achievement gap, paving the way for a child’s success. These programs provide funding for child care to families whose parents are working and trying to become financially self-sufficient. Additionally, they prepare at-risk children to start school on the right track. The Governor’s budget recommendations show that he clearly understands the importance of early learning. His budget will improve the quality of school readiness programs in Palm Beach County and across Florida.” As part of his budget, Gov. Scott has recommended an additional: • $30 million to serve more children in Florida’s School Readiness Program. • $7 million to develop and implement an early learning data system. • $1.5 million for early childhood teacher scholarships through T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education and Compensation Helps). • $5 million to improve School Readiness teacher effectiveness. We want whats best for our children. In order to ensure their success we must follow certain standards. If we follow the VPK Standards when teaching our children, we will provide the framework for their future success, said Karen Ellis, VPK Teacher at Atkins Tender Loving Care, Inc. To register your 4 year-old for the VPK program, simply go online to: https://pbvpk.familycentral.org. The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County will continue to work with the Governor’s Office, our elected officials and other stakeholders to strengthen early education programs in Palm Beach County. ##### About Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County makes sure every child is ready to succeed in school and in life. We coordinate with community partners to provide parents with information and assistance to select high-quality child development services, including Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK), School Readiness, and other vital early learning programs. For more information, visit us at: elcpalmbeach.org.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 12:37:55 +0000