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Florida Action Center August 10, 2010 Budget Agreed to by House and Senate; Includes Small Cut to VPK, Child Care MaintainedIn June, after discussions in conference committee, the Florida House and Senate came to an agreement on the budget for FY2011. The budget would fund Voluntary PreK (VPK) at $404.8 million. This means a per child allocation of approximately $2,562 for school year and $2,179 for summer. This is only a 0.5% reduction – big news in a very difficult budget year! The budget also maintains current funding levels for School Readiness child care subsidy. Program Standards for Florida's 4-Year-Olds Being ConsolidatedThe Department of Education's Office of Early Learning and the Agency for Workforce Innovation have announced plans to work together to develop one set of program standards for four-year-olds participating in either School Readiness or Voluntary PreK (VPK). The work will begin this summer with an anticipated release date in the spring of 2011. Click here for more details about the process and plans for keeping stakeholders informed. Dates Announced for Children's Week 2011!Mark your calendar! Children's Week 2011 will take place April 3-9 in Tallahassee! Click here for a listing of planned events! One Goal Conference Brings Providers Together from Across StateThis year's One Goal summer conference brought together over 1,000 early education and care providers and leaders from around the state to share information on best practices in the field and to build common frameworks of knowledge and understanding to assist in unified planning for young children and their families. Mary Beth Salomone Testa, ECEC’s Policy Director, was in attendance to discuss important federal policies and the connection to the work in Florida. To view her presentation, click here! Children's Week a Success Thanks to Your Stories!The week of April 12 was the 15th Annual Children’s Week, a statewide event that includes hundreds of activities and events in communities in all 67 counties in Florida as well as at the Capitol - each designed to promote the health, safety, and well-being of children and families. Early Care and Education Consortium members and staff met with state legislators to help them understand that School Readiness child care subsidy and VPK are critical to families, communities and the economy. Backing us up were powerful stories that you shared about the importance of School Readiness child care subsidy and Voluntary PreK (VPK) for families, success stories of children in the programs, and the great teachers and staff that make this happen. These stories really resonated with the legislators and brought home our message that funding for School Readiness child care subsidy and VPK must be maintained in the state budget. We encouraged supportive Representatives to use the stories in talking with their Senate colleagues (who are still proposing cuts to VPK), and urged Senators to consider the impact of their choices. Thank you for sending in stories! You helped us to make a difference in Tallahassee! Check out the stories and share them with your friends and colleagues. Photos and video highlights of Children's Week activities are also available. In the News Milk Party: A push to keep kids on the radar. The Miami Herald. August 10, 2010. State budget is dependent on lacking funding. The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville). June 27, 2010. Voluntary pre-kindergarten: Budget cuts should be fair. The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonsville). April 16, 2010. Beaches people rally against budget cuts to Florida's Voluntary Pre-K Program. The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville). April 15, 2010. Cynthia Lorenzo: Preserve Florida's investment in early learning. The Gainesville Sun. March 25, 2010. Despite growing enrollment, budget cuts would pack more kids into pre-K classes. Orlando Sentinel. March 19, 2010. Pre-K program could be headed for 'train wreck'. Orlando Sentinel. February 2, 2010. Florida Uses Recovery Act Funds for Early Learning Initiatives. Administration for Children and Families. January 2010. Federal Stimulus Money Helping With Child Care. The Florida Times-Union. October 23, 2009. Guest Commentary: Early Learning Coalition's efforts pay off for community. Naples Daily News. October 11, 2009. Thank you for all that you do for children and families! Questions? Send an email to info@ececonsortium.org Click here to return to main Action Center
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Resources NEW! School Readiness and VPK: The Real Stories of their Impact Early Care and Education in Florida: 2009 The Economic Impact of Child Care in Florida, 2003 Look up your elected officials Partners |
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