The Florida Department of Children and Families’ new online abuse reporting feature makes it even easier to report suspected abuse.

Child care providers are required to report suspected abuse, abandonment or neglect pursuant to Section 39.201(1)(a), Florida Statutes. Individuals who file a report will receive a confirmation email saying if their report was accepted for investigation or not, as well as the I.D. of the abuse counselor that reviewed the report. To file a report online, click here.

To report an allegation in Spanish or Creole, please call 1-800-962-2873, for TTY use 711 or 1-800-955-8771. This toll free number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with counselors waiting to assist you.

The Florida Division of Early Learning (DEL)in collaboration with the Children’s Forum will host avirtual regional meetings for Joint Referral Collaboration Summit participants, on Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, from 9 a.m. to noon EDT. The meeting will be facilitated by Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System.

The second Joint Referral Collaboration summit will be held in-person and is planned for Spring 2022. This summit will allow a state-wide, cross-region assembly of local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) staff, referral agencies and key stakeholders as they continue to share ideas, methodology, goals and outcomes to bridging gaps and creating a more efficient referral process for families of children birth to five.

The summits will include, among others, CCR&R Coordinators and staff from Head Start/Early Head Start, Help Me Grow, Early Steps, Florida’s Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting, the Coalition to End Homelessness, the Department of Children and Families, Interagency Local Review Teams, and the Department of Education’s Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services and Division of Blind Services.

For more information, contact the Children’s Forum at JRC_Summit@thechildrensforum.com or DEL’s Emily Rhodes at Emily.Rhodes@oel.myflorida.com.

Free Webinar | Oct. 7, 3 p.m.

An important part of becoming a successful learner is developing the ability to regulate emotions and behaviors. Preschoolers show a growing ability to manage emotions and behaviors by using a range of coping strategies with the support of an adult.

Join this Teacher Time Series webinar to discuss the importance of emotional and behavioral self-regulation for preschoolers and learn ways teachers and family child care providers support self-regulation through responsive and teaching practices and consistent routines.

Free Webinar | Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. 

To create the next generation of critical thinkers and leaders, we must ensure that every child has a sense of influence — that they are problem solvers and decision-makers! For this to happen, educators make a difference. Children must learn in equitable settings where power is shared and all the adults define themselves as Optimistic Leaders. This interactive webinar will examine how Optimistic Leaders think impact, cultivate self-awareness, nurture relationships, refine communication, and activate curiosity to enhance their work and ensure children’s success as learners.

Objectives: 

• Understand their role as Optimistic Leaders for Children 
• Apply the five commitments of Optimistic Leadership to be more effective in their role 
• Use strategies to ensure increased equity and shared power in their settings 

For more information and register, click here. 

Join Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, as they discuss the latest updates to the CDC guidance for child care programs. As COVID-19 continues to impact our communities, child care programs have provided safe environments for young children.

The CDC will provide an overview of the latest guidance and answer common questions.

To Register, Click Here

If you have any questions, contact learnmore@usa.childcareaware.org

The Florida Division of Early Learning is proud to announce the release of several new online courses and resources. Based on the newly revised Florida Professional Developmental Standards and Key Competencies, the courses, and the online Key Competencies Resource Tab create a framework and common language for professional development and serve as a standard for decisions and practices carried out by early learning professionals.

The key competencies include expectations across a continuum of training, education, and experience, ranging from the entry-level educator to educators with degrees, certifications, and extensive experience.

The courses are five hours each with an embedded assessment. CEUs are available once the embedded assessment is successfully completed. This information will be documented on the Florida Early Childhood Professional Development Registry—Child Care Training System training transcript.

The cost is $10 for each course and participants can register through the Florida Early Childhood Professional Development Registry.

The following courses and resources are now available:

1. Online Florida Standards and Key Competencies Tab (free resource)
2. Florida Core Competencies for Early Childhood Educators
3. Florida Core Competencies for Directors and Administrators
4. Florida Core Competencies for Afterschool Educators
5. Preventing Expulsion and Suspension in Early Childhood Programs

Please address your questions to Oel.Questions@oel.myflorida.com or call 850-717-8550.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is partnering with the U.S. Department of Treasury to promote emergency rental assistance available through the American Rescue Plan Act. Many families need housing assistance to maintain stability, especially during times of uncertainty. The rental assistance will help cover rent, utilities, and other housing costs to keep residents in their homes.

Find information on rental assistance across states and counties through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) website. The CFPB website also offers resources in English and Spanish to help renters and landlords access additional financial assistance related to housing costs.

The American Rescue Act Plan Act also includes $4.5 billion in additional Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding. The funds will help families with low incomes afford home heating and cooling costs and meet unpaid electric and natural gas bills. ACF is also administering more than $1 billion in funding to assist low-income households with drinking water and wastewater bills through the newly established Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). Visit https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs for additional information.

Community Coordinated Care for Children, Inc. (4C) wants to continue supporting the child care industry by offering a DCF online class that will provide an overview of professional requirements and best practices for individuals who are entering the field of childcare in Florida before an individual completes their mandatory training.

If you are new to the child care industry and are interested in becoming an essential part of a child’s growth and development; then, you should take advantage of this opportunity that we are offering to participants who are entering the child care field. We want to support you during your educational path by offering you the Florida Child Care Personnel Orientation CCPO online course for free. (please see attachment for details and pre-requisites).

Requirements:

• It would only be for those individuals that are new to the child care industry and that have not already taken their mandatory training
• Reside in the Seminole, Orange, Osceola, or Brevard counties

Registration: Online through the DCF Training Portal at myflorida.com/childcare/training

Payment: contact the education department at 4C: 407- 532-4158 or send an email to mbello@4cflorida.org

Code: freeccpo

Registration and completion of the course must be done by August 31, 2021.

If you have questions regarding this course or need to complete your mandatory training, please feel free to contact our department at 407-532-4158 or by replying to this email. We will be glad to assist you!

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Community Coordinated Care for Children, Inc. (4C) desea continuar apoyando a la industria del cuidado infantil ofreciendo una clase en línea del DCF que brindará una descripción general de los requisitos profesionales y las mejores prácticas para las personas que ingresan al campo del cuidado infantil en Florida antes de que una persona complete sus cursos de capacitación mandatorios.

Si usted es nuevo en la industria del cuidado infantil y está interesado en convertirse en una parte esencial del crecimiento y desarrollo de un niño; entonces, debe aprovechar esta oportunidad que ofrecemos a los participantes que ingresan al campo del cuidado infantil. Queremos apoyarlo durante su camino educativo ofreciéndole el curso en línea CCPO de Orientación para el personal de cuidado infantil de Florida de forma gratuita. (consulte el anexo para obtener detalles y requisitos previos).

Requerimientos:

• Solo aplica para aquellas personas que son nuevas en la industria del cuidado infantil y que aún no han tomado su capacitación obligatoria.(40 hrs.)

• Residir en los condados de Seminole, Orange, Osceola o Brevard

Registro: en línea a través del portal de capacitación del DCF en myflorida.com/childcare/training

Pago: comuníquese con el departamento de educación 4C: 407-532-4158 o envíe un correo electrónico a mbello@4cflorida.org

Código: freeccpo

La inscripción y la finalización del curso deben realizarse antes del 31 de agosto de 2021.

Si tiene preguntas sobre este curso o necesita completar sus 40hrs. de capacitación, no dude en comunicarse con nuestro departamento al 407-532-4158 o respondiendo a este correo electrónico. Estaremos encantados de atenderle!

Here are upcoming back-to-school events in Central Florida:

Saturday, July 24

• 9 a.m.- Bithlo Community Center, 18501 Washington Ave., Orlando. For more info, click here.
• 10 a.m. – Orange County Sheriff’s Office, 2500 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando. For more info, click here.
• 11 a.m. – Dr. James R. Smith Center, 1723 Bruton Blvd., Orlando. For more info, click here.
• 3 p.m. – Goldenrod Recreation Center, 4863 N. Goldenrod Road, Winter Park. For more info, click here.

Friday, July 30

• 2 p.m. – Ivey Lane NCF, 5151 Raleigh St., Orlando. For more info, call 407-254-9491.

Wednesday, July 28

• 3 p.m. – East Orange Community Center, 12050 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando. You must register to receive items, please call (407) 254-9709 to register.

Saturday, July 31

• 9 a.m. – 1515 S. Semoran Blvd., Winter Park, For more info, call 407-751-7906.
• 9:30 a.m. – Kissimmee, UF IFAS Extension Osceola County, 1921 Kissimmee Valley Lane, Kissimmee. For more info, click here.
• 10 a.m. – St. Cloud Civic Center, 3001 17th St., St. Cloud. For more info, click here.
• 10 a.m. – Wayne Densch YMCA Family Center, 870 N. Hastings St., Orlando. For more info, click here.
• 10 a.m. – Kaley Square, 1030 Kaley Ave., Orlando. For more info, click here.
• 10 a.m. – Archie Gordan Memorial Park, 420 Buenaventura Blvd., Buena Ventura Lakes. For more info, click here.
• 10 a.m. – Meadow Woods Recreation, 1751 Rhode Island Woods Cir, Orlando. For more info, click here.
• 10 a.m. – Oak Ridge High School, 700 W. Oak Ridge Road, Orlando. For more info, click here.
• Noon – Eastland Baptist Church, 9000 Lake Underhill Road, Orlando. For more info, click here.

Tuesday, Aug. 3

• 3:30 p.m. – The Intown Suites, 5615 Major Blvd, Orlando. RSVP by Friday, July 30, call 407-226-1714. For more info, click here.

Wednesday, Aug. 4

• 5 p.m. – Oak Ridge NCF, 150 Amidon Lane, Orlando. For more info, call 407-850-5101.

Saturday, Aug. 7

• 9 a.m. – Taft NCF, 1001 4th St., Orlando. For more info, call 407-254-1960.
• 11 a.m. – I Fade Hair Studio, 5767 Edgewater Drive, Orlando. For more info, click here.
• 11 a.m. – Gilbert McQueen Park, 650 W. Lake Mann Drive, Orlando. RSVP centralcomto2020@gmail.com or 850-294-1497.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature authorized two qualified disaster relief payments to child care and early learning instructors affected by COVID in Specific Appropriation #80B of the 2021-22 General Appropriations Act (GAA) (Chapter 2021-036, Laws of Florida).

These payments are provided to qualified instructors in recognition of their continuing service and dedication to Florida’s children and families.

To learn more, click here.