Babies learn at an amazing rate and reach important new milestones every month. Baby Navigator is a free online platform that offers resources to families and providers to track and support their children’s early learning and language development.

At Baby Navigator, providers can find information, tools and charts – customized for all children of all abilities ages birth to 24 months – to track development and growth milestones. Resources include skills look books to track the development of gestures, social communication growth charts to track language development, development charts to track milestones reached and those approaching, autism signs checklists, and hundreds of video clips on how to support children’s learning in everyday moments.

Baby Navigator can help providers enhance learning experiences during this critical time in a child’s life. To learn more, click here.

The Early Learning Coalition of Osceola County will present the 2021 Leadership and Management Conference on March 25, April 1, April 8, and April 15. The conference, intended for child care owners and directors, will be held virtually online via Zoom.

Topic include:

• All About You
• Keeping Staff Motivated in Uncertain Times
• Change Management
• Speaking for Success

There are 70 spots available for each session. To reserve your spot today, click here

The Early Learning Coalition of Osceola County will host the “We are all in this together!” Practitioners Virtual Conference on Saturday, March 20. The 2021 Speaker Series will feature Jack Hartmann, Juelie Perry, and Lisa Murphy.

There will be raffled prizes valued from $25 to $500. CEUs will be provided. To register today, click here.

Help for Family- and Center-Based Child Care Businesses
With Fewer Than 20 Employees

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a forgivable loan program to help very small businesses, such as child care programs. From February 24 to March 10, 2021, only businesses with fewer than 20 employees can apply for a PPP loan.

A statement issued on February 22, 2021, Changes to PPP To Further Promote Equitable Access to Relief, includes information on the exclusive application period for PPP to help very small businesses, such as FCC educators and ECE programs.

For more information about PPP and other financial business supports, visit: Early Care and Education Providers: Taking Advantage of the New Small Business Administration Loan and Grant Programs, which includes the following information:

• Two national webinar videos to help you understand and access PPP—one video for FCC educators and one video for ECE programs.
• Several resources for small businesses to help FCC educators and ECE programs learn more about PPP and navigate the challenges created by the pandemic.

The Florida Office of Early Learning (OEL) began the Transition to Kindergarten (T2K) initiative in 2017 by providing extensive planning and collaborative opportunities between coalitions and school district staff. The goal and purpose of these collaborative efforts have been to support preschool and public school educators as they plan ways to support the transitional changes children and families face when moving from the preschool to kindergarten settings.

Using a four-pillar approach of Ready Child, Ready Family, Ready School, Ready Community, early childhood educators are better able to support this transition and increase children’s early school success.

As a part of this continued mission, OEL, in partnership with the Head Start State Collaboration Office, Early Learning Coalitions (ELCs), Florida school districts, other community stakeholders, and the Children’s Forum, will once again provide Transition to Kindergarten Regional Summits.

Save the Date!

• April 20 and 21 (North Region: Northwest Region and the Northeast Region)
• April 27 and 28 (Central Region: West Central Region and the Central Region)
• May 4 and 5 (South Region: Southwest Region, the Southeast Region and the South Region)

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES — According to 65C-22.001(6), Florida Administrative Code, all child care personnel are required to complete 40 hours of mandated training. The training must begin within the first 90 days of employment in the child care industry. These trainings can be completed in an instructor-led environment or completed online. In choosing the online option, once the student starts a course, they have 45 days to complete the course.

As we chart our way through this unprecedented time, the Department of Children and Families (DCF), Office of Child Care Regulation, continues to explore options to support the child care industry. The Department issued an EO allowing a six-month extension for the completion of competency exams. Because these exams are primarily conducted on local college campuses, which have limited availability, we are extending the deadline for completion of competency exams to May 3, 2021 and continue to work with providers on this requirement to ensure non-compliance citations will not be issued. Where feasible, Child Care Regulation will offer technical assistance to assist providers with achieving these training requirements.

In addition, Child Care Regulation has also extended the ability to allow for completion of online courses beyond the 45-day requirement. For those students who enrolled in an online class as of Jan. 28, 2020, and later, they will be allowed additional time to complete the course. The course will remain open so that students may review the materials prior to taking the competency exam. At the time of inspection, if child care personnel have not had an opportunity to complete training because of limited access to competency exams, our counselors will not monitor sub-standards 33.1 and 33.2 in facilities (8.14 and 8.16 in LFCCH). Technical assistance will be provided in order to assist with meeting this requirement.

CONDITIONS: Please note that this extension does not mean that providers should not continue pursuing these requirements. Exam locations continue to become available, and some child care personnel may need to travel to a neighboring county to complete the testing.

If you are experiencing challenges, please do not hesitate to contact your licensing counselor so that this information can be appropriately documented in your provider record.

CONTACT INFORMATION: If you have any questions or need clarification regarding this guidance, please contact the Child Care Training Information Center at 888-352-2842.

• Child Care Regulation Training Memo for Providers.pdf

Florida Prepaid College Savings Plans has launched its annual Open Enrollment with five plans starting at $45 a month, each built for flexibility and guaranteed by the State of Florida.

In a recent study conducted by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation Board, more than 90 percent of Florida parents say college is more important than ever or just as important in the wake of COVID-19.

Last year, Florida families purchased more than 50,000 plans, committing to their children’s future even as the pandemic hit.

Anyone who enrolls in a Florida Prepaid Plan during the month of March or April will save $25 on enrollment using promo code ELC2021. For more info, click myfloridaprepaid.com.

The Nemours Mobile Clinic will provide free well-child checks and vaccines at Central Florida locations – Winter Garden on Feb. 13, Apopka on Feb. 20 and March 6, Sanford on Feb. 27, Kissimmee on March 20 – for uninsured children 17 years old and younger.

Families’ income must be less than or equal to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. Call (407) 650-7715 for an appointment. Not including the COVID-19 vaccine. To learn more, click here.

Reading broadens our perspectives, introduces us to new experiences, and changes what we think is possible for our own lives. The Florida House of Representatives has partnered with Age of Learning to bring FREE access to its online digital library to every Florida child, regardless of age, income, or reading level, from now through 12/31/2021. To take advantage of this initiative, all a Floridian needs to do is visit ReadingIQ.com/newworlds and create a free account.

In addition to thousands of book titles at ReadingIQ.com, Florida’s kids will have access to the feature that helps them select books at their current reading level and provides a pathway for progress. The ReadingIQ library also contains a feature that reads the books in its library to the child. While not a replacement for parental storytime, it is a feature that can assist children whose parents cannot provide that support.

This partnership does not involve any appropriations or expenditures of any public money nor does it involve any preferences, contracts, or other benefits for Age of Learning. Instead, it is a generous act of corporate philanthropy.

First Lady Casey DeSantis announced that the theme for Black History Month in February is “Community Champions – Celebrating the Contributions of African Americans in Florida’s Communities.”

Students in grades K-3 can participate in an art contest while students in grades 4-12 can participate in an essay contest.

All entries must be received by 5 pm (ET) on Feb. 26, 2021.

For more information, visit www.FloridaBlackHistory.com