Required State of Florida Training
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Early Childhood Professional Organizations & Resources
State of Florida Early Childhood Standards
Inclusion & Special Education Resources
Blogs/On-line Discussions
Universities/Colleges/Technical Institutes
Public/Private Universities and Colleges in South Florida offering degrees and courses in early childhood education
Consumer Warnings
Gold Seal/Accreditation
Training and Training Calendars
Community Health Resources
Required State of Florida Training(Back to top)
Career Advisors Core Competencies These core competencies establish the framework that supports the professional development of Career Advisors who work with early childhood practitioners throughout the state of Florida.
Practitioner Core Competencies The Florida Core Competencies for Early Care and Education Practitioners is a set of knowledge and skill standards that define what early care and education practitioners that work directly with children should know and be able to do in order to facilitate child growth and development and partner effectively with families. The core competencies include expectations across a continuum of training, education, and experience, ranging from the entry-level practitioner to practitioners with degrees, certifications, and extensive experience. The identification of a core body of knowledge, defining the content knowledge expectations for those working in the profession, is a crucial and foundational component to the development and implementation of a professional development system in Florida.
Trainer Core Competencies The Trainer-Training Standards, an outgrowth of the Core Competencies for the Early Care and Education Workforce, ensure that professional development workshops address these competencies through quality instruction that focuses on the needs of the early child care and education workforce and the goals of their programs.
Scholarships and Financial Aid(Back to top)
Bright Futures Scholarships The Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) State Programs, within the Florida Department of Education, administers a variety of postsecondary educational state-funded grants and scholarships, and provides information to students, parents, and high school and postsecondary professionals.
Broward College Office of Financial Aid
Early Learning Coalition of Broward County, Inc. The Early Learning Coalition of Broward County offers three types of scholarships on a first-come, first-serve basis: (1) College Scholarships; (2) National Child Development Association (CDA) Credential Scholarships; and (3) In-service Professional Development Scholarships.
Federal Student Aid
Financial Aid Home Page
Financial Aid Information
Financial Aid, Scholarship Information on Colleges
Florida Atlantic University Office of Financial Aid
Loans, Scholarships
Minority Teacher Financial Aid
Scholarship Search
TEACH Provides college scholarships to child care professionals to help them earn early childhood credentials and degrees.
The Hope Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit Education credits you can subtract in full from your federal income tax, not just deduct from your taxable income.
US Dept. of Post Secondary Education
Early Childhood Professional Organizations & Resources(Back to top)
Center for the Child Care Workforce Is to improve the quality of early care and education for all children by promoting policy, research and organizing that ensure the early care and education workforce is well-educated, receives better compensation and a voice in their workplace.
Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning Is focused on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5. CSEFEL is a national resource center funded by the Office of Head Start and Child Care Bureau for disseminating research and evidence-based practices to early childhood programs across the country.
Child Care and Early Education Research Connections Offers a comprehensive, up-to-date, and easy-to-use collection of more than 20,000 resources from the many disciplines related to child care and early education.
Child Care Law Center Based in San Francisco, CA is a national nonprofit legal services organization that uses legal tools to make high quality, affordable child care available to every child, every family, and every community.
Child Welfare Information Gateway Connects child welfare and related professionals to comprehensive information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. We feature the latest on topics from prevention to permanency, including child abuse and neglect, foster care, and adoption.
ChildCareExchange Makes available high-quality print products – magazines, books, and training materials – for the field, while expanding its digital offerings. Free articles are available to view online.
Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting CEEP provides publications and information to the worldwide early childhood and parenting communities.
Colorín Colorado’s A website site filled with useful information, strategies, activities, and resources for all teachers of ELLs, whether you are an ESL teacher or a content area teacher with one or two English learners in your class. Although many of the activities have been designed for children in PreK-3.
Creating Environments
Early Childhood and Parenting (ECAP) Collaborative
Early Childhood Development Approaches to learning, creative arts, language & communication, literacy, mathematics, science, physical health, and social/emotional development.
Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) An information resource for Head Start and Early Head Start communities, and other early childhood entities. The site contains information on OHS priorities, policies, and programs, and tips and promising practices on early childcare topics including child development, early math, science and literacy, and health.
Early Childhood Research & Practice
Early Childhood Today - Scholastic Is a free, online magazine that gives early childhood educators access to advice, teaching strategies, and appropriate practice guidelines from prominent early-childhood experts, answers to questions about classroom management, behavior issues, developmental expectations and much more.
Earlychildhood NEWS
Florida Women's Business Center (FWBC) is an entrepreneur resource center dedicated to assisting women in achieving their dreams by helping them start, grow and run successful businesses. The FWBC's primary focus is to provide training, counselling, mentoring, resources, referrals, and support to women entrepreneurs.
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership At National Louis University is dedicated to building the leadership capacity of the early childhood workforce. The activities of the McCormick Center encompass four areas: professional development, evaluation, research, and public awareness.
National Academy Press Library Created by the National Academies to publish the reports issued by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council, all operating under a charter granted by the Congress of the United States. The NAP publishes more than 200 books a year on a wide range of topics in science, engineering, and health, capturing the most authoritative views on important issues in science and health policy. A complete section on early childhood topics is available.
National Association for the Education of Young Children website has an area on-line that contains an archive of selected articles and columns that were published in Young Children or exclusively online. Additionally, on the website, Teaching Young Children (TYC), a magazine for preschool educators, can be found. This is a collection of ready-to-use training outlines that suggest ways to build on the content of articles and implement new strategies in the classroom.
National Development Council NSDC, provides a number of services and resources to staff developers, school improvement teams, and other educational leaders. Publications include the Journal of Staff Development, the Developer, and the Innovator. In addition to print materials, NSDC also offers video and audio materials and sponsors conferences and workshops on leading school change and improvement.
National Institute for Early Education (NIEER) conducts and communicates research to support high-quality, effective early childhood education for all young children. Such education enhances their physical, cognitive, and social development, and subsequent success in school and later life.
National Women's Law Center Has expanded the possibilities for women and girls in this country. We have succeeded in getting new laws on the books and enforced; litigating ground-breaking cases all the way to the Supreme Court, and educating the public about ways to make laws and public policies work for women and their families
Parents as Teachers
PBS Teachers Provides high-quality preK-12 educational resources. Here you'll find classroom materials suitable for a wide range of subjects and grade level, lesson plans, teaching activities, on-demand video assets, and interactive games and simulations. These resources are correlated to state and national educational standards and are tied to PBS' award-winning on-air and online programming like NOVA, Nature, Cyberchase, Between the Lions and more.
Pew Center on the States: Pre-K Now Completed its 10-year campaign to advance high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten for all three- and four-year-olds in 2011. Through its successes, Pre-K Now changed the national conversation about pre-k education, and in its final report, challenged the nation’s policy makers to transform public education by moving away from the current K-12 system to pre-K-12.
Planning and Curriculum
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBS) and Supports has been established by the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education to give schools capacity-building information and technical assistance for identifying, adapting, and sustaining effective school-wide disciplinary practices.
Promising Practices Network PPN) is a group of individuals and organizations who are dedicated to providing quality evidence-based information about what works to improve the lives of children, families, and communities.
RAND Research on children covers the prenatal period up to age 18 and includes areas such as child health and the role of the family unit, neighborhoods, and communities in influencing child well-being. RAND's family-focused research covers additional topics such as marriage and divorce, senior care, and family finances
The Early Care and Education Consortium A non-profit alliance of America's leading providers of quality early learning programs. Consortium members operate more than 7,500 licensed centers in every state, caring for and educating over one million children every day across the country. The Early Care and Education Consortium is an advocacy voice for child care providers as policies for child care and early learning develop and change across the country.
The Educational Resources Information Center, Clearing House on Early Childhood Education A national information system designed to provide ready access to an extensive body of education-related literature. The CEEP clearinghouse provides a variety of services and products that can help users stay up to date on a broad range of education-related issues. Products and services include research syntheses, electronic journals, online directories, reference and referral services, and document delivery.
ZERO TO THREE A national, nonprofit organization that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.
State of Florida Early Childhood Standards(Back to top)
Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for Four-Year-Olds (2011)
Sample Lesson Plans Based on the Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for Four-Year-Olds (2011)
Inclusion & Special Education Resources(Back to top)
ACC Institute A not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to people who rely on alternative or augmentative communication.
Alliance for Technology Access Provides information and support services to adults and children with disabilities using standard, assistive, and information technologies.
Assistive Technology Educational Network of Florida
Assistive Technology Training On Line Project free information and tutorials on using assistive technology devices.
Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL Is focused on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5. CSEFEL is a national resource center funded by the Office of Head Start and Child Care Bureau for disseminating research and evidence-based practices to early childhood programs across the country.
Children’s Disabilities Information Website was created to help parents of children with special needs. Articles and resources on topics related to special education and disabilities can be viewed. The Children's Disabilities Information website has a special focus on the special needs of preemies and young adoptees.
Division of Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children
Family Center on Technology and Disability
Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS)
Florida Directory of Early Childhood Services a statewide information and referral service for families, service coordinators and other professionals who work with children and youth, birth to age 21 years who are at risk for developmental delays, or have disabilities and/or special health care needs.
Florida Program-Wide PBS Project Is funded by the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council to support the development of demonstration sites for program-wide adoption of the Pyramid Model. This project will provide training and technical assistance to five program-wide adoption sites that are competitively selected to launch their program-wide effort.
Florida's Office of Early Learning
Frank Graham Porter Child Development Institute, CONNECT Has developed web-based modules on effective research-based practices to help providers who serve young children with disabilities.. Each CONNECT Module focuses on a discrete practice in a key content area (e.g., inclusion, family-professional partnerships, transition) and is organized around the 5-Step Learning CycleTM.
Gold Coast Down Syndrome Broward
Inclusion Services for Broward Providers The Warm-Line is a local service that provides assistance and consultation regarding challenging behaviors, developmental disability and special needs issues to providers. Providers Call in Warm-Line Questions to the Inclusion Specialist at 954-724-7540.
National Easter Seal Society assists more than one million children and adults with disabilities and their families annually through a nationwide network of more than 450 service sites. Each center provides top-quality, family-focused and innovative services tailored to meet the specific needs of the particular community it serves.
National Professional Development Center on ASD Has developed foundational information on Autism Spectrum Disorders including recommended and evidence-based practices for early identification and diagnosis, as well as for intervention and education. The National Professional Development Center is making the content of this online course available to increase knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorders and the challenges individuals with ASD encounter. Content material for each session can be downloaded as narrative readings.
SpecialQuest Group Provides responsive services to achieve successful and enduring professional development and systems change for high quality Early Childhood Education and inclusion of young children with disabilities and their families. Multimedia Training Library on this website are provided at no cost with funding from the Office of Head Start.
Technical Assistance and Training System TATS, is a statewide project which supports programs serving prekindergarten children with disabilities by providing technical assistance and training. This support promotes high quality programs leading to positive outcomes for children and their families. Primary recipients of services are coordinators for programs serving prekindergarten (Pre-K) children with disabilities in each of Florida's 67 school districts. TATS also works with school district early childhood partners such as Head Start, community child care programs, Early Learning Coalitions which oversee Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) programs, and Early Steps.
Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children (TACSEI) takes the research that shows which practices improve the social-emotional outcomes for young children with, or at risk for, delays or disabilities and creates free products and resources to help decision-makers, caregivers, and service providers apply these best practices in the work they do every day.
The Circle of Inclusion A web site for early childhood service providers and families of young children with disabilities. This web site offers demonstrations of and information about the effective practices of inclusive educational programs and using tools for implementing inclusive practices for children from birth through age eight.
The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council
UM-NSU CARD A comprehensive outreach and support program serving people with autism and related disabilities.
Blogs/On-line Discussions(Back to top)
Beach Center Blog Early Childhood Family Support- A community of practice blog on supporting families of children with disabilities, Birth to Eight.
Discount School Supply Host to eleven different blogs on subjects related to early childhood education and care.
Early Childhood This blog is concerned with policy issues and practices relevant to the field of early childhood studies. It is hoped that it will be of interest to students, researchers and practitioners alike.
Early Childhood Focus Provides parents, early childhood professionals, policy-makers, and advocates with the latest early childhood news from around the country. Subscribers receive weekly news alerts on hot topics in the early childhood field.
Early Ed Watch Blog Early Education Watch provides analysis, reporting, and commentary on early education, with a focus on policies that affect children´s access to high-quality, aligned educational programs from ages 3 through 8.
MADBlog A project of the education department of the Museum of Arts and Design. The goal of the site is to provide a forum for information and conversation on a broad range of topics, including education in a museum setting.
NAEYC The National Association for Young Children is host to a blog dedicated to best practices in the field.
Online Discussions at the McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership The center hosts a series of online discussions moderated by nationally recognized early childhood experts. These online discussions are open to the public.
Ready 4 K A non-profit organization in St. Paul, MN dedicated to making sure all kids enter kindergarten fully prepared for learning success. The blog provides tips on getting children school ready and a perspective on current early childhood news.
Strengthening the Family Provides a discussion blog and resources for Family Home Providers.
Transforming Our Community’s Health (TOUCH) Initiative is a true collaborative effort among more than 30 community organizations and coalitions that support efforts to reduce health disparities and improve the health and well-being of the residents, commuters, and workers of Broward County. Topics include active living and eating healthy.
Universities/Colleges/Technical Institutes(Back to top)
Broward Technical Centers – Sheridan Technical Center Completion of the Early Childhood Education Program will result in the issuance of a Florida Department of Education Early Childhood Professional Certificate (ECPC) which is accepted for the Department of Children and Families (DCF) Staff Credential
GED information for the State of Florida
GED on-line
Listing of Florida’s Public Universities
Listing of Florida’s state colleges
On-line Learning DistanceLearn.org is operated by the Florida Distance Learning Consortium to provide access to distance learning courses and degree programs for students currently enrolled in a Florida higher education institution.
Online Schools In Florida
State of Florida Schools which provide online courses for AS Degree, Staff Credential, Director Credential and Renewal Programs
Take this quiz to see if on-line courses are right for you.
Public/Private Universities and Colleges in South Florida offering degrees and courses in early childhood education(Back to top)
Barry University – Miami Shores
Broward College
Carlos Albizu University - Miami
Florida Atlantic University (FAU)
Florida International University (FIU)
Lynn University, Boca Raton
Miami Dade College
Nova Southeastern University
Palm Beach State College
University of Miami
Consumer Warnings(Back to top)
Commission for Independent Education Consumers must remain vigilant as they pursue their education. There are many quality institutions of higher education in Florida, but some may offer a better match than others. How do you know which to choose? Information, published by the Commission for Independent Education, an agency of the Florida Department of Education, is designed to help you ask the right questions, know where to find the answers, know what you are getting into, and to make the decision that is best for your future. They may also be able to confirm whether those in other states are recognized.
Top Warning Signs of an Education Scam, Diploma Mill or Fake Degree
US government On this website, Prepare For My Future- Diploma Mills, Accreditation - Resources and Publications, the US government offers advice when making a decision regarding which institution of higher learning is right for you.
Gold Seal/Accreditation(Back to top)
A brochure that outlines the State of Florida Gold Seal Quality Care Program Religious Exemption from Licensure, and Voluntary Pre-kindergarten accreditation requirements.
Accrediting Agency Side-By-Side Comparison
ACSI - Association of Christian Schools International
ACTS - Association of Christian Teachers and Schools
APPLE - Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment
Background Information In 1996, the Florida Legislature established the Gold Seal Quality Care program to acknowledge child care facilities and family day care homes that are accredited by nationally recognized agencies and whose standards reflect quality in the level of care and supervision provided to children. In addition, the Legislature established provisions for Gold Seal providers participating in the subsidized child care program, a.k.a. school readiness and early Learning, to receive a higher reimbursement per child, than providers not receiving a Gold Seal designation. In 1999, the Legislature revised the program to provide tax incentives through the Department of Revenue or county tax appraiser for participating in the Gold Seal Quality Care Program. Since then, the Legislature has revised the maximum amount of the reimbursement. Currently, the rate differential cannot exceed 20% above the reimbursement rate established by the local early learning coalition, a.k.a. the local school readiness coalition. In December 2004, Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) legislation was passed and signed into law. This bill requires participating child care facilities and homes to maintain quality care accreditation and higher education standards for staff. The Gold Seal Quality Care Program is an approved accreditation for child care providers to be eligible to participate in VPK. For other VPK eligibility options go to http://www.fldoe.org/earlyLearning/
COA - Council On Accreditation ( multi-site, multi-program organizations only )
NAA - National After-School Association
NAC - National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs
NAEYC - National Association for the Education of Young Children
NAFCC - National Association for Family Child Care
NCPSA - National Council for Private School Accreditation
NECPA - National Early Childhood Program Accreditation
SACS - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
UMAP - United Methodist Association of Preschools
Training and Training Calendars(Back to top)
Discount Supply Educational experts from Discount Supply come to your facility to present each workshop. Pricing is based on number of participants, length and type of workshop desired.
Family Central, Inc. For over 40 years, Family Central has played a pivotal role in the lives of South Florida families by strengthening the social, emotional and economic binds that family members have to one another, as well as to their community. The Family Central's Training Academy was established to improve the status of Early Childhood teachers in a new and creative way. Trainings have been developed that offers CEU’s to successful participants. In addition, FCCPC’s, FCCPC renewals and Director Credential renewals are courses are held.
Information regarding CEU’s and training hours Effective January 13, 2010, Continuing Education Units (CEUs) earned to renew a Staff or Director Credential must be earned from education institutions accredited and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or nationally affiliated state professional organizations. Quick Tips • 1 CEU = 10 contact hours CEUs must be approved by one of the following bodies: • regionally accredited college or university • organization approved by the International Association for Continuing Education & Training If you have any questions regarding this requirement, please call the Child Care Training Information Center at 1-888-352-2842. This requirement is listed in Rule as 65C-22.003(1) (d), Florida Administrative Code
Kaplan Professional Development Program Empowers you to customize your own training programs as part of a comprehensive professional growth and enhancement plan for you and your staff.
The Children's Services Council of Broward County (CSC) The CSC's Broward’s Training Collaborative, provides staff of organizations serving children and families within Broward County access to quality, affordable, culturally competent county wide trainings.
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) Child Care Services Program Office, is statutorily responsible for the administration of child care licensing and training throughout Florida. The purpose of this program is to ensure that children are well cared for in a safe, healthy, positive and educational environment by trained, qualified child care staff. On this website you will find the information on the mandatory training required of all child care personnel (40 hour training) from the Training Information Center.
Community Health Resources(Back to top)
A Dozen Ways to Be Healthy: Preschool Lesson Plans for the Child Care Food Program Introduction: 12 easy-to-follow lesson plans to child care providers
BMI Percentile Calculator for Child and Teen This calculator provides BMI and the corresponding BMI-for-age percentile on a CDC BMI-for-age growth chart. Use this calculator for children and teens, aged 2 through 19 years old. Healthy Weight: Assessing Your Weight: BMI: Child and Teen Calculator | DNPAO | CDC
Breastfeeding and Work
Breastfeeding and Work: A Guide for Working Mothers As more moms go back to work soon after their babies are born, they are thinking about ways to balance work and breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding Support - Is Your Center Breastfeeding Friendly? Complete the child care center self-assessment to find out if your child care center qualifies. If your center meets all six standards and has a breastfeeding policy, you may qualify to receive the Florida CCFP Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Center designation.
Breastfeeding-friendly childcare centers Breastfed babies and their moms who breastfeed them experience lasting health benefits. Providing a breastfeeding friendly atmosphere at your child care center can encourage moms to continue breastfeeding after returning to work or school.
Child Care Food Program (CCFP) The Child Care Food Program and two related programs, the Afterschool Nutrition Program and the Homeless Children Nutrition Program, are administered by the Bureau of Childcare Food Programs.
Children's BMI Tool for Schools The Children's BMI Tool for Schools is an Excel spreadsheet intended for use by school, child care, and other professionals who want to compute Body Mass Index (BMI)-for-age for a group of up to 2000 children, for example a school class room or grade. Children's BMI Tool for Schools
Infant / Child Nutrition info for parents
Infant and Child Nutrition – menu and meal pattern guidance
National Resource Center (NRC) for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education The second edition of Preventing Childhood Obesity in Early Care and Education Programs is the new set of national standards describing evidence-based best practices in nutrition, physical activity and screen time for early care and education programs (adapted from Caring For Our Children, 3rd edition).
NRC Juice Tip Sheet Give Your Kids the Best! Water keeps kids hydrated best. Replacing sweetened drinks, including 100% juice, with water is healthy and free.
NRC Motion Moments videos Motion Moments videos will show you a few simple ways to weave physical activity into your current early care and education program in either a child care center or family child care home working with infants, toddlers or preschoolers
NRC Nutrition Checklist (English)
NRC Nutrition Checklist (Español)
NRC Parents - Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Checklist Educational checklists parents can use when choosing or observing current settings at their child care setting. Parents can also use them to check what they are doing at home as well!
NRC Physical Checklist (English)
NRC Physical Checklist (Español)
NRC Toolkit to Limit Screen Time in Child Care Helpful tips for child care providers to reduce the amount of time children in your care spend in front of a screen (such as a television, computer, or mobile device). Facts on why reducing screen time can help prevent obesity in young children are included, and share them with the families of the children for whom you care. You will be instilling healthy behaviors that will influence children’s healthy choices for a lifetime.
Promoting Healthy Habits Right From the Start The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Policies, recommends that child care centers: 1) promote breastfeeding, 2) provide healthy meals and snacks that meet the Dietary Guidelines, 3) serve meals family-style to be responsive to children’s hunger and fullness cues, and 4) teach children about healthy eating and physical activity.
Why Breastfeeding is Best
Copyright © 2010 Early Learning Coalition of Broward County - info@elcbroward.org - 954-377-2188
Professional Development Scholarships
Contact Your Legislators!
Early Learning Coalition Strategic Direction
INVITATION TO NEGOTIATE
ITN Uniform Budget Forms
Response to ITN Questions 2-15-13
INVITATION TO NEGOTIATE ADDENDUM 1
Response to ITN Questions 2-19-13
ITN EVALUATION PROCESS AND TOOL
Questions for ELC-3 Responders
Respone to ITN ELC 3 Child Screening Questions 4/11/13
ITN SCores for ELC 3 & 4