Our Story

Why We Care

We believe in early childhood education from birth to kindergarten as the foundation for success in school and throughout the entirety of life. In our eyes, early learning is one of the greatest investments we can make in our children. Education begins at birth when a new mind starts healthy growth and development. Babies who are stimulated by holding, playing, and talking develop good brain health and become naturally-strong learners. Strong learners grow up into strong adults who contribute to our future. And that’s important to all of us. 

Vision:

All children will have high-quality early learning experiences leading to success in school and life.

Mission:

Lead and support the early learning community to promote and deliver high-quality early learning experiences to young children, accessible to all eligible families in Broward County. 

Core Values:

Customer Centric: Delivering outstanding customer service to providers, families, community partners, etc. is at the core of everything we do and vital to delivering our mission

Education: We believe ongoing education/educational support and advocacy promote positive early learning experiences and the opportunity for all children in our community to succeed. Inclusion: We believe all children develop and learn at their own pace. Inclusive learning environments allow for positive learning experiences, development, and social/emotional growth to help children reach their full potential regardless of economic means.

Innovation: We are committed to finding innovative and creative ways to better help and support our families, providers, partners, staff, and community

Quality: We are committed to providing quality services, programs, and support and take pride in the assistance, programs, and services we provide to our providers, families, children, and partners

Collaborative: We forge collaborations with our community, partners, providers, and parents who are the "Most important individuals to ensure a child's success"

Equity: Equity, inclusion, and cultural competence is embodied in our values, practices, and programming so that all children, parents, families, and providers have the opportunity to be successful.

Our Promise to You:

We’re serious about the work we do. Since 2000, ELC Broward has been responsible for quality early care and education services for our children. We are accountable for helping families find local child care and developing plans to address Broward County's early learning needs, and that requires a lot of listening and learning on our end. With so much at stake, we strive to be our absolute best in everything we do. 

Our other role is to develop and oversee a comprehensive school readiness program described in the Local School Readiness Coalition Plan approved by Florida’s Division of Early Learning (formerly known as the Office of Early Learning). This ongoing process builds on existing services, works in cooperation with other programs for young children, and coordinates funding and services to achieve efficiency, accountability, and effectiveness.

We promise to build and support the most effective early learning community possible, helping our children, parents, and teachers realize its benefits. 

Follow the information links below to learn about our long-term strategy for success or take a closer look at current progress in our most recent annual report. 

Review the ELC Broward Strategic Plan
Read Our Annual Report