I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII.

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING August 6th, 2012, 8:00 a.m. ELC Board Room

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II.

Welcome & Introductions A. Roll Call B. Opening Remarks

Octavio A. Verdeja, Jr., Chair

Approval of Minutes


A. Motion to approve June 4th, 2012 Board of Directors Meeting minutes.

III.

Nominating Committee Report

Yvonne Johnson, M.D.

IV.

Executive Committee Report

Octavio A. Verdeja, Jr. Chair

CEO Report

Evelio Torres, CEO

Quality Counts Year-End Report

Christine Hughes, Ph.D.

Finance Committee Report

Esther Jacobo

V. VI. VII.

A. Public Comments B. Vote

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IX.

Ellyn Bogdanoff

State Senator, District 25 Executive Director, FACCM

Program & Strategy/Provider Services Committee Report

David Williams, Jr. The Hon. Cindy S. Lederman Gina Cortes-Suarez

A. Sliding Fee Scale B. Provider Appeal i. Blue Star Learning Center

X. XI. XII.

Quality Counts Year-End Report

Christine Hughes, Ph.D.

Public Comments


Adjourn


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THE FLORIDA SENATE Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1100

COMMITTEES: Judiciary, Chair Budget Budget - Subcommittee on Education Pre-K - 12 Appropriations Commerce and Tourism Communications, Energy, and Public Utilities Governmental Oversight and Accountability Reapportionment Rules

SENATOR ANITERE FLORES Majority Whip 38th District

July 24, 2012 The Honorable Governor Rick Scott Office of the Governor The Capitol 400 S. Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001 Dear Governor Rick Scott: During the 2012 Legislative Session a new funding allocation formula proposed by Florida’s Office of Early Learning was approved. Under the new funding formula, over $22 million of Miami-Dade and Monroe County’s funds are reallocated throughout the state of Florida and as a result, School Readiness Programs will be unable to serve over 6,000 children within a five year span. As of July 1st, Miami-Dade County has already experienced a loss of $3.7 million affecting over 1,000 children. This reduction in funds will have a tremendous impact on the children whose families depend on early learning programs in Miami-Dade County. Historically, the funding formula presented by Florida’s Office of Early Learning has only applied to new dollars and it was understood that no funds would be moved from one county to another. However, due to the latest modification, the School Readiness Programs in Miami-Dade County have truly suffered and I ask that this be taken into account when reviewing the funding allocation formula. Every child deserves the opportunity to participate in a program that will prepare them with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in life. By ensuring that our children are provided with the essential resources to learn and grow, we promote the foundation of productive individuals for future generations. I humbly request that you review the current funding allocation formula and work with the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade and Monroe County to develop a means to evenly distribute funds. Sincerely,

Senator Anitere Flores District 38

REPLY TO:  10691 North Kendall Drive, Suite 309, Miami, Florida 33176 (305) 270-6550  316 Senate Office Building, 404 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1100 (850) 487-5130 Senate’s Website: www.flsenate.gov

MIKE HARIDOPOLOS President of the Senate

MICHAEL S. "MIKE" BENNETT President Pro Tempore

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July 24, 2012 Page 2

Senator Rene Garcia District 40

Representative Jose Felix Diaz District 115

Representative Carlos Lopez-Cantera District 113

Representative Luis R. Garcia District 107

Representative Michael Bileca District 117

Representative Ana Rivas Logan District 114

Representative John Patrick Julien District 104

Representative Ron Saunders District 120

CC:

Gerard Robinson, Education Commissioner Florida Department of Education Office of the Commissioner Turlington Building, Suite 1514 325 West Gaines Street Tallahassee, Florida 32399

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From: Bryan Desloge [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2012 3:36 PM To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; marti.coley@myflorida house.gov; [email protected] Subject: School Readiness Funding Formula

Dr. Mel: I am writing to express my surprise and serious concern with your new School Readiness Funding Formula and the process by which it was developed and enacted. As a member of the Early Learning Advisory Council and the Governor appointed Board Chair for the Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend, I was not aware a new formula would be enacted so quickly. As you are aware, as a result of your recommended funding formula, the ELC of the Big Bend Region is losing over $600,000 in precious School Readiness funds, which is devastating news for the over 1,300 families currently on our wait list for services. The ELCs were not notified until June 25th of the allocations for this fiscal year, which began July 1. Big Bend’s reduction came as a surprise, as neither public hearings or meetings were held to inform ELCs or stakeholders of the decision making process. These reductions were also a surprise to our legislative delegation. The Association of Early Learning Coalitions (AELC) had previously agreed to a funding formula provided that it was only applied to new dollars and did not impact current base allocations. Your new formula was developed, negotiated, and promoted to Legislative staff with no apparent input from those who provide services. I urge you to reconsider the timeframe and methodology for developing an equity-based formula. Your approach has resulted in taking funds from one ELC to help another. While several regions have an increase in their need, it does not mean the need in other regions has decreased. The ELC of the Big Bend provides services in six rural counties in North Florida, and their most at-risk families with young children will be negatively impacted by the new funding formula. I’d like the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how this funding process was developed and the apparent lack of input from any of the providers. Every family we can serve represents the possibility of another person entering the workforce and every family we pull services from also represents a person probably being added to the ranks of the unemployed. We need your help! I’ll ask my assistant to contact your office to schedule a meeting. Hope all is well with you! Sincerely, Bryan Desloge Chairman Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend cc:

Governor Rick Scott Carrie O’Rourke, Deputy Chief of Staff Senator Bill Montford Representative Marti Coley Representative Alan Williams Harry Duncanson, ELAC Chair

Bryan Desloge Leon County Commission District IV Commissioner 301 S. Monroe St. Tallahassee, Fl. 32301 850-606-5364 [email protected]

RED ALERT #3

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for Miami-Dade childcare providers! Many community leaders and state legislators are concerned about the impact of the $22.3M (20%) cut to the MiamiDade school readiness budget. City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado sent a letter to the Governor earlier this month and The Miami Herald published a Letter to the Editor from Harve Mogul (United Way) and Modesto Abety-Gutierrez (The Children's Trust) on Saturday. Last week, AECE met with the legislative staff from the offices of Rep. Carlos LopezCantera and Rep. Jose Felix Diaz and Sen. Anitere Flores. They listened carefully to our issues and have shared their concerns with the Governor in a letter with the signatures of many members of the MiamiDade Legislative Delegation. Although OEL Director, Dr. Mel Jurado, says that the agency's position is "non-

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negotiable", there is a possibility that Governor Scott and/or the Legislative Budget Committee will take action on behalf of the children, families and childcare businesses in our community. YOU CAN HELP ! Deadline: Friday, Aug. 10th 1. Download and copy the self-mailers. Ask all the parents and staff at your center to join you in signing them. They can be mailed individually or all together. Click here for the Parent self-mailer Click here for the Teacher self-mailer Click here for the Owner self-mailer 2. Contact the following state leaders with this message: "Stop using the new OEL funding formula for school readiness in Miami-Dade." Gov. Rick Scott The Capitol Tel. (850) 488-7146 Dr. Mel Jurado

Director, Ofc. Early Learning Tel. (866) 357-3239

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3. Thank the following legislators for their support and encourage them to follow-up with the Governor soon! Sen. Anitere Flores Tel. (305) 270-6550 Sen. Rene Garcia Tel. (305) 364-3100 Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera Chair, Miami-Dade Legislative Delegation Tel. (305) 442-6877 Rep. Jose Felix Diaz Vice-Chair, Miami-Dade Legislative Delegation Tel. (305) 442-6800 Rep. Michael Bileca Tel. (305) 442-6868 Rep. Luis R. Garcia Tel. (305) 325-2501 Rep. John Patrick Julien Tel. (305) 650-0022 Rep. Ana Rivas Logan Tel. (305) 275-1912

Rep. Ron Saunders Tel. (305) 853-1947 FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Alliance for Early Care & Education 4349 NW 36 Street #106 Miami, Florida 33166 T 786-999-8596 www.myaece.org Forward this email

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Alliance for Early Care & Education | 4349 NW 36 Street | Miami | FL | 33166

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Posted on Fri, Jul. 27, 2012

Restore state childcare funding Up to 1,000 children of poor working parents in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties will soon lose access to affordable early care and education services. These kids, ages 0-5, might be joined over the next five years by 5,000 more, while 14,000 already wait for slots so that their parents can work. A typical family in the program uses about 7 percent of income to pay for childcare. Without this assistance, the cost of childcare for a working poor family increases to 50 percent of income. These cuts, resulting from a change in the School Readiness funding formula, shift dollars ($22.3 million from Miami-Dade and Monroe counties alone) to other counties in need. A formula that takes from Sofia in Miami-Dade County to give to Katie in Osceola County is flawed. The Office of Early Learning should not have to make “Sophie’s” choices. Half of Florida’s children younger than 6 are from low-income families, and there are tens of thousands of kids around our state who are eligible, yet stuck on waiting lists. Inadequately funding the childcare system is shortsighted. When parents lose access to childcare, they can lose their jobs and potentially wind up on public-assistance programs such as Medicaid, unemployment and food stamps. High-quality early education is a strong investment that yields a high public return ($1 invested saves at least $7 in avoided unemployment and criminal-justice costs) and creates and preserves jobs. As the recession subsides and revenues begin a steady climb, it is critical that there be an increase to the school-readiness program to ensure Florida has a strong foundation for the talent pipeline, which is so necessary to our future economic vitality. For right now, Florida needs to restore funding ($3.7 million) for Miami-Dade and Monroe. No parent should have to choose between work and safe, quality child care for their young children. Harve A. Mogul, president and CEO, United Way of Miami-Dade, Miami Modesto E. Abety-Gutierrez, president and CEO, The Children’s Trust, Miami

© 2012 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved. http://www.miamiherald.com

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Posted on Tue, Jul. 24, 2012

Thousands in Miami-Dade face loss of child-care subsidies By Caroline Navarro And Carol Marbin Miller [email protected] More than 1,000 Miami-Dade children may be evicted from their child-care programs — and thousands more may be added to an already burgeoning wait list — as Florida early-learning administrators cut millions from a county program that provides subsidized child care for working poor and needy families. The cutbacks, part of a statewide effort to redistribute dwindling child-care dollars among the state’s 67 counties, already have resulted in a $3.7 million reduction in funding this year in Miami-Dade as part of a $22.3 million cumulative cut over the next six years. The reductions have outraged Miami children’s advocates, who fear struggling families will be forced to leave young children home alone in order to keep their jobs. “Leaving these children alone would be devastating, and I would probably see their parents in court,” said Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman, a 16-year veteran of the child-welfare bench and vice chair of the county’s Early Learning Coalition. “The school-readiness funding is a win-win for the social and emotional development of young children, and it enables their parents to work,” Lederman added. “If we remove the funding, both the children and their parents will suffer.” The vast majority of parents whose child-care bills are paid by the state are considered “working poor” — meaning they are employed, but do not earn enough income to pay for a child-care center or babysitter. Most of the children in the program are below age 5. Currently, 23,000 Miami-Dade and Monroe families pay for their child’s pre-school bill with money provided by the Early Learning Coalition. In a July 13 letter to Gov. Rick Scott’s chief of staff, Adam Hollingsworth, the chairman of the Miami-Dade Early Learning Coalition, Octavio A. Verdeja, Jr., warned that, as a result of the cutbacks, some families “will either have to quit their jobs or leave their children in what could be unsafe care.” “The overall impact of the reduction,” Verdeja said, “is that 6,000 fewer children will be served in a county with a waiting list of over 17,000 children ages 0-5.” Trakeya Martin, whose 1-year-old daughter is enrolled in a pre-school program at Liberty Academy Day Care in Miami, said her child already has benefited from the program in the year she has been there. “She already knows her ABCs, she loves to sing songs, and she has really good hand-eye coordination,” Martin said. “If they don’t have that education, they will get left behind,” Martin added. The spending cuts are part of a six-year statewide effort aimed at redistributing the state’s $1.2 billion subsidized child-care budget among early-learning administrators throughout the state. A December 2011 state Auditor General report suggested the new funding formula, recommending that disparities across county lines be eliminated, and that counties with the largest percentage of wait-listed children be given more dollars.

16 Though Miami-Dade and Monroe counties are facing serious cutbacks, other counties will see increases in funding, including Broward, which will get $348,000 in new dollars this year. Other large counties facing cutbacks include Hillsborough, facing a $1 million reduction, and Duval, which stands to lose $193,000, the Miami Early Learning Coalition’s director, Evelio Torres, said at a board meeting Tuesday morning. Some of the biggest gains will occur in Southwest Florida, where Hendry, Lee, Collier and Glades counties all will see their subsidized child-care budgets rise, Torres said. About $300,000 of Miami-Dade’s initial losses have been diverted to Osceola County, which had twice as many children, 3,121, on a wait list as were in child care, 1,279. As a percentage of children in need of services, the number of wait-listed youngsters in the Central Florida county was higher than in MiamiDade. But as the largest county in the state, Miami-Dade’s wait list dwarfed those of other counties. Susan Sunka, the director of Osceola’s Early Learning Coalition, said all Florida counties were in the same unfortunate boat, fighting for scarce dollars on behalf of their children. “We are all grossly underfunded,” Sunka said. “To have to pit ourselves against each other when we are all underfunded is pretty sad,” Sunka said. Administrators in Miami fear the spending cuts may force some day-care centers to go out of business as they see their income decline. “A lot of [child-care] providers are concerned that they will have to close their doors and that this might be the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Torres said. Mel Jurado, director of Florida’s Office of Early Learning, said lawmakers left the program with a kind of Sophie’s Choice: in order to improve funding for some growing counties, they would have to remove it from others. “It is non-negotiable. It’s the law. It’s what we were mandated to do,” Jurado said of the requirement that spending be based on an “equity” formula. “It’s beyond my control.” “I do not, in any way, diminish the need, or the challenges we face,” said Jurado, a former chair of Hillsborough County’s Early Learning Coalition. “The worst news you can ever deliver is that you can’t meet every need.”


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Meeting Schedule Allen Mortham Visit to Miami-Dade County

July 25-26, 2012

WEDNESDAY, JULY 25 8 a.m. Board Members, Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe (ELC) Evelio Torres, ELC Executive Director; Frank Carollo, City of Miami Commissioner (District 3); Judge Cindy Lederman, ELC Board Vice Chair; and Shaleen Fagundo, ELC Board Member (via phone). Location: Early Learning Coalition, 2555 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables - Executive Conference Room 8:30 a.m. Board Members, Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe All of the above from 8 a.m. conference call, including ELC Board Chair Octavio A. Verdeja, Jr., and ELC Board Member Gina Cortes-Suarez (via phone). Location: ELC Executive Conference Room 9 a.m. Staff, Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe Evelio Torres, Executive Director; Blythe Robinson, Senior Director – Programs; Angelo Parrino, Senior Director – Finance; Tarnell Carroll, Communications Manager; and Jackye Russell, Director of School Readiness. Location: ELC Board Room 10:30 a.m. Community Partner and Provider ELC staff; Linda Carmona-Sanchez, Alliance for Early Care and Education; and Dr. Ovelio Rodriguez, Catholic Charities- Centro Mater. Location: ELC Board Room 11:15 a.m. Community Partners Alfred Sanchez, Executive Director, YMCA. Location: ELC Board Room

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12 noon Providers (Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties) Bill de la Sierra, Kidsworks USA; Matty Lorett de Mola, Le Petit Academy; Sarah Brazier, Liberty Academy; Dr. Claudia Uribe-Orrett, Cherry Blossoms; Angel Silva, Fantasy Land; Mireya Verez, Precious Smiles; Elizabeth Besos, Rainbow Children’s Academy – now closed (via phone); Dr. Silvia La Villa, KidCo; Sue Ellen Bennett, St. James Children’s Center in Monroe County (via phone); O. Laffette (sp), Precious Moments; Jennifer Ruiz, Second Home Learning Center; Gloria Mesa, Jinys Learning Center; Maria Elena Delgado; and Christine Patterson, Inez Martin Child Development Center in Key West (via phone). Location: ELC Board Room 12:15 p.m. Elected Official Representative Erik Fresen, D-111 Location: Conference Call 1:30 p.m. Community Partners Maria Alonso, Board Chair, The Children’s Trust Location: Mrs. Alonso’s office at the Citrus Health Network, 4175 West 20th Ave., Hialeah 3 p.m. Elected Official Barbara J. Jordan, Miami-Dade County Commissioner (District 1) and ELC Board Member Location: Conference Call-In Line is: 786-389-5135 or 866-502-2994, and the code is 804#. If necessary, call the Commissioner’s downtown office at 305-375-5694 to connect. 4 p.m. Community Partners Doug Blomberg, Wesley House Family Services (Monroe County) and ELC Board Member; and Maritza Alonso, assistant director of Miami-Dade County’s Community Action and Human Services Department. Location: Conference Call-In Line is: 786-389-5135 or 866-502-2994, and the code is 804#. THURSDAY, JULY 26 8:30-9:30 a.m. Board Member and Community Partner

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Lisa Martinez, ELC Board Member and representative of Miami-Dade County Mayor’s Office Location: Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 N.W. 1st St., 29th Floor, downtown Miami 10 a.m. Community Partner Modesto Abety, Executive Director of The Children’s Trust and ELC Board Member Location: Mr. Abety’s office at The Children’s Trust, 3150 S.W. Third Ave., Miami 11 a.m. Board Member Alan Eckstein, Esq. Location: Conference Call: Office (305) 294-2247 or Mobile (305) 304-3369. 12:30 p.m. Elected Official Sen. Rene Garcia, D-40 Location: Conference Call 1:30-2 p.m. Elected Official Representative Ron Saunders, D-120 Location: Conference Call – Rep. Saunders’ mobile at (305) 304-9079. Elaine Higgins is the representative’s aide: (305) 853-1947. 2:15 p.m. Elected Official Shirley Gibson, Mayor, City of Miami Gardens Location: Conference Call 2:30-3 p.m. Community Partner Harve Mogul, president and CEO, United Way of Miami-Dade Location: Mr. Mogul’s office at the United Way, 3250 S.W. Third Ave., Ansin Building. 4 p.m. Mr. Mortham departs Miami and returns to Tallahassee. -End-

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ELC Announcements A message from Evelio C. Torres, president and CEO, Early Learning Coalition of MiamiDade/Monroe Dear Early Care and Education Providers and Community Partners: Many of you have already heard about the funding formula released by Florida's Office of Early Learning that attempts to achieve equity with existing funding for all 67 Florida counties over a six year period. The formula was developed as a compromise that phases in the funding shifts, instead of implementing it in one or two years. Locally and at the state level, concerns have been expressed and inquiries made about the impact to Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. One of the primary challenges that we face nationally and in Florida is that there are more children eligible for the School Readiness Program than funding to meet their early care and education needs. As of May 2012, there were 65,255 children on the statewide waiting list. Over 20 percent of those children are from Miami-Dade and Monroe. There will be an opportunity to discuss this and other important matters at one of our upcoming community forums. The three main topics at these community forums will be: 1) the impact of the funding allocation formula; 2) Florida's new web-based data system that will improve the efficiency of the School Readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten programs for families and providers; and 3) an update on our community's Quality Counts 2.0 program. Following are the dates, times and locations of the community forums: Venue: North Dade Regional Library Date: Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012 Time: 6-8 p.m. Location: 2455 N.W. 183rd St., Miami Gardens 33056 Venue: South Dade Regional Library Date: Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012 Time: 6-8 p.m. Location: 10750 S.W. 211 St., Cutler Bay 33189 Venue: West Dade Regional Library Date: Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012 Time: 6-8 p.m. Location: 9445 Coral Way, Miami 33165

21 Venue: Monroe School District Board Room Date: Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2012* Time: 1-3 p.m. Location: 241 Trumbo Road, Key West 33040 *This will be a joint meeting with the ELC Monroe Advisory Committee Venue: St. Justin Martyr Preschool Church Hall Date: Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012 Time: 6-7:30 p.m. Location: 105500 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo 33037 We truly appreciate hearing from you, so we hope you are able to join us. Please continue to share with us your thoughts, opinions and concerns. You can always e-mail me directly at [email protected].

From the Office of Early Learning ELIS Updates for Child Care Providers ELIS, the new statewide computer information system coming July 2013, will improve things providers care about, such as attendance. Providers will be able to submit their child attendance data online - at any time. ELIS will validate that the entries are complete and correct. This will simply eliminate many categories of attendance errors, such as posting attendance before or after the child's eligibility date or on days when the Provider calendar shows their child care center is closed. Managing attendance data online will be easy using the ELIS Provider Portal. What is the ELIS Provider Portal? Since a portal is a doorway or entrance, the ELIS Provider Portal serves as the entrance that child care providers will go through to access ELIS online. Through this portal, providers will be able to see their own ELIS data and complete many tasks that, today, must be done over the phone, by mail, or in person. If you are thinking of the words 24 / 7 and self-service and paperless you are on the right track. No special software or network equipment will be required. If you are already using the Internet for anything, then you already have what you need to start using ELIS online. Getting to the ELIS Provider Portal will be easy. Once you are there, simply register and set up your user ID and password. To learn more about ELIS and the Provider Portal, click here.

From Our Community Partners Free Early Childhood Field Trips at HistoryMiami Still Available HistoryMiami still has availability of FREE field trips to a limited number of local students currently enrolled in early childhood programs through the summer. The field trips are led by trained HistoryMiami educators who will embark on a story-filled journey through its exhibitions with the students. HistoryMiami invites all early childhood center teachers to sign up for its FREE Little Stories programming this summer. For more information, please contact Griselda Chavarria, Education Registrar, 305-375-1625 or [email protected].

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Community Events Local events for the entire family! This month, several community organizations and elected officials are hosting back-to-school events for the entire family. Here are a few events the Early Learning Coaltion of Miami-Dade/Monroe will be a part of.

6th Annual Back-to-School Bookbag Drive & Health Fair Saturday, Aug. 4 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Jefferson Reaves Park, 3090 N.W. 50th St., Miami Hosted by Miami-Dade County Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, Dist. 3. There will be free food, music, games, raffles and prizes. K-12 students will receive a free bookbag filled with essential school supplies and goodies, while supplies last. The Florida Department of Health will be administering free school vaccinations. Parents must bring the child's vaccination records. For more information, call 305-636-2331.

Back-to-School Backpack Giveaway Events Saturday, Aug. 4 Noon - 3 p.m. Gwen Cherry Park, 7090 N.W. 22nd Ave., Miami Sunday, Aug. 5 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. Oak Grove Park, 690 N.E. 159th St., North Miami Hosted by Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jean Monestime, Dist. 2. There will be a free bounce house, popcorn, snow cones, music, games, and blood pressure screeings provided by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. At both events, parents must accompany their child to receive a book bag. For more information, call 305-694-2779.

5th Annual Back-to-School Fair Hosted by Community Help, Inc. Friday, Aug. 10 2-4 p.m. Community Help, Inc., 10071 N.W. 7th Ave., North Miami There will be giveaways of bookbags and school supplies for disadvantaged children in the area, as well as hot dogs, snow cones, popcorn, music, a bounce house, and face painting. For more information, call 305-758-1888.

District 104's 2nd Annual Back-to-School Fair Saturday, Aug. 18 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. FIU Biscayne Bay Campus, Wolfe University Center Ballroom, 3000 N.E. 151st St., North Miami Hosted by Florida State Rep. John Patrick Julien (D-104) and the Positive Impact Foundation. There will be a variety of fun-filled activities for the entire family. For more information, call 305-650-0022.

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Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe | 2555 Ponce de Leon Boulevard | Suite 500 | Coral Gables | FL | 33134

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Florida Government Efficiency Task Force Recommendation Analysis

Subject Matter:

Early Learning Time and Attendance RECOMMENDATION SUMMARY

On December 7, 2011, the Government Efficiency Task Force approved the following recommendations regarding early learning time and attendance by a vote of 12 yeas, 1 nay: •

The Task Force recommends that the Office of Early Learning adopt an electronic form of attendance submission for Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) and School Readiness (SR) programs. An electronic form of attendance submission is estimated to save $4 million per year by eliminating the manual paper process and reducing staff time.

•

The Task Force recommends adopting a point of service system utilizing either electronic swipe cards or biometrics to supplement an electronic time and attendance submission process. Adopting this system would: o o o o o o

Reduce human error and fraud that result in improper payments; Reduce the time burden on providers in collecting and recording attendance data; Reduce the amount of paper record keeping required of providers; Allow for quicker audits of attendance records; Allow for quicker turnaround time on payments for SR and reconciliation for VPK; and Allow for real time attendance data.

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The savings would be between $40-60 million per year if Florida were to realize similar results of other states that have utilized a point of service system. The savings would be based on the reduction of improper payments.

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The Task Force recommends ensuring sufficient time is allowed for implementation and training so providers can effectively learn to use the system.

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The Task Force recommends allowing for the sharing of time and attendance data with other agencies that utilize the information.

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The Task Force recommends utilizing other states’ experiences with the point of service system to avoid common implementation mistakes.

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The Task Force recommends leveraging predicted savings in order to pay for the point of service system.

30 FULL RECOMMENDATION(S) ANALYSIS I. RECOMMENDATIONS(S) AND BACKGROUND A. SCHOOL READINESS AND VOLUNTARY PREKINDERGARTEN EDUCATION School Readiness Program The School Readiness (SR) Program was created in 1999. 1 The program provides subsidies for early childhood education and child care services to: • • •

Children of low-income families; Children in protective services; and Children with disabilities. 2

The Florida Legislature created regional Early Learning Coalitions (ELCs) in order to administer the SR program at a local level (see appendix one for map). 3 The SR program is administered by the ELCs at the county and regional level, while the Office of Early Learning (OEL) coordinates at the state level. 4 Children are admitted to the program using a priority based system. 5 The SR program currently has 138,955 children enrolled and 5,054 providers. 6 In FY 2010-11, the state spent $434,835,140 on providers. 7 School Readiness Program

SR Program

# of Children (current)

# of Providers (current)

Amount Spent in FY 2010-11

138,955

5,054 8

$434,835,140

Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program The Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program was created by constitutional mandate in 2002 and enacted in law in 2005. The Florida Constitution provides that: Every four-year old child in Florida shall be provided by the State a high quality prekindergarten learning opportunity in the form of an early childhood development and education program which shall be voluntary, high quality, free, and delivered according to professionally accepted standards. 9

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See Ch. 99-357 L.O.F. Section 411.01(6), F.S. 3 Section 411.01(5), F.S. 4 The program was administered by the Agency for Workforce Innovation but is now administered by the Office of Early Learning. 5 See s. 411.01(6), F.S. 6 These numbers are for FY 2011-12 and were provided by the Office of Early Learning (copy on file with Government Efficiency Task Force staff). 7 Fiscal information provided by the Office of Early Learning. The amount paid to providers is a mix between a federal block grant and state money. In FY 2010-11, a total amount of $615.4 million was appropriated for the SR program: $353.6 million from CCDF block grant, $116.4 million from TANF block grant, $136 million from state general revenue, $9 million from other state funds, and $500,000 from other federal sources. See Specific Appropriation 2243, s. 6, Ch. 2010-152, L.O.F. 8 There are also an additional 3,968 providers that participate in both the SR and VPK program for a total of 10,869 providers for the two programs. 9 Section 1(b), Art. IX, Florida Constitution. 2

31 A VPK provider may be: • • • •

A school-year prekindergarten program delivered by a private prekindergarten provider; 10 A summer prekindergarten program delivered by a public school or private prekindergarten provider; 11 A school-year prekindergarten program delivered by a public school; 12 or A specialized instructional service program for children who have disabilities. 13

A full-time VPK program consists of 540 instructional hours, while a summer VPK program consists of 300 instructional hours. 14 The VPK program currently has 134,777 children enrolled and 1,847 providers. 15 The program is overseen by OEL and administered through the 31 ELCs. 16 In FY 2010-11, the state spent $382,607,156 on providers. 17 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program

VPK

# of Children (current)

# of Providers (current)

Amount Spent in FY 2010-11

134,777

1,847 18

$382,607,156

B. CURRENT ATTENDANCE AND PAYMENT SYSTEM School Readiness Program The current attendance system for SR is a paper based system in which the provider records time and attendance for each child enrolled at the facility. The attendance paperwork is then sent to the ELCs responsible for that facility. Data is input by the ELC staff and sent to OEL, which processes the data and then issues payment to the provider. The cycle takes an average of 30 days from submission of attendance to receipt of payment. 19

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Section 1002.53(3)(a), F.S., with the requirements to be a private provider pursuant to s. 1002.55, F.S. Section 1002.53(3)(b), F.S., with the requirements to be a private provider pursuant to s. 1002.61, F.S. 12 Section 1002.53(3)(c), F.S. 13 Section 1002.53(3)(d), F.S., with the requirements to be a specialized services program pursuant to s. 1002.71, F.S. 14 Section 1002.71(2), F.S. 15 These numbers are for FY 2011-12 and were provided by the Office of Early Learning (copy on file with Government Efficiency Task Force staff). The percentage breakdown of providers is: private centers 81%, public schools 16 %, family day care homes 2%, and private schools 1%. 16 The Early Learning Coalitions are those that were created pursuant to s. 411.01, F.S. 17 Information provided by the Office of Early Learning (copy on file with Government Efficiency Task Force staff). 18 There are also an additional 3,968 providers that participate in both the SR and VPK programs for a total of 10,869 providers for the two programs. 19 The average is based on information provided by the Office of Early Learning (copy on file with Government Efficiency Task Force staff). 11

32 Current SR Attendance and Payment Flow Chart

Provider fills out attendance for child on paper form

Provider sends (via mail, fax, or scan) attendance information to ELC

ELC employee inputs attendance data from provider

ELC sends attendance data to OEL 30 Days

Provider receives payment

OEL processes attendance data

Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program The current attendance system for VPK is a paper-based system similar to the SR process. The main difference is that VPK providers are paid a month ahead and the payment is reconciled after attendance has been provided to the ELC. 20 The parent or guardian is also required to certify the child’s attendance every month. 21 The process takes about 60 days to reconcile the actual payment owed to the provider. Current VPK Attendance and Payment Flow Chart

Provider is paid based on estimated attendance

Provider collects attendance records during the month

Parent or guardian must certify monthly attendance

Attendance data sent to ELC 60 Days

Payment is reconciled and the month’s payment is either reduced or increased

20


ELC employee inputs attendance data from provider

See s. 1002.71(5)(b), F.S. See s. 1002.71(6)(b)(2), F.S. Pursuant to s. 1002.71(6)(b)(3), F.S., the provider must keep each monthly certified attendance form for two years. 21

33 Change and Efficiency There are two primary inefficiencies in the current system of time attendance in the SR and VPK programs: the paper based collection of attendance and the dependence on the provider for attendance records. Paper-Based System The paper based system is a burden on OEL, the ELCs, and the provider. 22 The provider is required to turn in attendance to the ELC on a specific form. The ELC must then manually enter the attendance data, which is sent to OEL. The process creates a great amount of paperwork and recordkeeping. OEL estimates that it processes over 34,500 paper attendance rosters per month. Recommendations The Task Force recommends that OEL adopt an electronic form of attendance submission. 23 Decreasing paperwork and redundancies in data entry would reduce payment errors, eliminate waste, and decrease the amount of time it takes for OEL to receive attendance data and process provider payments. The end result would be increased efficiency in distributing payment to the provider. OEL estimated that the electronic submission would save an estimated $4 million per year. 24 Point of Service System The electronic submission process for attendance would reduce paperwork, but would not address the issue of reliance on the provider for attendance records. A point of service system for checking the child in and out would provide additional efficiencies and savings. The point of service system addresses two issues that lead to improper payments: the first is the possibility of mistakes made by the provider in keeping the records; the second is the possibility of fraud. The current paper system and the proposed Early Learning Information System (ELIS) rely on the provider for the attendance records. The provider takes the initial attendance, 25 records the attendance on a form, and sends the form (or with ELIS submits the data electronically) to the ELC. By requiring multiple people and steps in order to report attendance, the process is open to the possibility of mistakes. Neither the current process nor the ELIS project addresses these issues. The current system and the proposed ELIS system do not prevent fraud. For VPK, 20% of the total payment made on behalf of a student to a provider may be for hours during which the student was absent. 26 For SR, the provider may be reimbursed for up to three days per calendar year that the child was absent. 27 This puts tremendous pressure on the provider to make sure the child is present. If the child exceeds the amount of absences allowed by statute or rule, then the provider is not paid. This provides a possible incentive to submit inaccurate attendance records if students are chronically absent.

22

Two Early Learning Work Group members, Mrs. Belinda Keiser and Mr. Robert Stork, visited ELCs and providers and testified at the November 29, 2011, Work Group meeting. The Work Group members testified that there are “voluminous amounts of paperwork,” and “providers were open to anything that reduced paperwork.” A recording of their testimony is available at http://www.floridaefficiency.com/meetings.cfm (last visited 11/30/2011). 23 The Early Learning Information System (ELIS) is designed to have the ability to allow the provider to submit attendance data online rather than on a paper form. For more information on the ELIS project please see http://www.floridaearlylearning.com/EarlyLearning/OEL_SysDev_ELIS.html (last visited 11/30/2011). 24 This information is based on the Office of Early Learning Project Briefing from November 1, 2011 (copy on file with Government Efficiency Task Force Staff). 25 Mrs. Keiser and Mr. Stork noted that in their visits to providers, some providers have already invested in a check-in program for parents and guardians that tracks attendance. The provider is still required to manually enter the attendance data on the prescribed forms. 26 Section 1002.71(6)(d), F.S. 27 See Office of Early Learning Rule 60BB-4.500(2).

34 Recommendations The Task Force recommends adopting a point of service system utilizing either electronic swipe cards or biometrics to supplement an electronic attendance submission process in the Office of Early Learning. Adopting the point of service system would relieve the providers of the responsibility and time requirements of tracking attendance. The parent or guardian would use a swipe card or their finger, in the case of a biometric device, to check the child in and out of the school or day care center. The result would be fewer errors and the reduction in the amount of time the provider must spend in recording attendance data. 28 The point of service system would also reduce multiple steps in recording the attendance, which would result in quicker payments to the provider. The point of service system would also reduce fraud. Since the provider would not be responsible for the attendance data, there is no potential for false attendance records. The point of service system would: • • • • • •

Reduce human error and fraud that result in improper payments; Reduce the time burden on providers in collecting and recording attendance data; Reduce the amount of paper record keeping required of providers; Allow for quicker audits of attendance records; Allow for quicker turnaround time on payments for SR and reconciliation for VPK; and Allow for real time attendance data.

Several other states, including Oklahoma, Indiana, Texas, Louisiana, Colorado, Virginia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, and Mississippi, have adopted a point of service system. Louisiana adopted a biometric point of service system in 2010 and has estimated savings at $20-30 million per year. 29 Several other states have realized savings of 10%. If Florida were to have similar results, the savings would be $40-60 million dollars per year with implementation of a point of service system. 30 Other states utilizing point of service systems have varying levels of costs. Oklahoma has approximately 40,000 enrolled children in its SR program and pays $2.97 per month ($1.43 million per year) for swipe card point of service and payment service. Louisiana has approximately 45,000 enrolled children and pays $4.75 per month ($2.57 million per year) for a biometric point of service system. Texas has approximately 148,559 enrolled children and pays $2.66 ($4.74 million per year) for swipe card time and attendance. 31 Florida has approximately 292,952 students enrolled in SR and VPK for FY 2011-12. If Florida were to adopt swipe card technology for time and attendance collection at a rate similar to Texas, the state would pay about $8.79 million per year. 32 With a conservative savings of 6% of the provider reimbursements, which is a little more than half of what Oklahoma has reported, Florida would net approximately $40 million in savings. The Task Force recommends leveraging predicted savings in order to pay for the point of service system. Since Florida is nearly double the size of Texas in terms of student population, the state would be able to leverage an economy of scale to competitively bid for a point of service system. The state should also leverage the proposed savings as payment and pay for the service out of the savings only.

28

The proposed ELIS system would relieve the ELCs and OEL of the paper process, but providers would still be responsible for maintaining attendance records to submit attendance data and in the case of an audit. The point of service system would save time and money for the providers by reliving them of this responsibility. 29 Mr. Richard Howze, Undersecretary for Louisiana’s Department of Child and Family Services, testified at the November 29, 2011, Work Group meeting that Louisiana saved between $8-10 million the first few months and then saved about $2.5 million per month after that. Mr. Howze also testified that the system paid for itself in less than a year. A recording of his testimony is available at http://www.floridaefficiency.com/meetings.cfm (last visited 11/30/2011). 30 This estimate is based on a conservative estimate of 5-8% savings of the total amount spent on providers in FY 2010-11 of $817,442,296 (which equates to $40,872,114 to $65,395,383 per year of savings). 31 The state by state information was provided by ACS (copy on file with the Government Efficiency Task Force staff). 32 This number is calculated at $2.50 per student per month multiplied by the total number of students for 12 months.

35 In implementing a point of service system, the Task Force recommends: •

Ensuring sufficient time is allowed for implementation and training so providers can effectively use the system. 33

•

Allowing for the sharing of time and attendance data with other agencies that utilize the information. 34

•

Utilizing other states’ experiences with the point of service system to avoid common implementation mistakes.

Electronic Attendance Submission Process with Point of Service

Parent/Guardian uses swipe card or biometrics to check child in and out of provider facility

Data automatically sent electronically to ELC or OEL

Reduction in: • Paperwork • Recording mistakes • Improper payments

33 34


Provider receives payment

Possible savings: • $4 million from reduction in paperwork • $40-60 million from reduction in improper payments

In Mr. Howze’s testimony, he suggested that a longer implementation and training time would have been beneficial for Louisiana. The Department of Education and Department of Children and Families utilize time and attendance information.

36 Appendix One: Map of Florida’s Early Learning Coalitions

Florida’s Early Learning Coalitions

#

ELC

#

ELC

#

ELC

#

ELC

1

Escambia

9

CNBB

17

25

2 3

Santa Rosa Okaloosa & Walton NW Florida Big Bend

10 11

18 19

26 27

Florida’s Heartland Irmo St. Lucie

20 21

Polk Osceola

28 29

SW Florida Palm Beach

14

22

Brevard

30

Broward

7

Florida’s Gateway Nature Coast

Duval St. John’s & Putnam Marion Flagler & Volusia Orange

Pasco & Hernando Pinellas Hillsborough

15

Seminole

23

Manatee

31

Miami-Dade & Monroe

8

Alachua

16

Lake

24

Sarasota

4 5 6

12 13

David Lawrence Jr., early childhood education advocate, joining the University of Miami ... Page 1 of 2 37

Posted on Mon, Jul. 09, 2012

David Lawrence Jr., early childhood education advocate, joining the University of Miami school of education BY MIAMI HERALD STAFF Education majors at the University of Miami will soon be taught by a visionary who helped shape and fund Florida’s early childhood education mandate. The Coral Gables university announced Monday that David Lawrence Jr., a nationally known early childhood education advocate, community leader and former Miami Herald editor and publisher, has joined the School of Education and Human Development. At the university, Lawrence will be known as an “Education and Community Leadership Scholar.” “We are extremely proud and pleased to have Dave Lawrence join us,” said Isaac Prilleltensky, dean of the school. “In his long and illustrious career, he has been tireless in his fight to improve the lives of children through a focus on early education and community engagement. His experience and sensitivity to the issues of education in our community will help enhance our curriculum and bring new excitement to our school. ” Lawrence will be associated with the Teaching and Learning Department where he will serve as a guest lecturer for education departments. Lawrence will also assist Prilleltensky in “the planning and administration of strategic priorities to advance the mission of the school,” the university said in a statement. Along with his new duties at the UM, Lawrence will continue to lead the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation, based in Miami, and the Children’s Movement of Florida. “This will be my lifetime’s first opportunity to be in a classroom regularly to teach and learn and contribute – and otherwise help the dean any way I can,” Lawrence said in the same statement. “It so fits in with my work to build a movement for America’s children." After retiring as publisher of The Herald in 1999, Lawrence became president of the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation and head of the Children’s Movement of Florida. He spearheaded two crucial campaigns to win Miami-Dade taxpayer support for the Children’s Trust. He was also a central figure in the passage of the statewide constitutional amendment for free prekindergarten availability for all 4-year-olds.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/09/v-print/2887724/david-lawrence-jr-early-childhoo... 8/1/2012

David Lawrence Jr., early childhood education advocate, joining the University of Miami ... Page 2 of 2 38 At the University of Florida, his alma mater, Lawrence has been named “University Scholar for Early Childhood Development and Readiness.” A chair in early childhood studies is also named in his honor.


http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/09/v-print/2887724/david-lawrence-jr-early-childhoo... 8/1/2012

39

ReadingPals – An Early Literacy Initiative The Children’s Movement and United Way, in conjunction with numerous local and statewide partners and Carol and Barney Barnett, are in the process of launching a three-year initiative focused on engaging, training and deploying volunteer “reading pals” in 10 Florida regions to increase the number of students who are reading at grade level by the end of third grade. Working with local school districts, Women’s Leadership Councils, Early Learning Coalitions, Children’s Services Councils and others, this initiative will focus on engaging students from pre-kindergarten to third grade. The focus of this initiative will be working with students in the lower-performing schools to encourage and enhance early literacy. Ten participating regions have been identified: • United Way of the Big Bend Region • United Way of Broward County • United Way of Central Florida • United Way of Manatee County • United Way of Marion County • United Way of Miami-Dade County • United Way of Northeast Florida • United Way of North Central Florida • United Way of Tampa Bay • United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties Each of the 10 United Ways have developed a program that meets the local needs of its community, but also works within six statewide core variables: 1. A partnership with the local school system; 2. A child-to-volunteer ratio no greater than 3:1; 3. A mandatory 25-hour commitment from each volunteer; 4. Use of a common statewide pre- and post-assessment; 5. Use of NobleHour to track the volunteer experience; 6. Books for the children to take home. Volunteers will be trained through local United Ways with their experiences tracked by NobleHour -- an online system that will track and measure the entire process for each mentor. Working through faithbased organizations, local libraries, business organizations and others, our goal is to engage thousands upon thousands of volunteers across the state, while achieving measurable increases in early-literacy rates. The Movement’s primary role in this initiative will be to recruit volunteers in the 10 target regions – while helping to facilitate the initiative statewide. In the months prior to launch, The Movement will begin to reach out to its database of 300,000+ Floridians, regional committees and partner organizations to identify and engage volunteers.

40

Bio Ellyn Setnor Bogdanoff Ellyn was elected to the Florida Senate in 2010 after serving six years in the Florida House of Representatives. She was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in a Special Election in January of 2004 after 23 years as a volunteer in various charitable and community activities, and as an active member of the Broward business community. She spent the first 16 years of her career as a shareholder in Setnor Byer Bogdanoff, Inc., an independent insurance agency, and was invited to share her successes with other industry professionals as a columnist in American Agent Broker, a national insurance industry magazine. She sold her interest in 1996 and focused on the political arena establishing EBS Consulting in 1997, a government and corporate consulting firm.

As an education and child advocate for almost 20 years, she volunteered her time serving on a number of local and state boards. She was a foster parent and is currently serving as a Guardian ad litem. Ellyn received a number of awards including the Up and Comers in 1991. In 2000, she was recognized by the Youth Law Center for her work in child advocacy, in 2001 was recognized by the Fort Lauderdale Chamber and received the Woman-Owned Business Award, was a 2001 March of Dimes, Women of Distinction recipient, recipient of the 2003 Mother of the Year from the Healthy Mother-Healthy Babies Coalition of Broward County, and received the Jacob’s Ladder Award for child advocacy from Jewish Adoption and Foster Care Options (JAFCO) in 2004.

41

As a freshman legislator in 2004, Ellyn received the “Rising Star” award from the Probate and Real Property Section of the Florida Bar. Since then, she was honored as the legislator of the year by the Florida Association of Realtors in 2006 and the Florida Dental Association in 2008. Ellyn was recognized by the Broward Partnership for the Homeless for her legislative advocacy and was also honored by Florida’s Children First, Covenant House Florida, and the Florida Association of School Administrators for her commitment to education and children’s issues. As a freshman House member, Ellyn was appointed Chair of the Joint Administrative Procedures committee and quickly rose to leadership as a sophomore legislator serving as the Majority Whip for the 2006-2008 term. The following term, she was named Chair of the Finance and Tax Committee, where she held the line against tax increases. As a freshman Senator, Ellyn was named Chair of the Senate’s Finance and Tax Committee and was one of five Senators to receive a perfect score from the Florida Chamber of Commerce for supporting a pro-jobs agenda in Florida. After graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in Insurance and Risk Management in 1980, Ellyn went back to law school and graduated magna cum laude in 2003 from Nova Southeastern University. Ellyn is a member of the Florida Bar, and is a practicing attorney and certified mediator and arbitrator in Fort Lauderdale. Her busy schedule is supported by her husband, Steven, and their three children. Ellyn is a native Floridian and competitive tennis player when she finds spare time.

42

In This Issue Important Announcements ELIS Children's Movement of Florida

ELC News Alert Issue 7 - July 2012

President's Message

Quality Counts

Dear Friends:

Quick Links

The Board of Directors of the Early Learning Coalition of MiamiDade/Monroe requests your participation at one of our upcoming community forums.

Early Learning Coalition VPK Department of Economic Opportunity

Upcoming Board and Committee Meetings Nominating Wednesday, July 11 3:00 p.m. Finance Tuesday, July 24 8:30 a.m.

The purpose of the meetings is to discuss the many upcoming changes to Florida's Early Learning System and how those changes impact providers, parents, other community partners. The community forums will be held in Miami-Dade and Monroe during the months of August and September. Topics will include: • Florida's new web-based Early Learning Information System (ELIS). This new system is significantly different than the current and antiquated data system and will make use of the latest technology to improve services to children, families, providers and the community at-large. • A status report on our community's Quality Rating Improvement System "Quality Counts." We will address system enhancements, how soon additional providers will be able to join the program, and the progress that has been made to date. • The impact of the just-released state funding allocation formula on the Miami-Dade and Monroe communities. Under the formula, our community is projected to lose $22,334,067 in funding over the next six years that will be reallocated to other counties. This number represents approximately 23 percent of our total School Readiness budget and more than 6,000 children. The first year's reduction of $3,771,397 became effective with the state fiscal year that began July 1, 2012. We remain committed to working with Florida's Office of Early Learning, members of our business community, early care and education providers, our school system, local government, and other community partners to ensure that as many children as possible receive a high quality early education while their families become economically self-sufficient.

43 Program & Strategy Tuesday, July 24 2:00 p.m Board Monday, August 6 8:00 a.m.

More information about the dates, times and locations of these forums will be released soon. Please visit www.elcmdm.org for updates. For more information about the community forums, please call 305-646-7220 or visit our Website. I look forward to meeting you at one of the community forums. I remain at your service, Evelio C. Torres President & CEO Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe

For a complete list of upcoming Coalition meetings and events, please visit our website at www.elcmdm.org.

Contact us Miami-Dade 2555 Ponce de Leon Blvd., 5th Floor Coral Gables, FL 33134 305.646.7220 305.447.1608 (fax)

Important Announcements Ann Scott Visits United Way of Miami-Dade On June 27, representatives of Miami-Dade's early learning community welcomed Florida's First Lady Ann Scott to the United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education. Mrs. Scott visited the childcare center to learn more about its mission to elevate the quality of early childhood education. Along with community partners from the United Way, the Early Learning Coalition, The Children's Movement and more, Mrs. Scott toured the facility and participated in a reading of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! with one of the classrooms.

Monroe 1100 Simonton Street, Suite 1-204 Key West, FL 33040 305.296.5557 305.296.5588 (fax) www.elcmdm.org Mrs. Scott also shared her Love.Read.Learn! Baby Journal with the center's infants and their families. Love.Read.Learn! is a literacy campaign focused on teaching parents how they can use specific literacy skills as valuable teaching moments for their children. The Baby Journal includes reading and learning tips as well as child wellness information. To view more photos from the visit, please visit the United Way of Miami-Dade's Facebook page.

44 Family Summer Kick-Off Event Attracts Thousands of Families The first Family Summer Kick-Off, hosted by the Early Learning Coalition and the Healthy Start Coalition of Miami-Dade, took place on June 9. Thousands of families attended the free event, which featured classes in early pregnancy, childbirth, home safety, early literacy, choosing quality childcare and more. Early childhood partners gathered to promote childhood health, education and safety for the families of Miami-Dade at the Miami-Dade County Fair and Expo Center.

A special thank you to Dr. Mel Jurado, Director of the Office of Early Learning, and all the local and state legislators who attended the event in support of early childhood education. Thank you to Manny Fermin, CEO of Healthy Start, for putting together such a great event for all the families we serve. For photos from the event, please visit the Early Learning Coalition's Facebook page.

Florida Statewide Early Care and Education (ECE) Workforce Study We are pleased to share an exciting opportunity to contribute to the State of Florida Workforce Study. The Children's Forum is commissioned and funded by Florida's Office of Early Learning to conduct a statewide early care and education (ECE) workforce study this year. This is the first study of its kind conducted in the state since 2001. The study will collect comprehensive information about the ECE workforce to influence policymakers and build a quality early care and education system in the state of Florida. In the coming weeks, a representative group of childcare providers throughout Florida will be selected to participate. Selected programs will receive information from the Children's Forum on how to participate in the study, which will include surveys and interviews. We look forward to this opportunity to

45 provide meaningful information on Florida's early learning workforce. If you are contacted to participate, we ask for your cooperation. All participation is voluntary. For more information about the Early Care and Education Workforce Study, please contact Melissa Clements, director of research and programs, at 850-4876351 or [email protected].

Changes to Approved Holiday Schedule The Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe has updated the list of 12 Standard Holidays for the 2012-2013 contract year. The holiday schedule has been modified, at providers' requests, to substitute Christmas Eve for Columbus Day. Please click here for a full list of the 2012-2013 holidays.

Deadline to Submit VPK Contracts The deadline to submit the 2012-2013 VPK Contract is Friday, July 20, 2012. If the contract is not received by the July 20 deadline, your VPK program cannot begin in August. The VPK Contract must be submitted electronically using the Provider Portal at http://providers.elcmdm.org.

Provider Survey On March 19, 2012, the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe mailed out the School Readiness/VPK notification letters. Included in these letters was a provider survey. These surveys were sent out in an effort to receive your feedback and improve our services where needed. By submitting a survey, you will be added into our provider survey raffle for the opportunity to win a prize! If you have not faxed in your provider survey, please do so to 305-447-1608. If you would like a copy of the survey or have any questions, please contact Yesenia Reyes at [email protected].

Read to Learn Book Club Offers Free Books to 3-Year-Olds All 3-year-olds in Miami-Dade County are eligible to receive a free book each month through The Children's Trust

46 Read to Learn Book Club. By registering for the program, children can receive books in the mail each month for a year of fun and learning. "No child should want for a book in Miami-Dade County, and this book club is just one tool in the comprehensive Read to Learn strategic plan," Modesto E. AbetyGutierrez, president and CEO of The Children's Trust, said in a statement. The Read to Learn Book Club is funded and administered by The Children's Trust, the Miami-Dade Family Learning Partnership and the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe. To sign a child up for the program, complete the registration form online. To read more about the program, please visit the Miami Herald's website.

Standards for Four-Year-Olds (2011) Manual Available Online The Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for Four-YearOlds (2011) Manual is now available to purchase online. These standards create a common framework and language for early childhood programs serving Florida's 4-year-olds; identify the skills and knowledge children should have before they enter kindergarten; and provide supportive instructional strategies for teachers. To purchase your copy, please visit www.flstandardsfouryearolds.com. Acceptable forms of payment include credit cards, checks, money orders and purchase orders. For assistance with the website or with placing an order, please contact PBD Worldwide at 1-855-352-7826 or by email at [email protected]. Please check the ELC Calendar for upcoming training dates.

ASQ-3 Online System Effective last October, Miami-Dade County established an online system in which all ASQ-3s must be entered into the its website. Miami-Dade County staff offers trainings to assist providers in accessing the County website; offers assistance inputting the AQS-3 child data online; and has provided training to over 800 providers including individual trainings at actual centers. As of January 2012, the County has not been mailing packages and all data must be entered online via its website. If the ASQ-3s are not completed by the due date, providers will be delinquent.

47 Delinquent providers are in jeopardy of losing funding as per the Provider Agreement (page 10) which clearly states that "each child must receive an annual screening." These ASQ-3 screenings must be completed and submitted by the end of each child's birth month. If you need assistance with the online system, call Evelyn Jordan at 305-5146098. If you still need an ASQ-3 kit, visit the Early Learning Coalition on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to pick up your kit. We are located at 2555 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Fifth Floor, in Coral Gables. For more information, call Bethany Sands at 305-803-1272.

Florida Releases its Employment Figures for May Florida's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.6 percent in May 2012, the lowest since December 2008 when it was 8.2 percent. There were 794,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 9,262,000. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 8.2 percent in May.

The South Florida region saw nearly 5,000 jobs added in May. However, the unemployment rate increased slightly. With 22 months of consecutive job growth, the long-term economic trend in the region is demonstrating signs of recovery. The unemployment rate for Miami-Dade County was 9.8 percent, 2.5 percentage points lower than the rate a year ago. Monroe County was 4.9 percent, the lowest percentage in the state, and 1.3 percentage points lower than the year-ago rate of 6.2 percent. For more information, read the entire press release from South Florida Workforce or the press release from the Department of Economic Opportunity.

48 VPK Assessments The Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten Assessment will be used as the pre- and post-assessment to be administered by each private and public provider of the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Program for the 2012-2013 program year. The assessment was developed in collaboration with the Florida Center for Reading Research and will be presented for approval by the State Board of Education in Summer 2012. All private and public VPK providers will receive a free VPK assessment kit for each of their VPK classrooms by the end of August 2012. Providers should participate in professional development on How to Administer the Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Assessment to ensure the proper administration of the VPK assessment measures. This instructor-led professional development includes information on the development of the VPK Assessment and how to administer, record, and score each of the VPK assessment measures. Participants will also receive an overview of the VPK Assessment Online Reporting System. The VPK Assessment Online Reporting System was created to provide VPK teachers with a user friendly tool to track children's progress in attaining the skills in the Standards for Four-Year-Olds. Teachers may use this information to plan lessons that meet the individual needs of all children. All private and public VPK providers will be required to enter each child's assessment scores into the Online Reporting System after the VPK Assessment is administered for Assessment Period 1 and Assessment Period 3. Training is available through the DOE VPK Regional Facilitators and other DOEApproved trainers from early learning coalitions and school districts across the state. To register for instructor-led training opportunities in your area, private and public VPK providers on probation should visit the Florida Department of Children and Families' website. Providers on Probation who chose the DOE-Approved

Staff Development Plan must participate in instructor-led professional development to receive credit on their DCF transcript. If you have questions regarding the implementation of the VPK Assessment as the pre- and post-assessment, please feel free to contact Michelle Sizemore, Director, Program Standards and Professional Development, at

[email protected] 850-245-9658, or Gary Sabitsch, Director of Accountability and Quality Assurance, at [email protected] or 850-245-9412.

Child Care Executive Partnership Program Available to Providers The Child Care Executive Partnership (CCEP) program for early care and education providers in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties allows centers to provide care for an employee's child at the center and be partially reimbursed for that care by the Coalition. Similar to the School Readiness grant, this program serves center employees with low to moderate wage-earnings who qualify for the program. The eligibility requirements are the same, with the exception that they can earn up to 200% of the federal poverty level.

49 Increased employee morale and productivity, among other benefits, make this an exciting work-life benefit for your employees. If you are interested in participating for the 2012-2013 CCEP Program, please contact Yesenia Reyes at [email protected] or 305-646-7220 ext. 292

New Funding Available for South Florida Schools The Health Foundation of South Florida's Healthy Eating Active Communities program provides funding to build healthy communities in South Florida. The goal is to create environments that are supportive of healthy lifestyle behaviors. SPARK, an evidence-based program, is listed as a recommended program for Healthy Eating Active Communities. Those interested in applying for the grant must submit preliminary proposals by August 13. To apply, you must be a nonprofit, local or state governmental agency serving Miami-Dade, Monroe and/or Broward counties. The award amounts range from $20,000 to $200,000. Please visit the Healthy Foundation of South Florida's website to learn more about the Healthy Eating Active Communities program and to review the eligibility criteria and get started on your grant application.

Chapman Partnership Seeks Donations of School Supplies for its Homeless Children The Chapman Partnership is requesting the community's help in donating school supplies for its youngest residents - homeless children who need to get the school year off to a strong start. For more information or to donate, visit chapmanpartnership.org or call 305-329-3003.

ELIS: Early Learning Information System The Early Learning Information System (ELIS) will soon replace the Enhanced Field System (EFS). ELIS Implementation Highlights

50 •

•

•

ELIS will be used to administer a $1.1 billion early learning budget where currently no interconnected technology system exists. A feasibility study was completed Dec. 2008 by a third-party vendor estimating a cost savings of $28 million a year due to enhanced efficiencies in program operations. The $22 million a year in cost savings could potentially be used to fund 7,000 more children every year in the School Readiness program.

Benefits of ELIS include the following: • • • •

Streamlines administrative processes including attendance tracking, eligibility processing, and provider payments. Reduces potential fraud and overpayments. Provides data sharing capabilities between educators, parents, providers, and state agencies. Provides parents with easy online access to child care resource and referral information along with a wealth of child development and early education information.

For more information, please visit the Office of Early Learning 's website. *Source: Florida's Office of Early Learning: http://www.floridaearlylearning.com/_SysDev_ELIS.html

Children's Movement of Florida Voices of Florida We all have a story, a story that defines us. It is our collective story, our challenges and our triumphs that inspire a movement. Floridians from all walks of life have joined together with an understanding that the future of our state rests on the wellbeing of our children. Visit The Children's Movement website to read their stories and share your own.

Monroe County News Briefs Florida Keys AHEC Receives $99,947 Grant to Address Childhood Obesity

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Florida Keys AHEC has received a grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation to provide obesity prevention programming to preschool children through a comprehensive nutrition, physical activity and interactive health education program. FKAHEC is partnering with the Early Learning Coalition, Wesley House Family Services and Head Start in Monroe County to provide a wealth of OrganWise Guys curriculum materials, lesson plans, CDs, videos, and hard cover books. Recently, three training sessions were held Keyswide, attended by 50 directors and 3- and 4-year-old teachers to receive their classroom materials and prepare to implement the program at their centers.

Child Car Seat Installation/Inspection Events Offered Keys-Wide The Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition and the Florida Department of Transportation are offering monthly child car seat installations and inspection events for any parent or guardian in Monroe County. For a small donation, car seats may be available on an as-needed basis. For dates, times and locations, please check our Website.

Monroe County Health Department's Campaign to Safeguard Infants from Whooping Cough The Health Department is starting a new campaign to "cocoon" infants from the threat of whooping cough by vaccinating all adults who come in contact with them (parents, grandparents, health care providers, child care workers, etc.). According to Information Officer Chris Tittle, infants are particularly vulnerable during their first nine months when their immune systems are not fully protected from this disease. Although whooping cough may present in an adult as a mild cough, it can present in an infant as a cough so violent that the infant cannot breathe. Health Department personnel are available to come out to childcare centers to speak to staff and parents. The walk-in clinic and contact information is listed on the poster.

Registration Continues for August Florida Child Care Professional Credential Training Program There is still time to register for the 10-month FCCPC training program sponsored by Wesley House Family Services. The Lower Keys class begins on August 21 with

52 instructor Jeanne Askins. The Upper Keys class begins on August 22 with instructor Nilda Bernaldez. For information on available scholarships or to register, please contact Laurie Dunn at 305-809-5000.

New Online ASQ-3 Trainings Scheduled in August Providers will learn how to enter their children's ASQ-3 screening results, eliminate making copies and scanning or mailing to Wesley House. The training is hands-on on the computer, and you will receive your own login, password and "How To" manual. This new system will save you time and give you better information on your children's development. Directors are asked to attend, along with a secondary representative, and bring their own laptops, if available. The training dates, times and locations are scheduled at the following locations: •

Friday, August 3, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.: Wesley House Family Services, 1304 Truman Ave., Key West • Saturday, August 4, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.: Wesley House Family Services, 2796 Overseas Hwy. Suite # 202, Marathon • Saturday, August 4, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Wesley House Family Services, 175 Wren St., Tavernier For additional information, please contact Gerella Kenniston at 305-809-5000.

Klaus Murphy Foundation Teacher Scholarship Recipients Complete FCCPC Training Program Sponsored by the ELC through a Klaus Murphy Foundation grant, seven (7) Key West child care teachers recently completed the 10-month Florida Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC) training program offered by Wesley House Family Services. All seven teachers have been awarded their FCCPC Staff Credential from the Department of Children and Families. Pictured: Back Row (L to R): Jerlyn Matthews, Sunbeam Christian School; Lori Wilder, Sunbeam Christian School; Kunia Rodrigues, The Learning Center. Front Row (L to R): Yovanna Ramos Castro, Inez Martin CDC; Nicole Rhodes, Sunbeam Christian School; Julia Ann Parker, Sunbeam Christian School; and Andrica Rhodes, Inez Martin CDC.

Quality Counts "Enhancing Our Minds...in 2012": 20th Annual Florida Family Child Care Home Association State Conference The Quality Counts Family Child Care Home Technical Assistance Team attended the 20th Annual Florida Family Child Care Home Association (FFCCHA) State

53 Conference Friday, June 21, to Saturday, June 23, in Clearwater Beach, Fla. The team presented on Miami-Dade's Quality Rating Improvement System first thing Friday morning and then attended workshop sessions on ELIS, Office of Early Learning updates, Reducing Risk in FCCHs, Literacy, VPK Resources, Brain Development (presented by ELC's own Bethany Sands), Marketing for FCCH, Exploring Nature, and Conscious Discipline.

Pictured are Lucretia Jones, Ody Veliz, Georgia Thompson, Renata Lossano and Paloma Lopez-Barcena from the ELC's Quality Counts team. The Conference Luncheon on Friday afternoon featured Dr. Mel Jurado, director of the Office of Early Learning, as well as Brenda Ives, the first president of FFCCHA, as keynote speakers. George Cretekos, mayor of Clearwater, presented a proclamation, proclaiming June 23, 2012, Family Child Care Provider Day. The ELCMDM and other coalitions were presented with a certificate for sponsoring providers to attend the conference. One of Miami-Dade's local FCCH Association chapters, South Florida Home Child Care Association, was recognized as Outstanding Chapter of the Year. The award was accepted by the association's president, Arlene Lambert. The conference continued with additional workshops and the general session, provider celebration, and annual general meeting through Sunday, June 24.

From the Desk of Suzette Frazier, Regional Safety Program Manager Department of Children and Families Child Care Licensing This section of the News Alert is designed to inform and remind providers of the licensing requirements of the Department of Children & Families. This licensing corner is a new and innovative way for providers to stay connected to childcare licensing and will serve as a guide to new regulations, information about recalls, licensing updates and much more!

54 Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) held its end of the grant Provider Appreciation Ceremony at the Double Tree Hotel on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. More than 400 licensed child care providers and community partners attended the event. CPPW staff and community partners were honored for their commitment to the Make Healthy Happen in Miami program and their dedication to the community and the children we serve. The program received 5 proclamations from elected officials for cities across Miami-Dade. CPPW also received recognition from Senator Fredericka Wilson commending the Florida Department of Children and Families by declaring June 26, 2012 as "DCF-Make Healthy Happen Miami Day." The CPPW efforts have been recorded in the Congressional Record under the 112th Congress, Second Session, Vol. 157, No. 28. Early education. Lifelong success.

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Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe | 2555 Ponce de Leon Boulevard | Suite 500 | Coral Gables | FL | 33134

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Linking Parents to Early Childhood Success

July Parent Link

July Issue 2012 Sales Tax Holiday is August 3rd through August 5th Free Nutritionally Balanced Meals Offered to Children During the Summer Recess Phone Apps for Baby Milestones and Development News and Updates: Summer is Here! Look Before You Lock Your Vehicles Read to Learn Book Club Offers Free Books to 3-Year-Olds Ask Dr. Hughes ELC and You: VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate Website Local Events for the Whole Family!

2012 Sales Tax Holiday, August 3rd through August 5th It's that time of year again! Florida Law has approved the no sales tax weekend for August 3-5, 2012. The law directs that no sales tax be collected on sales of clothing, footwear, and certain accessories selling for less than $75. This also applies to certain school supplies selling for $15 or less. Below are just a few of the items that will be tax free and those that are not. Note: Books are NOT exempted from tax during the 2012 sales tax holiday CLOTHING

Quick Links ELCMDM Child Care Resource and Referral The Children's Trust United Way of MiamiDade

Tax Exempt - Wearing apparel - Handbags - Ties - Wallets - Baby clothes - Book bags - Blouses - Employee uniforms - All footwear (except roller blades, and skates)

July 2012

56 Miami-Dade Parks & Recreation Miami-Dade Public Library System Miami-Dade County Public Schools The Parent Academy Legal Services of Greater Miami

Taxable - Watches - Watchbands - Jewelry - Umbrellas - Handkerchiefs - Sporting equipment

Tax Exempt - Pens, pencils - Erasers - Crayons - Notebooks - Notebook filler paper - Legal pads - Binders - Lunch boxes - Construction paper - Markers - Folders - Poster board - Composition books - Poster paper - Scissors, glue, rulers Taxable - Computer paper - Correction tape, fluid or pens - Jump drives and flash drives - Masking tape - Printer paper - Staplers - Staples - Toner and ink cartridges For a complete list of tax-exempt and taxable items during tax-free weekend, click here or visit www.myflorida.com/dor. To speak with a Department of Revenue representative, call Taxpayer Services, weekdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., at 1-800-352-3671. Reference: Tax Information Publicationhttp://dor.myflorida.com/dor/tips/pdf/tip12a01-02.pdf.

Free Nutritionally Balanced Meals Offered to Children During the Summer Recess The Miami-Dade Community Action and Human Services Department (CAHSD) will be providing meals to children at program sites throughout Miami-Dade County, as part of the 2012 Summer Food Service Program. The program will operate from June 11, 2012 through August 17, 2012. Nutritionally balanced meals will be provided to all children regardless of income, race, color, sex, disability, age, or national origin during summer vacation when school breakfasts and lunches are not available.

57 All children 18 years old and younger are eligible for meals at no cost. It is the policy of Miami-Dade County that all children will be served without discrimination. The program sites are only approved in geographical areas where 50 percent or more of the children qualify for free and reduced price meals during the school year. Program sites are located throughout Miami-Dade County in recreational centers, summer camps, churches, and community based organizations that provide services to children during the summer recess. A list of the participating distribution sites is available to be downloaded from the Miami-Dade County web portal at www.miamidade.gov/socialservices. For additional information about the Summer Food Program, please contact Ruthe White at (786) 469-4692 or Rani Panchanathan at (786) 469-4789.

Phone App for Baby Milestones and Development Technology plays an important role in our daily lives, so it is no surprise application developers have created child development and milestone apps for our smart phones. These apps, which may vary from Apple and Android devices, can help you track your child's development from birth to toddler, record and analyze your child's growth, and even connecting with other moms. Here are some apps you may want to check out: App Name: Milestone Developer: Ventio Technologies Inc. Description: Using Milestone, you can enter the date when your baby achieves a milestone. Rotating your iPhone, you can see a milestone chart with average age ranges. This chart also shows that your baby may reach a milestone earlier or later than the average age shown on this chart. Remember, each child develops differently and this application is mainly for recording your baby's precious moments. If you feel your child is behind in several areas of development, contact your pediatrician for advice. Phone System: iPhone Cost: $1.99 App Name: What to Expect Baby Tracker Developer: Everyday Health Description: Between feeding and sleeping sessions (plus the diaper changes that follow), new parents are constantly on the move - and in need of a parenting guide that's on-the-go too. A personalized approach to staying on top of your little one's schedule, getting month-by-month advice on baby care and development, and staying connected with other new mamas.

58 Phone System: iPhone and Android Cost: Free App Name: Right on Track Developer: Developmental Guide (www.ecctampabay.org) Description: The Right On Track Child Development Guide was developed by the Early Childhood Council of Hillsborough County, Inc. as a quick and easy to use resource for parents of young children who want to track some of the key milestones that their child(ren) should be reaching at calculated ages. This application calculates your child's age, taking prematurity into account when appropriate. You will then be prompted to view milestones appropriate for the calculated age. In addition, information related to specific developmental concerns will be provided. Observations of these concerns would be worth discussing with your child's pediatrician. Phone System: Android Cost: .99 cents App Name: WebMD Baby Developer: WebMD Description: The new WebMD Baby app has quick access to trusted and physician-approved baby health and wellness information anytime, anywhere. Personalized for a baby's specific age, the WebMD Baby app delivers timely physician-approved guidance, helping parents stay informed and one step ahead of their baby's growth and development. Phone System: iPhone and Android Cost: Free Things to keep in mind: -Apps are constantly being created so check your phone's app store for the latest applications and updates. -Charges may apply and vary according to your cell phone plan and service. Please review your cell phone plan before downloading any apps to your phone or internet usage.

News and Updates: Summer is Here! Look Before You Lock Your Vehicles Summer is now in full swing, and we are all surely feeling the heat. Did you know that on a regular sunny day it can reach up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit inside your vehicles? Young children are at great risk for hyperthermia which can lead to seizures, organ and brain damage, stroke and death. Never leave children in a parked vehicle, even with partially open windows. No amount of time is okay to leave a child alone in a vehicle. Here are some tips to prevent such a tragedy: - When leaving your car, check to be sure everyone is out of the car. Do not overlook any children who have fallen asleep. - Make a habit of looking inside the vehicle, front and back, before locking the door and walking away.

59 - Placing your purse, briefcase or something else you need in the back seat so that you will have to check the back seat when you leave the vehicle. - If you see a child alone in a vehicle, call the police. For more information on the Early Learning Coalition's Look Before You Lock campaign, please visit www.elcmdm.org.

Read to Learn Book Club Offers Free Books to 3-Year-Old Children in Miami-Dade County

All 3-year-old children who live in Miami-Dade County are eligible to receive a free book each month through The Children's Trust Read to Learn Book Club. When registering for the Book Club, children will receive books in the mail each month for one year of fun and learning. "No child should want for a book in Miami-Dade County, and this book club is just one tool in the comprehensive Read to Learn strategic plan," Modesto E. Abety-Gutierrez, president and CEO of The Children's Trust, said in a statement. The Read to Learn Book Club is funded and administered by The Children's Trust, the Miami-Dade Family Learning Partnership and the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe. Read to Learn is a community-wide initiative with the goal that all children read at or above grade level by the third grade. To register a child for the Book Club, complete the online registration form here. For more information about the Read to Learn Book Club, click here.

Readers Encouraged to Send Questions to Ask Dr. Hughes, ELC's Child Development Expert Each month in the Parent Link, Christine Hughes, Ph.D., a research and evaluation analyst for the Early Learning Coalition of MiamiDade/Monroe will answer your questions about child development (from birth to 5-years-old) on a variety of topics, such as language, social skills, play, behavior, motor skills, learning habits, and more. Dr. Hughes earned her Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Miami, where she currently teaches part-time. Her research has focused on the development of at-risk infants and children in early intervention.

60 Please email your questions to [email protected] with Ask Dr. Hughes in the subject line. Also, include the city or location of your residence in Miami-Dade or Monroe County (e.g., Coconut Grove, Kendall, Key West). Please note that questions may be edited, and not every question received will be answered in the newsletter. To protect the privacy of individuals and maintain confidentiality, names will not be printed, but we may refer to individuals by area (for example, "A mother in Miami Beach asked..."). The information provided in this column released by the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, courtesy of Dr. Hughes, is not intended to be used as psychological, mental health or medical evaluation or service. As laws, details and personal situations vary from person to person and state to state, articles and content contained in the newsletter are not and cannot be used as a substitute for legal, parental, health, mental health, or any other advice. The column is not intended to be a solicitation of business or the furnishing of self-help advice. Readers are strongly urged to consult independent and qualified professionals before making any decisions. The views expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily of the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe.

ELC and You: VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate Website The VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate website provides information about Florida's Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program to VPK providers, parents and other interested parties. The State Board of Education (SBOE) sets the minimum readiness rate for all VPK providers. Parents can find out the readiness rate for their VPK provider by visiting: https://vpk.fldoe.org/InfoPages/ReportCriteria.aspx and searching by provider name or county. The minimum readiness rate for 2010-11 was set at 70 and providers who score 69 or lower are designated Providers on Probation (POP). Providers on probation are required to submit an improvement plan in order to continue to provide the VPK program. Those who did not submit improvement plans are not eligible to deliver the VPK program for the Fall 2012-13 school year. If you are concerned that you have selected a provider who may not be eligible to provide VPK or if you think you may have submitted your VPK certificate of eligibility to a provider who is ineligible, please contact Roseline Philippe at extension 222 or [email protected] or Jackye Russell at extension 324 or [email protected] for assistance.

61 Local Events for the Whole Family! Starting late July and through August, community organizations and county commissioners will be hosting back-to-school events. Here are some to check out! Back-to-School Backpack Giveaway Hosted by Miami-Dade County Commissioner (District 8) Lynda Bell. Backpacks containing school supplies will be given to residents with tickets provided by the commissioner's office. There will also be a Resource Fair with activities for kids to enjoy and a raffle. When: Saturday, July 28, 2012 Time: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Where: South Dade Park 28151 S.W. 164 Ave. Miami, FL 33170 Cost: FREE For more information, call 305-378-6677. Sixth Annual Fun Day Bookbag Drive and Health Fair Hosted by Miami-Dade County Commissioner (District 3) Audrey Edmonson. There will be giveaways and information from local organizations. When: Saturday, August 4, 2012 Time: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Where: Jefferson Reaves Park 3090 N.W. 50 St. Miami, FL 33142 Cost: FREE For more information, contact Jessica Lopez, [email protected]. Third Annual Back-to-School Supply Giveaway ASPIRE To, Inc. will provide the underserved youth of the community with backpacks, school supplies, health screenings, educational materials and more. When: Saturday, August 11, 2012 Time: 9 a.m. Where: Liberty Square Community Center 6304 N.W. 14 Ave. Miami, FL 33147 Cost: FREE For more information, call Shenetra Mack at 305-742-3564.

About the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe The Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring high-quality early care and education for children in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Through a variety of affordable and innovative early education and voluntary prekindergarten programs, the Coalition serves more than 50,000 children ages birth to 5-years-old and their families. Founded in 2000, the Early Learning Coalition is among 31 similar organizations in the State of Florida established following the enactment of the School Readiness Act, which consolidated Florida's early learning services into one integrated program. For more information, visit www.elcmdm.org

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Board of Directors Meeting June 4, 2012; 8:00 a.m. ELC Board Room Board Attendees:

Octavio A. Verdeja, Jr. (Chair); Esther Jacobo (Treasurer); The Hon. Cindy S. Lederman (Vice Chair); Lucy C. Pineiro, Esq.; Modesto E. Abety-Gutierrez; Theresa Axford; Roderick E. Beasley; Doug Blomberg; Yolanda Borroto; Commissioner Heather Carruthers; Gina Cortes-Suarez, Ed.D; Alan Eckstein, Esq.; Shaleen Fagundo; Yvonne T. Johnson, M.D.; David Lawrence, Jr.; Jane McQueen; Harve Mogul; David Williams, Jr.; Magaly Abrahante, Ed.D.; Lisa Martinez

Board Absentees:

Ann Karen Weller, R.N., B.S.N.; Commissioner Barbara Jordan

Staff Attendees:

Evelio Torres (President/CEO); Blythe Robinson; Angelo Parrino; Leeana Pena; Christina Vila; Tarnell Carroll; Jackye Russell; Pamela Hollingsworth; Fred Hicks; Bethany Sands; Mercy Castiglione; Oderay Velez; Melody Thelwell; Christina Sabater; Mary Williams, (attended via conference call); Kristina Alonso; Christine Hughes; Jose Hernandez

General Attendees:

Bob De La Fuente, Tew Cardenas, LLP (Board Counsel); Rosa M. Gonzalez, RV Little Giant Day Care; Victor Gonzalez, RV Little Giant Day Care; Alissa Stein, HIPPY; Leo Carter, ATT; Carlos A. Garcia, DCF; Laura Haim, UWCFE; Jerome Levitt, Advanced Research Consulting; Ardene Estrada, MDC; Wendy Salomon, Family Central; Carole Bernstein, HIPPY; Jeff Hurst, DCF; Lynda Colaizzi, HIPPY; Henry Green, HIPPY; Gail Gregg, FIU; Peggy Gaines, HIPPY; Gladys R. Montes, UWFCE; Rochelle Boreland, MDC Commission; Evelyn Jordan, MDC; Evelyn Schwartz, HIPPY; Ana Sejeck, ECIF; Lisa Pittman, The Children’s Trust; Briana Sheafer, YMCA; Juliette Bernand, MDC; Phyllis Saunders, MDC; Lidia Clarke, FCI

I. Welcome and Introductions




Chairman Octavio A. Verdeja, Jr., called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone.



Leeana Pena called roll and a quorum was established with eighteen (18) voting members.



O. Verdeja announced that if anyone has a conflict of interest on any item, to see Leeana Pena for a conflict of interest form.

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

O. Verdeja stated that the ELC News Alert & ELC Parent Link newsletters were included in this month’s packet.



B. De La Fuente reviewed the Board member issues related to Gina Cortes-Suarez, Ed.D. The Board asked if we could support her serving a full eight years, as she assumed the position of Norma Hendricks, who had only four months left on her term when Gina assumed her position. Gina became a Board member in December, 2007. Gina is eligible to serve two complete terms: Dec 2007-Dec 2011; and the second being December 2011-December 2015. The records regarding her membership should be corrected through Board approval. o A. Eckstein moved to approve this motion. o Motion was seconded by D. Williams. o Motion was unanimously passed.



O. Verdeja stated he was proud to announce that the ELC has welcomed its 500th provider into Quality Counts, the county’s Quality Rating Improvement System. This is an important accomplishment because as you know, Quality Counts is a voluntary five star-rating system that evaluates providers on factors such as an atmosphere that promotes learning; teacher certification; student/teacher ratios; and much more. Reaching the 500th mark demonstrates the dedication of these providers to provide a high quality early education. Quality Counts is so popular that we have over 150 providers waiting to join the program. Our ultimate goal is to work in partnership with provider, families and others to ensure all children are getting the best care and education to prepare them for success in school and life. Let’s congratulate the Quality Counts team here at ELC and our funding partners at The Children’s Trust for helping 500 early care and education providers improve their early care and education programs. We will have an official celebration with a cake at the conclusion of this meeting.



O. Verdeja congratulated Ted Granger, President of the United Way of Florida, for being recognized by the Association of Early Learning Coalitions as Child Advocate of the Year.



O. Verdeja stated that the ELC Family Summer Kick Off Event, held in partnership with the Healthy Start Coalition, will be held on Saturday, June 9th.

II. Approval of Minutes 


O. Verdeja called for the approval of the meeting minutes from May 7th, 2012. o C. Lederman moved to approve the minutes. o Motion was seconded by D. Williams. o Motion was unanimously passed.

III. Executive Committee Report




O. Verdeja stated that the Executive Committee reviewed the funding formulas proposed by the OEL. The OEL has not decided on a funding formula, but none of the currently proposed formulas are in benefit to the ELC.



E. Torres stated that each of the proposed methods represents a comprehensive restricting of the current funding formula, and we are concerned over the lack of inclusion of key stakeholders in the process. It’s critical that all our families, child care

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providers, and other community partners fully understand the principles behind the methods, as well as the ramifications of each one. 

E. Torres stated that in lieu of the scope of these issues, we request consideration to delay the implementation of any change to the funding formula in order for coalitions to fully vet these models with the community at large. A letter has been drafted on behalf of Octavio and will be sent to the OEL today.

IV. Finance Committee Report

Esther Jacobo



E. Jacobo reviewed the financial statements.



Motion to approve Resolution 060412-01 to authorize the President and CEO to execute the Leverage and Local Match grant/contract for the Childcare Executive Partnership program from the Children’s Trust. o M. Abety recused himself from this resolution. o A. Eckstein moved to approve the motion. o Motion was seconded by S. Fagundo. o Motion was unanimously passed.



Motion to approve Resolution 053012-01 to authorize the President and CEO to renew and/or execute the following sub-recipient service contracts listed within the background section of this resolution. o D. Blomberg and H. Mogul recused themselves from this resolution. o A. Eckstein moved to approve the motion. o Motion was seconded by T. Axford. o Motion was unanimously passed.



Motion to approve Resolution 053012-02 to authorize the President and CEO to renew the following vendor contracts listed within the background section of this resolution. o E. Jacobo recused herself from this resolution. o C. Lederman moved to approve the motion. o Motion was seconded by D. Williams. o Motion was unanimously passed.



Motion to approve Resolution 053012-03 to authorize the President and CEO to release Request for Proposals (RFPs) for the services listed within the background section of this resolution. o H. Mogul moved to approve the motion. o Motion was seconded by R. Beasley. o Motion was unanimously passed.



Motion to approve Resolution 053012-04 to approve the Coalition’s Third Budget Amendment for the fiscal year 2011-2012. o A. Eckstein moved to approve the motion. o Motion was seconded by H. Mogul o Motion was unanimously passed.



Motion to approve Resolution 053012-05 to approve the Coalition’s Initial Annual Budget for fiscal year 2012-2013. o A. Eckstein moved to approve the motion. o Motion was seconded by D. Williams.

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o

Motion was passed.

unanimously



Motion to approve Resolution 053012-06 to authorize the President and CEO to execute the Second Amendment to contract, C11-111, with Miami-Dade County to provide School Readiness Subsidized Childcare Services. o H. Mogul moved to approve the motion. o Motion was seconded by Y. Johnson. o Motion was unanimously passed.



E. Jacobo reviewed the financial snapshots.



E. Torres stated it was important to recognize how closely enrollment is managed. ELC Staff, Wesley House and MDC work very closely together to make sure numbers are right every month.

V. Program & Strategy and Provider Services Committee Report The Hon. Cindy S. Lederman; David Williams, Jr.; and Gina Cortes- Suarez, Ed.D. 

C. Lederman stated that about 10 providers showed up to review their license violations. One of the providers filed a grievance which is being brought to the Board today.



G. Cortes-Suarez stated that she had concerns about the quality of some of the providers. There were some providers that the Committee was very impressed with; they made changes to their schools and showed a genuine interest in improving the quality. There were other providers however, that the Committee was far from impressed by. She expressed her concern with the training of individuals running these schools and the Directors.



C. Lederman thanked the Committee for taking these cases so seriously.



The legal counsel for RV Little Giants stated that he hadn’t yet done a full investigation of the incident that took place.



C. Lederman stated that the current testimony differed from the testimony given at the Committee meeting.

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The legal counsel stated that this was one a time incident, the center paid the necessary fines, and didn’t call rescue because they didn’t think it was an emergency.



C. Lederman suggested that this grievance be deferred back to the Committee.



L. Pineiro expressed her concern with allowing them another chance to present their case. She stated that they were given this opportunity at the hearing. The Committee spent several hours reviewing these cases, and providers should be better prepared.



B. De La Fuente reviewed the provider’s past violation history.



C. Lederman moved to defer this grievance back to the Committee. o Motion was seconded by D. Lawrence. o Motion was unanimously passed.

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

L. Pineiro stated she would like the letter that goes out to providers to clarify what the initial hearing will consist of, so that providers are better prepared.



C. Lederman stated that the Committee ratified the decision to require licenses from summer camps.

VI. (HIPPY) Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters Dr. Henry A. Green; Lidia Clarke; and Wendy Salomon 

P. Hollingsworth introduced Dr. Green, Ms. Clarke, and Ms. Salomon.



Please refer to www.elcmdm.org for the presentation.

VII. CEO Report 

Evelio C. Torres, CEO

Please refer to www.elcmdm.org for the presentation.

VIII. Public Comments

Octavio A. Verdeja, Jr.



L. Martinez provided an update on the Head Start grant to the Board of Directors. She stated the grant was submitted August 30th and the policy council confirmed they were reviewing the application, and that it was viable. Upon further confirmation, they will start the preliminary steps of implementing a model. Once they are given confirmation in writing, then they will proceed in a delegation model.



B. Sheafer stated that the YMCA is getting ready to serve 2000-2500 children on June 11th. Although they are exempt, they opted to license 46 programs in about 30 days, because their intentions are to serve the need. The issue comes up this summer, because there is no summer license segment. Luckily, they were able to move some of their programs back to the schools for the summer months. However, there will still be a group of children that will be forced to find care for the summer.



J. Hurst stated that DCF does not have and statutory jurisdiction to license summer camps and it is a 90 day process. They do not have the authority to do it.

IX. Adjourn

Octavio A. Verdeja, Jr.

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Representative of programs for children with disabilities under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act *Advertised at Young Children With Special Needs & Disabilities Council; Blast to Providers; ELC Website Name Affiliation Comments 1 Diane Adreon UM Center for Autism and Related Fields 2 Helene J. Good CCDH, Inc (Community Committee for Developmental Handicaps, Inc.) 3 Claudia Uribe-Orrett Cherry Blossom 4 Kathleen C. Vergara, Debbie Institute, University of Miami M.A., CED 5 Marissa Joy Leichter Guardian ad Litem Program 6 7

Private Sector (Monroe) *Advertised to Monroe Community Partners; Advisory Board; chambers; Key West Citizen; ELC Website Name Business Comments 1 Holly Estes News Barometer/R.E. Guide 2 Amber Shaffer All Keys Construction, Inc.

For more detailed information please go to http://elcmdm.org/downloads/BOD/NC/NCPack08012012.pdf

68

Early Learning Coalition Executive Committee Meeting July 13, 2012 Resolution: 071312-01 Action Requested: Award RFP#ELCMDM2012-001 for External Auditing Services to the Morrison, Brown, Argiz and Farra, LLC to provide external auditing services to the Coalition. Authorize the President and CEO to negotiate and execute a contract with Morrison, Brown Argiz and Farra, LLC to provide external auditing services as described within the background section of this resolution. Fiscal Impact: funding.

The contract amount will not exceed $60,000, subject to availability of

Funding Source: Administrative Pool ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ RESOLUTION NO. 071212-01 AWARD RFP#ELCMDM2012-001 FOR EXTERNAL AUDITING SERVICES TO MORRISON, BROWN, ARGIZ AND FARRA, LLC TO PROVIDE EXTERNAL AUDITING SERVICES TO THE COALITION. AUTHORIZE THE PRESIDENT AND CEO TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH MORRISON, BROWN, ARGIZ AND FARRA, LLC TO PROVIDE EXTERNAL AUDITING SERVICES. THE CONTRACT AMOUNT WILL NOT EXCEED $60,000.00, SUBJECT TO APPROVAL FOR LEGAL SUFFICIENCY AND FORM. WHEREAS, the Executive Committee has been apprised of the goals of the program through the attached narrative, hereby incorporated by reference, and the Executive Committee is in agreement with the goals described therein; and WHEREAS, the President and CEO and staff recommend approving this action, NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF THE EARLY LEARNING COALITION OF MIAMI-DADE/MONROE, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA that this Executive Committee

award

RFP#ELCMDM2012-001 for External Auditing Services to Morrison, Brown, Argiz and Farra, LLC to provide external auditing services to the Coalition. Also, authorize the President and CEO to

69 negotiate and execute a contract with Morrison, Brown, Argiz and Farra, LLC. The contract amount will not exceed $60,000.00 and it is subject to approval for legal sufficiency and form. The foregoing resolution and attachment was offered by ____________, who moved its approval. The motion was seconded by ___________, and upon being put to a vote, the vote was as follows: ___________. The vote was recorded as in the attached roll call sheet. The Chairperson thereupon declared the resolution duly passed and adopted this 13th, day of July, 2012. EARLY LEARNING COALITION OF MIAMI-DADE/MONROE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA BY_______________________________ BOARD SECRETARY

70

Background In May 2012, Resolution #053012-03 authorized the President and CEO to release Request for Proposals (RFPs) for External Auditing Services and Sub-recipient Financial Monitoring Services for fiscal year 2012-2013, with a total not to exceed $210,000. As a result, on June 5, 2012, the Coalition released RFP#ELCMDM2012-001 for External Auditing Services. On June 22, 2012, the Coalition received eight (8) proposals, which were reviewed by three (3) Evaluation Committee members. The following table illustrates each section, the responding proposer, and the respective ranking received from the Evaluation Committee members:

Proposer’s Name Keefe, McCullough & Co. LLP Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, LLC Grau & Associates Moore Stephens Lovelace, P.A. Averett Warmus Durkee Osburn Henning, P.A. Moss Krusick & Associates Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, LLP S. Davis & Associates

Final Rating 70.67 89.00 85.33 85.33 76.33 83.33 83.67 79.00

After a review of the Evaluation Committee’s recommendations, the Coalition is requesting that Morrison, Brown, Argiz and Farra, LLC be awarded a contract. Also, the Coalition is requesting that authorization is given to the President and CEO to negotiate and execute a contract with the recommended proposer, as noted above. The contract will not exceed $60,000.00 and will begin on August 1st, 2012 through June 30, 2013.

71

Early Learning Coalition Executive Committee Meeting July 13, 2012 Resolution: 071312-02 Action Requested: Award RFP#ELCMDM2012-002 for Sub-recipient Financial Monitoring to Goldstein Schechter Koch, P.A. to provide sub-recipient financial monitoring services to the Coalition. Authorize the President and CEO to negotiate and execute a contract with Goldstein Schechter Koch, P.A. to provide sub-recipient financial monitoring services as described within the background section of this resolution. Fiscal Impact: funding.

The contract amount will not exceed $150,000, subject to availability of

Funding Source: Administrative Pool ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ RESOLUTION NO. 071312-02 AWARD RFP#ELCMDM2012-002 FOR SUB-RECIPIENT FINANCIAL MONITORING TO GOLDSTEIN SCHECHTER KOCH, P.A. TO PROVIDE SUB-RECIPIENT FINANCIAL MONITORING SERVICES TO THE COALITION. AUTHORIZE THE PRESIDENT AND CEO TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH GOLDSTEIN SCHECHTER AND KOCH, P.A. TO PROVIDE SUB-RECIPIENT FINANCIAL MONITORING SERVICES. THE CONTRACT WILL NOT EXCEED $150,000.00, SUBJECT TO APPROVAL FOR LEGAL SUFFICIENCY AND FORM. WHEREAS, the Executive Committee has been apprised of the goals of the program through the attached narrative, hereby incorporated by reference, and the Executive Committee is in agreement with the goals described therein; and WHEREAS, the President and CEO and staff recommend approving this action, NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF THE EARLY LEARNING COALITION OF MIAMI-DADE/MONROE, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA that this Executive Committee authorizes the President and CEO to award RFP#ELCMDM2012-002 for Sub-recipient Financial Monitoring

72 Services to Goldstein Schechter Koch, P.A. to provide sub-recipient financial monitoring services to the Coalition. Also, authorize the President and CEO to negotiate and execute a contract with Goldstein Schechter and Koch, P.A. The contract amount will not exceed $150,000.00 and it is subject to approval for legal sufficiency and form. The foregoing resolution and attachment was offered by ____________, who moved its approval. The motion was seconded by ___________, and upon being put to a vote, the vote was as follows: ___________. The vote was recorded as in the attached roll call sheet. The Chairperson thereupon declared the resolution duly passed and adopted this 13th, day of July, 2012. EARLY LEARNING COALITION OF MIAMI-DADE/MONROE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA BY_______________________________ BOARD SECRETARY

73

Background In May 2012, Resolution #053012-03 authorized the President and CEO to release Request for Proposals (RFPs) for External Auditing Services and Sub-recipient Financial Monitoring Services for fiscal year 2012-2013, with a total not to exceed $210,000. As a result, on June 5, 2012, the Coalition released RFP#ELCMDM2012-002 for Sub-recipient Financial Monitoring Services. On June 22, 2012, the Coalition received four (4) proposals, which were reviewed by three (3) Evaluation Committee members. The following table illustrates each section, the responding proposer, and the respective ranking received from the Evaluation Committee members: Proposer’s Name Goldstein Schechter Koch, P.A. Harvey Covington & Thomas LLC MH Miles Company, CPA PC S. Davis & Associates, P.A.

Final Rating 92.67 72.67 72.00 72.33

After a review of the Evaluation Committee’s recommendations, the Coalition is requesting that Goldstein Schechter Koch, P.A. be awarded a contract. Also, the Coalition is requesting that authorization is given to the President and CEO to negotiate and execute a contract with the recommended proposer, as noted above. The contract will not exceed $150,000.00 and will begin on August 1st, 2012 through June 30, 2013.

74

75

76

Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe

77

School Readiness Slot Utilization Snapshot - Miami-Dade June 2012 (all dollar amounts in thousands '000)

Children Served

Amount

Total actual paid - YTD Total actual paid - June 2012

37,825 23,703

Net Slot Payment and Gold Seal Match (BG8 and CCEP) Total cost (in thousands) (incl match) Change month over month Total Net Increase(decrease) children Net increase/(decrease) dollars

$ $ $

6,677 444 7,879

$

Monthly Activity Beginning Census

Amount 23,519

184 (308)

NET Increase/(Decrease) Total Current Data

184 23,703

Enrolled As of July 16, 2012

22,642

Projected Paid for July (96% of enrolled) Ready Pool and Waitlist Ready Pool as of July 16, 2012

21,736

Waitlist as of July 16, 2012 Waitlist as of June 18, 2012 Waitlist as of May 21, 2012 VPK Enrolled As of July 16, 2012 Regular Summer VPK Total Actual Paid - June 2012

21,096 19,427 19,068

Regular Summer

18,064 522

Type AT Risk Income Eligible Florida One Parent Transitional Child Care Work Force Development CCEP (Purchasing Pool) ARRA BGSNT Total Minus 292 Duplicates GOLD SEAL SFW (could be duplicated in categories above)

-

26 539

Children Paid by BG Group

Dollars Paid by BG Group

Receiving Diff Prior % Change Service % of Total Month Prior Month 2,676 11.15% 159 6.32% 14,254 59.40% 97 0.69% 0.00% 2,489 10.37% (47) -1.85% 3,339 13.92% 28 0.85% 1,227 5.11% (81) -6.19% 0.00% 10 0.04% (1) -9.09% 23,995 100% 155 0.65% 23,703

% of Diff Prior % Change Amount* Total Month Prior Month $873.20 11.74% ($39.01) -4.28% $4,523.23 60.84% ($154.32) -3.30% $ 0.00% $ $780.54 10.50% ($41.56) -5.06% $1,064.52 14.32% ($64.74) -5.73% $189.08 2.54% ($9.57) -4.82% $ 0.00% $0.00 $ 4.66 0.06% $1.59 51.77% $7,435.24 100% ($307.62) -3.97% $758.19

-

SFW GOLD SEAL Age Break Down

Infant

Receiving Service 3,684

% of Total 14.72%

3,693 4,337 8,405 20,119 2,726 595 455

14.76% 17.33% 33.58% 80.39% 10.88% 2.37% 1.82%

3,764 1,019

15.03% 4.07%

4,783 4,772

Toddler Three Year Old Pre-School Sub-Total School Age: 6 yrs School Age: 7 yrs School Age: 8 yrs Unduplicated School Age: 6 - 8 yrs** School Age: 9 yrs and above School Age Total Includes 11 duplicates

23,516

School Age (Unduplicated)

1,059

Other Sub-Total Total Minus 1324 Duplicates

Children By Age Group

- $ $

Diff Prior % Change Month Prior Month (64) -1.71%

-

10.20%

$6.32

Amount-$ $1,302.16

% of Total 17.51%

0.08% -1.59% 0.29% -0.53% 2.67% -0.83% 6.56%

$1,213.65 $1,347.15 $2,452.20 $6,315.15 $626.15 $130.91 $97.06

16.32% 18.12% 32.98% 84.94% 8.42% 1.76% 1.31%

($141.24) ($154.53) $17.65 ($454.11) $81.39 $11.99 $13.81

-10.42% -10.29% 0.73% -6.71% 14.94% 10.08% 16.59%

97 46

2.65% 4.73%

$853.66 $210.62

11.48% 2.83%

$105.87 $21.36

14.16% 11.29%

19.10%

143

3.08%

$1,064.29

14.32%

$127.23

13.58%

19.07%

147

3.18%

$1,064.29

14.32%

$127.23

13.58%

136 4,908

0.54% 19.61%

12 159

9.68% 3.35%

$55.27 $1,119.55

0.74% 15.06%

$12.70 $139.93

29.83% 14.28%

25,027 23,703

100%

52

0.21%

$7,434.71

100%

($314.18)

-4.05%

3 (70) 24 (107) 71 (5) 28

Diff Prior % Change Month Prior Month ($175.99) -11.91%

136 / 1% 20,119 / 80%


Children 0 - 5 School Age 6 -8 School Age 9 and Above Other

Note: Legends with too small percentage are not shown on the pie chart.

0.84%

$0.00 $0.00 Dollars Paid by Age Category

**There are 11 5-year-old within this count.

1,019 / 4% 3,764 / 15%

All Eligible Clients-Paid

Type

VPK Total Actual Paid - YTD Regular Summer

Eligibility Breakdown

1,227 3,339 2,489 -

10

2,676

14,254

AT Risk Income Eligible Florida One Parent Transitional Child Care Work Force Development CCEP (Purchasing Pool) ARRA BGSNT

78

Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe School Readiness Slot Utilization Snapshot - Monroe June 2012 (all dollar amounts in thousands '000)


Eligibility Breakdown

Children Served

Amount

Total actual paid - June 2012

710

Net Slot Payment and Gold Seal Match (BG8 and CCEP) Total cost (in thousands) (incl match) Change month over month Total Net Increase(decrease) children Net increase/(decrease) dollars Monthly Activity

$ $ $

209 12 228

$

40 1 Amount

Type AT Risk Income Eligible Florida One Parent Transitional Child Care Work Force Development CCEP (Purchasing Pool) ARRA Total Minus 11 Duplicates

Receiving % of Service Total 124 569 13 4 11 721 710

GOLD SEAL

Diff Prior Month

17.20% 78.92% 0.00% 1.80% 0.55% 1.53% 0.00% 100%

-

-

-

Age Break Down

Total

710

Type

Receiving % of Service Total

Infant

124

16.69%

Toddler Three Year Old Pre-School

104 123 210

14.00% 16.55% 28.26%

(5) 2 (5)

561 63 50 33 142 27 13 0 182 182 743 710

75.50% 8.48% 6.73% 4.44% 19.11% 3.63% 1.75% 0.00% 24.50% 0.00% 24.50% 100%

(8) 10 13 8 25 5 3 0 33 33 25

684 Waitlist Waitlist as of July 13, 2012 Waitlist as of June 8, 2012 Waitlist as of May 10, 2012 VPK Enrolled as of July 13, 2012

0 0 0 22

VPK Total Actual Paid - June 2012

444

School School School School School School School School Other

Sub-Total Age: 6 Age: 7 Age: 8 Age: 6 - 8** Age: 9 - 10 Age: 11 - 12 Age: Other Age Age Total

Sub-Total Total Minus 33 Duplicates

2.99%

$0.37

% of Total

Amount-$

0.00%

$44.89

20.84%

($1.84)

-3.94%

$35.34 $35.39 $59.02

16.41% 16.43% 27.40%

($7.06) ($5.42) $0.93

-16.66% -13.27% 1.61%

81.08% ($13.39) 6.57% $4.39 5.12% $4.30 3.09% $1.97 14.81% $10.62 2.75% $1.90 1.36% $1.47 0.00% $0.00 18.92% $13.99 0.00% $ 18.92% $13.99 100% $0.60

-7.12% 44.94% 64.10% 42.08% 49.89% 47.28% 101.84% 52.31% 52.31% 0.28%

-1.41% $174.64 18.87% $14.15 35.14% $11.02 32.00% $6.65 21.37% $31.90 22.73% $5.93 30.00% $2.92 $0.00 22.15% $40.75 - $ 22.15% $40.75 3.48% $215.39


School Age 6 - 8 School Age 9 - 10

561 / 75.50%

School Age 11 - 12

AT Risk Income Eligible

-

Children 0 - 5

13 / 1.75%

6.06%

-4.59% 1.65% -2.33%

27 / 3.63% 142 / 19.11%

0.28%

Diff Prior % Change Month Prior Month

**There are 2 5-year-old within this count. Children By Age Group

-9.79% 3.34% 3.28% -46.20% 17.84%

Dollars Paid by Age Category

% Change Prior Month

-

Diff Prior % Change Month Prior Month

17.58% ($4.11) 79.02% $5.51 0.00% $ 1.99% $0.14 0.64% ($1.18) 0.77% $0.25 0.00% $0.00 100% $0.60

$6.45

All Eligible Clients-Paid Diff Prior Month

% of Total

Amount

18.10% $37.87 6.36% $170.21 $ 30.00% $4.28 -50.00% $1.37 -8.33% $1.65 $0.00 7.61% $215.39

-

670 40

712

% Change Prior Month

19 34 0 3 -4 -1 51

Beginning Census Net Increase/(Decrease)

Current Data Enrolled as of July 13, 2012 Projected Paid for July (96% of enrolled)

Dollars Paid by BG Group

1

3

4

569

1 124

1

Florida One Parent Transitional Child Care Work Force Development CCEP (Purchasing Pool) ARRA

79 Florida's Office of Early Learning Fee Schedule SLIDING FEE SCHEDULE Miami-Dade

DAILY FEE ========= =======

------- Annual Gross Income - Number of persons in Family -------

Full-Time Part-Time ---------------- ------------0.84 0.42

1 2 ------------- -------------0 0 50%FPL 5,585 7,565 ---------------- ------------------------- -------------1.72 0.86 5,586 7,566 50-75%FPL 8,378 11,348 ---------------- ------------------------- -------------2.70 1.35 8,379 11,349 75-100%FPL 11,169 15,129 ---------------- ------------------------- -------------3.60 1.80 FPL 11,170 15,130 13,032 17,652 ---------------- ------------------------- -------------4.50 2.25 13,033 17,653 14,894 20,174 ---------------- ------------------------- -------------5.48 2.74 14,895 20,175 150%FPL 16,755 22,695 ---------------- ------------------------- -------------6.40 3.20 16,756 22,696 17,406 23,577 ---------------- ------------------------- -------------7.34 3.67 17,407 23,578 18,057 24,459 ---------------- ------------------------- -------------8.30 4.15 18,058 24,460 18,709 25,341 ---------------- ------------------------- -------------9.30 4.65 18,710 25,342 19,360 26,223 ---------------- ------------------------- -------------10.20 5.10 19,361 26,224 20,011 27,105 ---------------- ------------------------- -------------11.20 5.60 20,012 27,106 185%FPL 20,665 27,991 ---------------- ------------------------- -------------12.20 6.10 20,666 27,992 21,502 29,125 ---------------- ------------------------- -------------13.20 6.60 21,503 29,126 200%FPL 22,340 30,260 ---------------- ------------------------- -------------Parents receiving hourly care pay up to the part time fee. Second and all additional children pay a reduced fee.

3 -------------0 9,545 -------------9,546 14,318 -------------14,319 19,089 --------------

4 ------------0 11,525 ------------11,526 17,288 ------------17,289 23,049 -------------

5 ------------0 13,505 ------------13,506 20,258 ------------20,259 27,009 -------------

6 -------------0 15,485 -------------15,486 23,228 -------------23,229 30,969 --------------

7 ------------0 17,465 ------------17,466 26,198 ------------26,199 34,929 -------------

8 -------------0 19,445 -------------19,446 29,168 -------------29,169 38,889 --------------

9 -------------0 21,425 -------------21,426 32,138 -------------32,139 42,849 --------------

10 11 12 13 14 15 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0 0 0 0 0 0 23,405 25,385 27,365 29,345 31,325 33,305 -------------- -------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- --------------23,406 25,386 27,366 29,346 31,326 33,306 35,108 38,078 41,048 44,018 46,988 49,958 -------------- -------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- --------------35,109 38,079 41,049 44,019 46,989 49,959 46,809 50,769 54,729 58,689 62,649 66,609 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

22,272 -------------22,273 25,455 -------------25,456 28,635 -------------28,636 29,748 -------------29,749 30,861 -------------30,862 31,974 -------------31,975 33,087 -------------33,088 34,200 -------------34,201 35,317 -------------35,318 36,748 -------------36,749 38,180 --------------

26,892 ------------26,893 30,735 ------------30,736 34,575 ------------34,576 35,919 ------------35,920 37,263 ------------37,264 38,606 ------------38,607 39,950 ------------39,951 41,294 ------------41,295 42,643 ------------42,644 44,371 ------------44,372 46,100 -------------

31,513 ------------31,514 36,015 ------------36,016 40,515 ------------40,516 42,090 ------------42,091 43,664 ------------43,665 45,239 ------------45,240 46,814 ------------46,815 48,388 ------------48,389 49,969 ------------49,970 51,994 ------------51,995 54,020 -------------

36,133 -------------36,134 41,295 -------------41,296 46,455 -------------46,456 48,261 -------------48,262 50,066 -------------50,067 51,872 -------------51,873 53,677 -------------53,678 55,483 -------------55,484 57,295 -------------57,296 59,617 -------------59,618 61,940 --------------

40,753 ------------40,754 46,576 ------------46,577 52,395 ------------52,396 54,431 ------------54,432 56,468 ------------56,469 58,504 ------------58,505 60,541 ------------60,542 62,577 ------------62,578 64,621 ------------64,622 67,240 ------------67,241 69,860 -------------

45,373 -------------45,374 51,856 -------------51,857 58,335 -------------58,336 60,602 -------------60,603 62,870 -------------62,871 65,137 -------------65,138 67,404 -------------67,405 69,671 -------------69,672 71,947 -------------71,948 74,863 -------------74,864 77,780 --------------

49,993 -------------49,994 57,136 -------------57,137 64,275 -------------64,276 66,773 -------------66,774 69,271 -------------69,272 71,769 -------------71,770 74,268 -------------74,269 76,766 -------------76,767 79,273 -------------79,274 82,486 -------------82,487 85,700 --------------

54,613 -------------54,614 62,416 -------------62,417 70,215 -------------70,216 72,944 -------------72,945 75,673 -------------75,674 78,402 -------------78,403 81,131 -------------81,132 83,860 -------------83,861 86,599 -------------86,600 90,109 -------------90,110 93,620 --------------

19,090

23,050

27,010

30,970

Option B

34,930

38,890

42,850

46,810

50,770

54,730

58,690

62,650

66,610

59,233 63,853 68,474 73,094 77,714 -------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- --------------59,234 63,854 68,475 73,095 77,715 67,697 72,977 78,257 83,538 88,818 -------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- --------------67,698 72,978 78,258 83,539 88,819 76,155 82,095 88,035 93,975 99,915 -------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- --------------76,156 82,096 88,036 93,976 99,916 79,115 85,286 91,457 97,627 103,798 -------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- --------------79,116 85,287 91,458 97,628 103,799 82,075 88,477 94,878 101,280 107,682 -------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- --------------82,076 88,478 94,879 101,281 107,683 85,035 91,667 98,300 104,932 111,565 -------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- --------------85,036 91,668 98,301 104,933 111,566 87,995 94,858 101,722 108,585 115,448 -------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- --------------87,996 94,859 101,723 108,586 115,449 90,954 98,049 105,143 112,237 119,332 -------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- --------------90,955 98,050 105,144 112,238 119,333 93,925 101,251 108,577 115,903 123,229 -------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- --------------93,926 101,252 108,578 115,904 123,230 97,732 105,355 112,978 120,601 128,224 -------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- --------------97,733 105,356 112,979 120,602 128,225 101,540 109,460 117,380 125,300 133,220 -------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- --------------2012 Poverty Level (FPL) effective January 26, 2012

Sliding Fee Scale for __________ Coalition effective _________

Sliding Fee Scale for

Miami-Dade/Monroe

80

Coalition

Effective date

Florida's Office of Early Learning Fee Schedule SIMPLIFIED SLIDING FEE SCHEDULE DAILY FEE

------- Annual Gross Income - Number of persons in Family -------

========= =======

Full-Time Part-Time --------------- -----------1.10 0.55 up to 50% 2.20

1.10

4.40

2.20

6.05

3.03

6.33

3.17

7.42

3.71

7.70

3.85

MONROE COUNTY

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 ------------ -------------- ------------- ------------ ------------- ------------- -------------- ------------- ------------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5,585 7,565 9,545 11,525 13,505 15,485 17,465 19,445 21,425 23,405 25,385 27,365 29,345 31,325 33,305

50-100% FPL

5,586 11,170

7,566 15,130

9,546 19,090

11,526 23,050

13,506 27,010

15,486 30,970

17,466 34,930

19,446 38,890

21,426 42,850

23,406 46,810

25,386 50,770

27,366 54,730

29,346 58,690

31,326 62,650

33,306 66,610

100-130% FPL

11,171 14,521

15,131 19,669

19,091 24,817

23,051 29,965

27,011 35,113

30,971 40,261

34,931 45,409

38,891 50,557

42,851 55,705

46,811 60,853

50,771 66,001

54,731 71,149

58,691 76,297

62,651 81,445

66,611 86,593

130-150%FPL

14,522 16,755

19,670 22,695

24,818 28,635

29,966 34,575

35,114 40,515

40,262 46,455

45,410 52,395

50,558 58,335

55,706 64,275

60,854 70,215

66,002 76,155

71,150 82,095

76,298 88,035

81,446 93,975

86,594 99,915

150-170% FPL

16,756 18,989

22,696 25,721

28,636 32,453

34,576 39,185

40,516 45,917

46,456 52,649

52,396 59,381

58,336 66,113

64,276 72,845

70,216 79,577

76,156 86,309

82,096 93,041

88,036 93,976 99,773 106,505

99,916 113,237

170-185%FPL

18,990 20,665

25,722 27,991

32,454 35,317

39,186 42,643

45,918 49,969

52,650 57,295

59,382 64,621

66,114 71,947

72,846 79,273

79,578 86,599

86,310 93,925

93,042 101,251

99,774 106,506 108,577 115,903

113,238 123,229

185-200%FPL

20,666 22,340

27,992 30,260

35,318 38,180

42,644 46,100

49,970 54,020

57,296 61,940

64,622 69,860

71,948 77,780

79,274 85,700

86,600 93,620

93,926 101,540

101,252 109,460

108,578 115,904 117,380 125,300

123,230 133,220

Parents receiving hourly care pay up to the part time fee. Second and all additional children pay a reduced fee.

Option C

2012 Poverty Level (FPL) effective January 26, 2012

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94