The December 2023 edition of the Florida Division of Early Learning Parents’ Pages looks at holiday learning with your kids, preparing for VPK Open Enrollment and more, click here.

MyACCESS is a portal where Floridians can get and manage benefits online. This includes food assistance (SNAP) formerly food stamps, cash aid (TCA), and affordable health coverage (Medicaid)

The next time you need to manage your food assistance, temporary cash assistance (TANF), or Medicaid, go to MyACCESS.myflfamilies.com and set up your new account.

If you are having trouble setting up your new account, the Florida Department of Children and Families’ YouTube channel has a playlist of “how to” videos to help, click here.

Community Coordinated Care for Children is committed to strengthening our communities and families. It’s our belief that every child deserves a bright and successful future. We produce this newsletter as part
of 4C’s mission to be a community leader in providing high-quality services that improve the lives of children and families.

Safe Toys and Gifts Awareness Month
When it comes to toys and gifts, it’s important to consider the safety and age range of the toys. Prevent Blindness America has declared December as Safe Toys and Gifts Awareness Month. The group encourages everyone to consider whether the toys they wish to give suits the age and individual skills and abilities of the individual child who will receive it, especially for infants and children under age 3. This holiday season (and beyond), consider the following guidelines for choosing safe toys for all ages, click here.

Family Time and Learning Tips for the Holidays
During the holidays, it’s important to keep learning and quality time at the top of the list while children are home on break from school. Research shows that families who spend quality time together and connect activities at home to what children are learning in school have a stronger emotional bond and better communication. These kids do better in school. The holiday season also provides a great chance to expose children to new ideas and information. You can reinforce skills and knowledge. Encourage creativity, which supports their success in school. For some ideas to mix quality time with learning, click here.

National Handwashing Awareness Week
Personal hygiene begins and ends with our hands. And though we’re taught as youngsters to wash our hands before dinner, it’s important to remember that germs don’t care what time of day it is. Clean hands prevent sickness. So it’s especially important to learn the basics about hand hygiene so that you, too, can become a champion hand washer. For handy tips and information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in honor of National Handwashing Awareness Week, which takes place each year during the first full week of December, click here.

EVENTS CALENDAR

Here are upcoming free, family-friendly events in Central Florida:

Thursday, November 30
Oviedo Holiday Tree Lighting, Center Lake Park, 5 p.m.

Friday, December 1
Orlando Tree Lighting Celebration, Lake Eola Park, 5 p.m.
Winter on the Avenue, Central Park, Winter Park, 5 p.m.
Free Movie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Bill Breeze Park, Ocoee, 6 p.m.
Light Up Winter Garden, Winter Garden City Hall, 6 p.m.
St. Cloud Tree Lighting, St. Cloud City Hall, 6 p.m.
Apopka Tree Lighting, Kit Land Nelson Park, 6 p.m.
Light Up Sanford, Magnolia Square Fountain, 6:30 p.m.
Free Movie, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Central Park, Winter Park, 7 p.m.

Saturday, December 2
Winter Park Christmas Parade, Park Avenue, 9 a.m.
Winter Garden Christmas Parade, South Dillard Street and Plant Street, 10 a.m.
Avalon Park Christmas Parade & Festival, noon
Longwood Christmas Parade, Ronald Reagan Boulevard, 3 p.m.
Winter Wonderland Parade, Winter Springs Town Center, 4 p.m.
Light Up the Holidays, Cranes Roost Park, Altamonte Springs, 5 p.m.
Season of Lights, Lake Lily Park, Maitland, 5 p.m.
Casselberry Tree Lighting, Lake Concord Park, 5 p.m.
Oviedo Christmas Parade, Oviedo Boulevard, 6 p.m.

Friday, December 8
Free Movie, The Grinch!, Meadow Woods Park, Orlando, 3 p.m.
Free Movie, The Polar Express, Lake Eola Park East Lawn, Orlando, 7 p.m.

Saturday, December 9
Health Fair, Engelwood Neighborhood Center, Orlando, 9 a.m.
Apopka Christmas Parade, 10 a.m.
Festival of Lights, Kissimmee Lakefront Park, 3 p.m.
Parade of Lights, Downtown Sanford, 6 p.m.
Free Movie, The Grinch!, Magnolia Park, Apopka, 6 p.m.
Violectric Holiday Show, Lake Eola Park Amphitheater, Orlando, 7 p.m.

Sunday, December 10
Free Family Funday, Mennello Museum of American Art, Orlando, noon.

Friday, December 15
Free Movie, Elf, Lake Eola Park East Lawn, Orlando, 7 p.m.
Free Movie, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Reiter Park, Longwood, 7 p.m.
Free Movie, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Audubon Park Garden District, Orlando, 7 p.m.

Saturday, December 16
Open House, Orlando Fire Department Station 8, 9 a.m.
Party with Santa, Valencia College Poinciana Campus, Kissimmee, 3 p.m.

Friday, December 22
Free Movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Lake Eola Park East Lawn, Orlando, 7 p.m.

Saturday, December 23
Holiday Drone Show, Lake Eola Park, Orlando, 8 p.m.

For more events, check out the 4C Community Calendar, click here.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Local public libraries offer a variety of events such as story times. Use these links to learn more about the offerings available to your family:

• Orange County Library System, click here.
• Osceola Library System, click here.
• Seminole County Public Library, click here.
• Winter Park Library, click here.
• Maitland Library, click here.

EARLY LEARNING RESOURCES

School Readiness
The Florida School Readiness Program offers financial assistance to low-income families for early education and care. We are actively enrolling children ages birth to 12 years old. To learn more, click here.

Head Start/Early Head Start
The 4C Head Start and Early Head Start programs promote school readiness and child development for eligible low-income families with children from birth to 5 years old, click here.

Voluntary PreKindergarten
VPK is free of charge to all 4-year-old children in Florida regardless of family income. The high-quality learning opportunity builds a strong academic structure. Now Enrolling. To learn more, click here.

Child Care Resource & Referral
Finding the right child care setting is an important decision. Trained CCR&R Specialists can locate quality child care based on your family’s needs, click here.

Neighborhood Centers for Families
NCF is made up of non-profits, agencies, churches, and groups that work together to provide family-friendly accessible services and activities to Orange County families, click here.

Parents’ Pages
Get tips, strategies, and child development information from the Florida Division of Early Learning monthly newsletter, click here.

Sign up for the monthly 4C Family Newsletter alerts and other
timely information about resources and services. To subscribe, click here.

Learn about Family Engagement Month, New Worlds Reading Initiative and more inside the November 2023 edition of the Florida Division of Early Learning Parents’ Pages, click here.

Community Coordinated Care for Children is committed to strengthening
our communities and families. It’s our belief that every child deserves
a bright and successful future. We produce this newsletter as part
of 4C’s mission to be a community leader in providing
high-quality services that improve the lives of children and families.

Florida Family Engagement in Education Month
November is Florida Family Engagement in Education Month, a time to celebrate the crucial role parents and families play in their children’s education. When schools work together with families to support learning, children are more motivated to succeed, not just in school, but throughout life. The Florida Department of Education recognizes the vital role that schools and families play throughout a child’s educational journey. Here are several Florida Family Engagement in Education resources for families:

• Five Roles Families Play to Accelerate Student Learning, click here.
• Florida Students: Educational Resources for Learning, click here.
• Just Read, Families!, click here.
• Staying Healthy and Active with Virtual and At-Home Learning, click here.

Family Engagement at Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving for some families is a time to enjoy being together or to share a festive meal with extended family.  Cooking with your child is a wonderful way to teach some of the following skills: 

• Fine Motor Skills: Using their hands to stir, mix or combine ingredients.  
• Social and Emotional Development: Giving them a sense of belonging while you cook together.  
• Language and Literacy: Giving them an opportunity to listen and follow directions 
• Mathematical Thinking: Exploring and measuring ingredients. 

For more information, click here.

EVENTS CALENDAR

Here are upcoming free, family-friendly events in Central Florida:

Wednesday, October 25
Halloween Spooktacular, Washington Park Branch Library, 4 p.m.
Rock O’Ween Festival, Rock Lake Neighborhood Center, Orlando, 6 p.m.

Thursday, October 26
Halloween Spooktacular, Southeast Branch Library, Orlando, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 28
Trick or Treat Safe Zone, Orlando Public Library, 10 a.m.
Halloween in the Park, Kit Land Nelson Park, Apopka, 10 a.m.
Spooktacular Candy Bash, Goldenrod Recreation Center, Winter Park, noon.
Mr. Richard Concert, Orlando Public Library, 1 p.m.
Free Movie, Ghostbusters, Lake Eola Park, Orlando, 4 p.m.
Fall-o-Ween Festival, Independence Square, Maitland, 5:30 p.m.
Free Movie, Goosebumps 2 – Haunted Halloween, Barnett Park, Orlando, 7 p.m.

Monday, October 30
Halloween Spooktacular, Hiawassee Branch Library, Orlando, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, October 31
Halloween Spooktacular, Windermere Branch Library, Windermere, 4 p.m.

Friday, November 3
Downtown Street Party, Independence Square, Maitland, 9 p.m.
Free Movie, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Independence Park, Winter Garden, 7 p.m.

Saturday, November 4
Fall Fiesta, Lake Eola Park, Orlando, 10 a.m.
Great Outdoors Day, Lakefront Park, St. Cloud, 10 a.m.
Free Movie, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Capehart Park, Orlando, 7 p.m.

Sunday, November 5
Fall Fiesta, Lake Eola Park, Orlando, 10 a.m.

Monday, November 6
Story Time, Leu Gardens, Orlando, 10 a.m.

Thursday, November 9
Free Movie, Frozen, Park Avenue, Winter Park, 7 p.m.

Saturday, November 11
Great Day in the Country, Oviedo, 9 a.m.
Family Studio, Rollins Museum of Art, Winter Park, 10 a.m.
Veterans Day Parade, Downtown Kissimmee, 10 a.m.
Veterans Day Parade, Downtown Orlando, 11 a.m.
Free Movie, Elemental, West Orange Trail-Chapin Station, Winter Garden, 2 p.m.

Sunday, November 12
Free Family Funday, Mennello Museum, Orlando, noon.

Friday, November 17
Free Movie, Grease, Center Lake Park, Oviedo, 5 p.m.
Free Movie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Bill Breeze Park, Ocoee, 6 p.m.
Free Movie, The Super Mario Bros, Movie, Reiter Park, Longwood, 7 p.m.

Saturday, November 18
Free Movie, Elemental, Little Econ Greenway Trail at Blanchard Park, Orlando, 2 p.m.
Jingle Eve, Gaston Edwards Park, Orlando, 4:30 p.m.
Free Movie, Independence Square, Maitland, 6 p.m.

Thursday, November 30
Holiday Tree Lighting, Center Lake Park, Oviedo, 5 p.m.

For more events, check out the 4C Community Calendar, click here.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Local public libraries offer a variety of events such as story times. Use these links to learn more about the offerings available to your family:

• Orange County Library System, click here.
• Osceola Library System, click here.
• Seminole County Public Library, click here.
• Winter Park Library, click here.
• Maitland Library, click here.

EARLY LEARNING RESOURCES

School Readiness
The Florida School Readiness Program offers financial assistance to low-income families for early education and care. We are actively enrolling children ages birth to 12 years old. To learn more, click here.

Head Start/Early Head Start
The 4C Head Start and Early Head Start programs promote school readiness and child development for eligible low-income families with children from birth to 5 years old, click here.

Voluntary PreKindergarten
VPK is free of charge to all 4-year-old children in Florida regardless of family income. The high-quality learning opportunity builds a strong academic structure. Now Enrolling. To learn more, click here.

Child Care Resource & Referral
Finding the right child care setting is an important decision. Trained CCR&R Specialists can locate quality child care based on your family’s needs, click here.

Neighborhood Centers for Families
NCF is made up of non-profits, agencies, churches, and groups that work together to provide family-friendly accessible services and activities to Orange County families, click here.

Parents’ Pages
Get tips, strategies, and child development information from the Florida Division of Early Learning monthly newsletter, click here.

Sign up for the monthly 4C Family Newsletter alerts and other timely information about resources and services. To subscribe, click here.

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a national initiative that focuses on fostering strong early literacy skills in children, beginning at birth, by encouraging caregivers to read 1,000 books to their child by the time they enter kindergarten. This challenge is for caregivers of early learners, ages birth to 6 years old, who are Orange County residents. To learn more from the Orange County Library System, click here.

FAST Star Early Literacy information, Head Start Awareness Month and more inside the October 2023 edition of the Florida Division of Early Learning Parents’ Pages, click here.

Community Coordinated Care for Children is committed to strengthening our communities
and families. It’s our belief that every child deserves a bright and successful future. We produce
this newsletter as part of 4C’s mission to be a community leader in providing
high-quality services that improve the lives of children and families.

Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is unique in that it crosses over two months, celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. This time period was chosen because it includes Independence Day celebrations for Belize, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua. Even if your family isn’t from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central or South America, you can still celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Children build respect and curiosity when they learn about other cultures. For eight ways children can celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, click here.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby younger than 1 year old.  Most SIDS deaths are associated with sleep, which is why it’s sometimes still called “crib death.” October is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month. A safe sleep environment can help reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death, such as suffocation. To learn more, click here.

Head Start Awareness Month
October is Head Start Awareness Month, and it aims to spread awareness about a crucial program that benefits millions of families in the United States. Head Start assists children in low-income families by providing a framework to meet their social, emotional, psychological, nutritional, and health needs. Children are given a boost until the age of 5, easing the pressure on their families. To learn more about Head Start and Early Head Start, click here.

EVENTS CALENDAR

Here are upcoming free, family-friendly events in Central Florida:

Monday October 2
Story Time, Leu Gardens, Orlando, 10 a.m. 

Tuesday, October 3
National Night Out, Candyland Park, Longwood, 5:30 p.m.
National Night Out, Downtown Pavilion, Winter Garden, 6 p.m.

Thursday, October 5
Community Resource Fair, Orange County Corrections, Orlando, 9 a.m.
Story Time, Healthy West Orange Arts & Heritage Center, Oakland, 10 a.m.
Hispanic Heritage Celebration, Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, 6 p.m.

Friday, October 6
Mr. Richard Concert, Infusion Tearoom, Orlando, 10 a.m.
Free Movie, The Super Mario Bros., Kissimmee Lakefront Park, 5:30 p.m.
Downtown Street Party, Independence Square, Maitland, 6 p.m.

Saturday, October 7
Family Fishing Event, Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, Winter Park, 7:30 p.m.
Autumn Art Festival, Central Park, Winter Park, 9 a.m.
Fall Family Day, Art & History Museums of Maitland, 10 a.m.

Sunday, October 8
Autumn Art Festival, Central Park, Winter Park, 9 a.m.
Free Family Funday, Mennello Museum of American Art, Orlando, noon.

Tuesday, October 10
Mr. Richard Concert, Chick-fil-A Waterford Lakes, Orlando, 6 p.m.

Thursday, October 12
Free Movie, The House on Haunted Hill, Central Park, Winter Park, 8 p.m.

Friday, October 13
Reeves Center Fall Festival, Reeves Center, Orlando, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 14
Avalon Park Oktoberfest, Downtown Avalon Park, Orlando, 5 p.m.

Friday, October 20
Free Movie, Goosebumps 2 – Haunted Halloween, Cypress Grove Park, Orlando, 7 p.m.

Saturday, October 21
Trunk or Treat, Children’s Safety Village, Orlando, 11 a.m.
Halloween Spooktacular, Alafaya Branch Library, Orlando, 2 p.m.
Trunk or Treat, Reiter Park, Longwood, 3 p.m.

Sunday, October 22
Mr. Richard Concert, Barber Park, Orlando, noon.

Tuesday, October 24
YMCA Trunk or Treat, Downtown Orlando YMCA, 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, October 25
Halloween Spooktacular, Washington Park Branch Library, 4 p.m.

Thursday, October 26
Halloween Spooktacular, Southeast Branch Library, Orlando, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 28
Halloween in the Park, Kit Land Nelson Park, Apopka, 10 a.m.
Spooktacular Candy Bash, Goldenrod Recreation Center, Winter Park, noon.
Mr. Richard Concert, Orlando Public Library, 1 p.m.
Fall-o-Ween Festival, Independence Square, Maitland, 5:30 p.m.

Monday, October 30
Halloween Spooktacular, Hiawassee Branch Library, Orlando, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, October 31
Halloween Spooktacular, Windermere Branch Library, Windermere, 4 p.m.

For more events, check out the 4C Community Calendar, click here.

PUBLIC LIBRARY OPPORTUNITIES

Local public libraries offer a variety of events such as story times. Use these links to learn more about the offerings available to your family:

• Orange County Library System, click here.
• Osceola Library System, click here.
• Seminole County Public Library, click here.
• Winter Park Library, click here.
• Maitland Library, click here.

EARLY LEARNING RESOURCES

School Readiness
The Florida School Readiness Program offers financial assistance to low-income families for early education and care. We are actively enrolling children ages birth to 12 years old. To learn more, click here.

Head Start/Early Head Start
The 4C Head Start and Early Head Start programs promote school readiness and child development for eligible low-income families with children from birth to 5 years old, click here.

Voluntary PreKindergarten
VPK is free of charge to all 4-year-old children in Florida regardless of family income. The high-quality learning opportunity builds a strong academic structure. Now Enrolling. To learn more, click here.

Child Care Resource & Referral
Finding the right child care setting is an important decision. Trained CCR&R Specialists can locate quality child care based on your family’s needs, click here.

Neighborhood Centers for Families
NCF is made up of non-profits, agencies, churches, and groups that work together to provide family-friendly accessible services and activities to Orange County families, click here.

Parents’ Pages
Get tips, strategies, and child development information from the Florida Division of Early Learning monthly newsletter, click here.

Sign up for the monthly 4C Family Newsletter alerts and other timely
information about resources and services. To subscribe, click here.

Now enrolling Head Start and Early Head Start a free early childhood education program. Access online application with QR Code or visit us on Walk-In Wednesday.

Tips for Talking with your Preschooler, Tips for a Successful School Year and more inside the September 2023 edition of the Florida Division of Early Learning Parents’ Pages, click here.