The March 2024 edition of the Florida Division of Early Learning Parents’ Pages looks at Spring into Healthy Eating Habits, Selecting a Summer Camp and more, click here.
PreKindergarten Family Guide
The Division of Early Learning works to prepare Florida’s children for a successful future by providing tools to support families. Check out the PreKindergarten Family Guide for everyday activities that support learning, click here.
School Readiness Family Newsletter | March 2024
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, providing
high-quality services that improve the lives of children and families.
National Nutrition Month
An annual nutrition education and information campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the National Nutrition Month campaign is celebrated each year during the month of March. It focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. National Nutrition Month gives us the opportunity to learn how to make informed choices about food. Start healthy habits this month by using FDA’s tools and tips to help you make nutritious choices that last all year long, click here.
Reading Awareness Month
March is Reading Awareness Month and serves as a reminder of the importance of reading aloud to children. As a parent, you can start reading to your child at birth and continue even when they can read. Reading to your child helps you bond with them and shows that you value reading. Hearing books read is one of the best ways for your child to learn new words and increase their vocabulary as well as learn early literacy skills. For more information on Reading Awareness Month, click here.
Sing With Your Child Month
This celebration addresses the importance of singing with children. Singing with a child promotes happiness, confidence, and stronger relationships. It is a step toward oral language development. Songs are words set to music, and you share language every time you sing with children. Singing shows your child another way that words can be used. To learn more, click here.
EVENTS CALENDAR
Here are upcoming free, family-friendly events in Central Florida:
Friday, March 1
Free Movie, Transformers Rise of the Beasts, Kissimmee Lakefront Park, 5:30 p.m.
Free Movie, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Torcaso Park, Winter Springs, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 2
Home Depot Kids Workshop, 9 a.m. to noon
St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Downtown Winter Park, 9 a.m.
Fire Station Open House, Station 45, Maitland, 10 a.m.
Spring Festival, Amhurst Park, Orlando, 11 a.m.
Jazz in the Park, Cypress Grove Park, Orlando, noon.
Monday, March 4
Story Time, Leu Gardens, Orlando, 10 a.m.
Thursday, March 7
Free Movie, Young Frankenstein, Central Park, Winter Park, 7 p.m.
Friday, March 8
Free Movie, Over the Hedge, Hopkins Park, St. Cloud, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 9
Open House, Station 11, Altamonte Springs, 10 a.m.
Touch-a-Truck, Knights Plaza, UCF, noon.
Free Movie, The Little Mermaid, Independence Square, Maitland, 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 10
Free Family Funday, Mennello Museum of American Art, Loch Haven Park, Orlando, noon.
Thursday, March 14
Job Fair & Resource Event, Bithlo Neighborhood Center for Families, 9 a.m.
Friday, March 15
Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, Central Park, Winter Park, 9 a.m.
Free Movie, Elemental, Dr. P. Phillips Community Park, Orlando, 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 16
Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, Central Park, Winter Park, 9 a.m.
Free Movie, Elemental, Bear Creek Recreational Complex, Orlando, 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 17
Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, Central Park, Winter Park, 9 a.m.
Wednesday, March 20
Family Spring Festival, Apopka Zellwood Neighborhood Center for Families, 2 p.m.
Friday, March 22
Egg-citing Egg Hunt, Central Winds Park, Winter Springs, 4:30 p.m.
Celtic Festival, Downtown St. Cloud, 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 23
Easterfest, Audubon Park Church, Orlando, 9 a.m.
Kowtown Festival, Kissimmee Lakefront Park, noon.
Wednesday, March 27
Job Fair, Orlando Fairgrounds Expo Building, noon.
Saturday, March 30
Easter Egg Hunt, Downtown Historic Longwood, 9:30 a.m.
Easter in the Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Phelps Park and Ward Park, Winter Park, 10 a.m.
Easter Eggstravaganza, Bill Breeze Park, Ocoee, 11:30 a.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.
Job Fair & Resource Event on March 14
The Bithlo-Christmas Neighborhood Center for Families will host a Job Fair & Resource Event on March 14 from 9 to 11 a.m.
The event will be held at 18510 Madison Ave., Orlando. For more information and resume help, call 407-254-9400 or email psmith@goodwillcfl.org.
Family Spring Festival on March 20 in Zellwood
The Apopka Zellwood Neighborhood Center for Families will host the Family Spring Festival on March 20.
The event, that features hot dogs, games and raffles, will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. at 6565 Willow St, Zellwood. For more information, call 407-254-9430.
Oak Ridge NCF Open House on Feb. 23
Learn about the services available to Orange County residents at the Oak Ridge Neighborhood Center for Families during the Open House event on Friday, February 23.
Explore the services offered at the center and enter a raffle for a chance to win door prizes. Programs include counseling, domestic violence survivor support, employment services, English classes, food pantry, computer lab, center for independent living, and pediatric nurse practitioner.
The Open House event is from 10 a.m. to noon at 150 Amidon Lane in Orlando. For more information, call 407-850-5101.
Enroll Your 4-year-old Child in VPK
Florida offers free Voluntary PreKindergarten for all 4-year-olds regardless of family income. VPK prepares children for kindergarten and helps build a foundation for their educational success with quality programs that include age-appropriate learning experiences with an emphasis on early literacy skills and school readiness.
To register your child for VPK, visit the Family Portal, click here.
Early Learning Parents’ Pages for February 2024
The February 2024 edition of the Florida Division of Early Learning Parents’ Pages looks at Recognizing Black History Month, Learning about Florida Assessment for Student Thinking (FAST) and more. click here.
School Readiness Family Newsletter | February 2024
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.
Children’s Week Florida
February 25 to March 1
The largest event held in the state that celebrates and honors its commitment to children, youth, and advocates. What began as a single-day grassroots event is now a year-round initiative that strengthens Florida’s families and communities. Through a variety of interactive events, educational activities, and outreach efforts, Children’s Week Florida seeks to elevate the diverse needs of Florida’s children and youth to our state leaders while acknowledging their achievements. Thousands of attendees including legislators, public officials, nonprofit organizations, business leaders, child and youth advocates, teachers, students, and families attend Children’s Week Florida at the State Capitol each year during the legislative session. In addition, Children’s Week and its partners support numerous community-focused events and activities that take place across the state throughout the year. To learn more, click here.
Black History Month
The celebration was expanded to a month in 1976, the nation’s bicentennial. President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” That year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History held the first Black History Month. Since then, each American president has issued Black History Month proclamations recognizing the importance of Black history in the American story. To learn more, click here.
National Children’s Dental Health Month
This month-long national health observance reinforces the importance of oral health in children as well as helping parents with tips to keep their child’s smile on track. To learn more, click here.
EVENTS CALENDAR
Here are upcoming free, family-friendly events in Central Florida:
Friday, February 2
Free Diaper Distribution, Oak Ridge NCF, Orlando, 9 a.m.
MLK Gospel Concert, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando, 7 p.m.
Saturday, February 3
Home Depot Kids Workshop, Home Depot locations, 9 a.m.
Touch-A-Truck, Sanford Riverwalk, 10 a.m.
Thursday, February 8
Free Movie, The Princess Bride, Central Park, Winter Park, 7 p.m.
Saturday, February 10
Touch-A-Truck, Downtown Orlando, 9 a.m.
Free Movie, Love & Laughter, Waterford Lakes, Orlando, 5 p.m.
Free Movie, Barbie, Audubon Park, Orlando, 6:30 p.m.
Free Movie, Trolls World Tour, Reiter Park, Longwood, 7 p.m.
Sunday, February 11
Free Family Funday, Mennello Museum of American Art, Orlando, noon.
Friday, February 16
Free Movie, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Center Lake Park, Oviedo, 5 p.m.
Friday, February 23
Free Movie, The Little Mermaid, Lakefront Park, St. Cloud, 6 p.m.
Saturday, February 24
Fair Housing Fair, Grand Avenue Neighborhood Center, Orlando, 10 a.m.
Community Day of Love, Hopkins Park, St. Cloud, noon.
Sunday, February 25
Dragon Parade, Thornton Avenue, Orlando, 11 a.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 School Readiness Family Newsletter alerts and other timely information about resources and services. To subscribe, click here.
Are You Saving for Retirement?
It’s a good time to get started or check whether you’re taking full advantage of all your retirement savings opportunities. To learn more, click here.
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