Quarterly Child Care Provider Meeting

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

 AGENDA

1. Welcome & Meeting Purpose

2. Programs & Services Overview
3. Developmental Screening
4. Holidays
5. Feedback & Survey
6. Broward County Quality Counts
7. Leadership Development
 Your Family Central
• In May of 2010, the Early Learning Coalition of Broward, Inc.
(ELC) used a competitive process and selected Family
Central, Inc. to continue providing early care and education
services in Broward County.

• The ELC’s role is to develop and administer a comprehensive

school readiness program that prepares children to succeed
in school and in life. The ELC set policy, oversees contracts
and links key early care and education partners.

• The Coalition receives the majority of its funding directly from

the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation, Office of Early
Learning. The funds are then released to partners and service
providers who perform the direct services.
 Your Family Central
• Family Central provides many services for
children, families and child care providers
throughout Broward County through ELC, the
Children’s Services Council and other federal,
state, local and private funding sources.

• Please feel free to contact Khalil Zeinieh, VP of

Broward Operations if you have any feedback
about Family Central services at:
kz@familycentral.org or (954) 724-3895
Child Care Resource & Referral
• Resource & Referral is the “front door” to Broward’s child care, early
care and education system for both parents and child care
providers. (954-724-3976 PROVIDERS, 954-724-4609 PARENTS)

• Trained R&R Counselors provide information, social service needs

assessments, resources and child care referral to thousands of
parents and guardians each year.

• R&R staff also maintain and update a database of over 1,100 legally
operating child care providers in Broward County and the wait list for
financial assistance for child care which currently stands at over
10,600 children.

Ilene Gevirtz is the Director of Resource & Referral –

igevirtz@familycentral.org or (954) 724-3973
 Eligibility Determination &
Enrollment
• The EDE Department is responsible for all aspects of financial assistance
for child care. This includes federal and state School Readiness and
Voluntary Prekindergarten, and Refugee, Homeless and WorkForce One.

• Responsibilities include Service Agreements, eligibility determination for

over 17,000 children who will be in care at some time throughout the year,
eligibility redetermination, children’s enrollment at over 700 child care
centers throughout Broward County, school readiness and Voluntary
Prekindergarten attendance processing (average of 10,600 children each
month in school readiness and over 14,000 annually in VPK) and payment
to child care providers of over $80 million annually.

• Mark your calendars - Tuesday, November 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
for school readiness and VPK service/provider agreement technical training.

Gilbert Rincon is the Director of EDE –

grincon@familycentral.org or (954) 724-3888
 Voluntary Prekindergarten
• VPK is a legislatively mandated program designed to prepare every
four-year-old in Florida for kindergarten and build the foundation for
their educational success.

• The VPK program gives each child an opportunity to perform better

in school and throughout life with quality programs that include high
literacy standards, accountability, appropriate curricula, substantial
instruction periods, manageable class sizes, and qualified
instructors.

• All eligible four-year-olds are entitled to participate in one of the VPK

program options. In Broward County there are over 16,000 children
registered, 450 providers and over 1,000 VPK classrooms.

Carol Wasserman is the VP of VPK –

cwasserman@familycentral.org or (954) 724-3928
 Conference – October 15 & 16

Leadership Preconference

Friday, October 15, 2010, 7:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Rock Island Professional Development Center, Fort Lauderdale
Directors & Owners Only - $10

Broward Early Childhood Educators Conference 2010

Saturday, October 16, 2010, 7:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

Piper High School, Sunrise - $35 thru September 30, $50 on-site
 Early Care & Education
• The ECE Department focuses on early care and education quality
improvement supports for hundreds of Broward’s child care providers and
includes extensive on-site training, coaching, technical assistance, a
resource library, resource mobile and computer lab for child care providers,
accreditation assistance and other initiatives to increase child care quality
and outcomes. An Inclusion Specialist is also available to provide
assistance to providers serving children with special needs.

• The majority of ECE staff have managed, directed or worked in child care
settings.

• This year 140 child care centers and 30 family child care homes will receive
Quality Improvement Support services, technical and accreditation
assistance, training and mini-grants to improve quality.

Yanick Goutier is the Director of ECE –

ygoutier@familycentral.org or (954) 724-3995
 Early Care & Education

• Effective July 1, Family Central is no

longer doing the in-service, CDA and
college credit scholarship program. The
ELC is working with the Children’s Forum
to deliver scholarship services.
• The Training Calendar will be combined
with the CSC training calendar at:
http://training2.cscbroward.org/
 Family Support Services
• The FSS Department provides direct educational and case management
services, emergency support and prevention services to hundreds of
Broward’s families each year.

• Programs include Nurturing Parenting Program, Home Instruction for

Parents of Preschool Youngsters, Parents As Teachers, Positive Behavior
Support, Cherish The Family, ACCESS and Developmental Screening.

• Developmental Screening & Assessment (DSA) services allow for children

receiving or waiting for school readiness financial assistance to be screened
for developmental concerns. A developmental screen is a quick, easy way
to identify concerns that may warrant a full developmental evaluation.

Maria Hernandez is the Director of FSS –

mhernandez@familycentral.org or (954) 724-3828
 Nutritional Services - CCFP
• The Child Care Food Program uses federal dollars for nutritious meals and
snacks to low-income children in child care centers & family child care
homes.

• The CCFP assures that children in child care receive good nutrition through
on-site visits, group classes and ongoing technical assistance and support.

• The healthy food provided assists low-income families in meeting the

nutritional needs of their children and improves their health, social/emotional
development and ability to learn.

• By assisting child care centers and family child care home providers in
providing nutritious meals, the CCFP plays an important role in improving
the quality of these programs and in making them more affordable for low-
income parents.

Eleanor Fuhr is the Director of Nutritional Services –

efuhr@familycentral.org or (954) 724-3938
 Community for Quality Early
Learning and Literacy (C-QuELL)
• C-QuELL is an innovative project funded by the Moran Foundation
that promotes early learning and literacy by strengthening the
relationships between elementary school and child care providers in
addition to involving the community to support the education of
young children.

• The core goals of C-QuELL include; enhancing early childhood

literacy, developing common language, expectations and systems of
communication between public schools and community-based child
care programs, fostering partnerships between public schools and
community-based child care sites, involving business and
community organizations; and engaging local government in the
creation of events and activities.

Chris Sieber is the C-QuELL Director –

csieber@familycentral.org or (954) 724-4601
 Important Changes in
Developmental Screening
• Beginning July 1, the developmental screening process has
changed in Broward County as a result of a statewide initiative to
standardize the developmental screening process. The first mailings
of the ASQ forms went out in early August.

• Developmental screenings provide information on a child’s physical,

social/emotion development, language and cognitive skills, &
provide information on whether a child may have developmental
concerns that require a more thorough look and further evaluation.

• Florida statutes require that all children receiving school readiness

financial assistance be developmentally screened.
 Changes in Developmental
Screening
The Ages and Stages -3 questionnaires (ASQ) for developmental
screening and the Ages and Stages: Social Emotional (ASQ:SE) for
social-emotional screening will be utilized as the new screening
tools.

• CDS staff are working with parents to do the initial screening upon
enrollment at Family Central.

• Child care providers are responsible for completing the ASQ tools
mailed to your site for children who are due for a screening based
on enrollment or date of birth.

• If a concern is identified with the ASQ, a Level II screening is

conducted by CDS staff using the Brigance and referrals are made
for additional assessment and services as appropriate.
 Changes in Developmental
Screening

• Child Development Specialists have been visiting Provider

sites to educate you on the developmental screening
changes. We have also initiated group training for teachers.

• The Child Developmental Specialists are available to provide

your teachers training to assist them in understanding and
learning how to complete the ASQ forms.

• If you have any training needs for your site, please contact
your Child Developmental Specialist.
 Changes in Developmental
Screening

• As a reminder, ASQ forms need to be completed and returned

back to Family Central on the noted due date as stated in
your signed Service Agreement.

• If you have any questions, feel free to contact Jill Gelman,.

Developmental Screening Manager at 954-724-4081 or
jgelman@familycentral.org
 Changes in Developmental
Screening

Thank you to everyone that completed the ASQ forms and

returned them to Family Central. Family Central is extremely
pleased with the response rate we have received the first
month. You have done a great job and we truly appreciate
your cooperation.

Please let us know how the process is going and if you have
any recommendations for improvement.

Ready and willing to go on-line?

 Holiday Season at Family Central

• The holidays are fast approaching, and Family Central (FCI)

is already hard at work preparing to help! As you know, the
economic downturn has been a very difficult time and Family
Central works directly with many, many children and families
that now need our help more than ever.

• With donations down, limited Family Central staff resources

for this significant project, over 21,000 children in financially
assisted child care and on the wait list, and over 1,100 legally
operating child care providers in Broward County, this year
FCI is excited to focus its Thanksgiving food and holiday toy
distribution directly on those families it serves in its family
support programs.
 Holiday Season at Family Central

• Families enrolled in HIPPY, Nurturing, Cherish the Family and

other family support programs as of September 1, 2010, will
be eligible to receive donations.

• Availability of donations is based solely upon the generosity of

our donors, and this year FCI is reaching out to donors to ask
them to consider adopting an FCI family in need.

• FCI home visitors and coaches will gather information on

those families most in need, with hopes of matching them to a
donor who will provide the family with a Thanksgiving meal
and/or holiday gifts
 Feedback & Survey

• Please take a moment to complete the

surveys at your tables to provide us with
feedback about this and future meetings.

• Please feel free to contact Khalil Zeinieh,

VP of Broward Operations if you have any
feedback about Family Central services at:
kz@familycentral.org or (954) 724-3895
Broward County Quality Counts

• Discussion regarding Quality Counts logos

Anita Platt
Child Care Quality Supervisor
Broward County/Quality Counts
10077 NW 29th St.
Coral Springs, FL 33065
954-761-2137 - office
954-341-3918 - fax
www.broward.org/communitypartnerships/childcarelicensing
Funded by: Early Learning Coalition of Broward County, Inc. and State of Florida,
Agency for Workforce Innovation