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This meeting may be recorded for the purpose of composing the meeting minutes only.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING March 22, 2018

4:00 P.M. until business has concluded Pinellas Technical College

901 34th St. S., First Floor Room D2 St. Petersburg, FL 33711

AGENDA

I. CALL TO ORDER A. Approval of March 22, 2018 Agenda B. Approval of Consent Agenda 18.03.01

1. Approval of February 1, 2018 Board Minutes 18.03.01i. 2. Finance Report 18.03.01ii. 3. Program Development Report February 2018 18.03.01iii. 4. Advancement Report 18.03.01iv. 5. Coalition Plan Amendment 18.03.01v.

II. ACTION ITEMS

A. Florida First Start 18.03.02 B. Approval of Advisory Member 18.03.03

III. RECOGNITION

A. Gold Seal Accreditation Provider - Holy Family Early Childhood Center

IV. CEO REPORT A. CEO Report B. Legislative Update C. Communications

V. DISCUSSION A. PreK 5K Readiness Run - April 14, 2018 B. Strategic Planning

VI. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS

A. Public Meeting Notice B. Tactical Plan Progress

VII. PUBLIC COMMENT In accordance with the Florida Government in the Sunshine, all meetings of the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, Inc. and its committees are open to the public. Those in attendance who wish to address the Coalition must submit a public comment card to the recorder prior to addressing the Coalition.

VIII. ADJOURNMENT

Next Board of Directors Meeting: Thursday, May 24, 2018 Clearwater Countryside Towers, 2536 Countryside Blvd., Suite 500 Clearwater FL 33763

MISSION STATEMENT

To lead the community in the development and delivery of a high quality learning system and family support services that maximize each child’s potential

and promote the economic self-sufficiency of families. 1

18.03.01

Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, Inc. March 22, 2018

Subject: Consent Agenda

BACKGROUND The following items are presented on the consent agenda for collective approval.

1. Approval of February 1, 2018 Board of Director’s Minutes i. 2. Finance Report ii. 3. Program Development Report January 2018 iii. 4. Advancement Report iv. 5. Coalition Plan Amendment v.

Supporting Documents: February 1, 2018 Board of Director’s Minutes Finance Report Program Development Report February 2018 Advancement Report Coalition Plan Amendment

PROPOSED COALITION ACTION

Approve the March 22, 2018 Consent Agenda items as presented.

Approval Chair Signature Date

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Board of Directors Meeting Minutes February 1, 2018 – Unapproved

BOARD OF DIRECTOR’S MEETING Minutes – Unapproved

Thursday, February 1, 2017 2536 Countryside Blvd., Clearwater FL 33763

Members Present: Craig Phillips, Faith Bornoff, Dr. Ricardo Davis, Jack Geller, Ray Hensley,

Paula MacDonald, Yvonne Malague, Nancy St. Arnold, Elliott Stern, Comm. Karen Seel, Susan Johnson, Celeste Fernandez, Phillip Russell and Nick Meza.

Absent: Dr. Marcie Biddleman, Erica Bolline, Jennifer Brackney, Lounell Britt,

Joshua Drechsel, Harry Fogle, Jessica Hooper, Jackie Lang, Ellen Lasher, Eric Lynn, Dr. Shana Rafalski, and Anne Ryan

Guests: Erik Smith, Ed Moss, Cheryl Miller, Lynn Bittner Coalition Staff: Lindsay Carson, Carrie Culbertson, Mary Burns and Patti McAvoy.

I. CALL TO ORDER Chair, Craig Phillips, called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.

A. Craig Phillips called for a motion to accept the February 1, 2018 Agenda.

MOTION: Elliott Stern moved to accept the February 1, 2018 Agenda as

presented; seconded by Yvonne Malague. No further discussion, all in favor; motion carried.

B. Craig Phillips called for a motion to approve the Consent Items.

Approval of November 30, 2017 Board Minutes 17.11.01i Finance Report 17.11.01ii Performance Report December 2017 17.11.01iii

MOTION: Phillip Russell moved to approve the Consent Items as presented; seconded by Elliott Stern. No further discussion, all in favor; motion carried.

I. ACTION ITEMS A. FY 2016-2017 Financial Statements and Audit Report

The Fiscal Year 2016/2017 Annual Financial Statement is attached and includes the Audit Report completed by Moss, Krusick and Associates, LLC. The sections are as follows: Independent Auditor’s Report, Financial Statements, along with the Notes to the Financial Statements and Required Supplemental Information, Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs, and Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards and State Financial Assistance.

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The Annual Financial Report has been prepared consistent with applicable federal and state regulations and the reporting standards of the Government Accounting Standards. The audit certifies the accuracy and integrity of the fiscal policies and procedures of the Coalition during Fiscal Year 2016/2017. The Coalition is required to have an annual audit performed. The report is submitted to the grantors, Auditor General, and the State of Florida.

MOTION: Yvonne Malague moved to accept the FY 2016-2017 Financial

Statements and Audit Report as presented by Moss, Krusick and Associates, LLC.; seconded by Elliott Stern. No further discussion, all in favor; motion carried.

B. Clearwater Office Lease (Ratification) The Clearwater office of the Early Learning Coalition, currently owned by Wilder Corporation is under contract to sell. The Coalition’s lease ends July 31, 2023. The contracted buyers have approached the Coalition about terminating our lease. Coalition staff have explored alternative location options. The real estate market has changed considerably since entering into the current lease. Comparable spaces range from $22-$24 per square foot full service with 3% annual escalation. Coalition staff have identified 2 potential alternative spaces to for comparison purposes only. Below is an analysis of the estimated fiscal impact of relocating August 1, 2018. Additional Rental Costs:

Total Rent 8/1/2018-7/31/2023

Increased Rental Expense

Countryside Towers $1,950,356 Harbourside $2,986,424-$3,257,983 $1,036,128-$1,307,627 Bayside Concourse $2,863,259-$3,123,556 $912,903-$1,173,200

Estimated related moving expenses: $145,000 Total Estimated Fiscal Impact: $1,057,953- $1,452,627

MOTION: Yvonne Malague moved to accept the FY 2016-2017

Financial Statements and Audit Report as presented by Moss, Krusick and Associates, LLC.; seconded by Dr. Ricardo Davis. Jack Geller abstaining. No further discussion, all in favor; motion carried.

I. RECOGNITION

A. Gold Seal Accreditation Providers 1. R’Club Early Learning Academy @ASI 2. R/Club Lew Williams Center for Early Learning 3. Irma Maxwell

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B. Professional Development Incentive Program (PDIP) Early Childhood Graduates 1. James Boone, Mt. Zion Children’s Center (A.S.) 2. Colleen Whittaker, Bay Vista Learning Center (A.S.)

I. CEO REPORT

A. CEO Report Enrollment and Utilization In December, we served 5,994 children in the School Readiness program. All children (ages 0‐5) who entered they waitlist prior to July 31, 2017 have been invited into care. In February we will invite an additional 328 children who entered the waitlist in August and September 2017. We are on track to close the fiscal year with a balanced budget. In VPK, we have served 5,986 children this program year. The Prek All Day Program has launched and we currently have 27 children enrolled. 2018 Early Care and Education Conference The 2018 Early Care and Education Conference was held on January 20, 2018 at the Gibbs Campus of St. Petersburg College (6605 – 5th Avenue North, St. Petersburg). The conference featured international keynote, Dr. Jean Feldman who thrilled an audience of over 300 (270 registrants, approximately 15 vendors, 21 presenters, and 30 volunteers) with her presentation entitled, “Kids Just Wanna Have Fun! (And teachers do, too!)”. Attendees attended two breakout sessions and ended the day with closing keynote, Matt Welch who inspired us all to use the most fundamental tool necessary to develop healthy human beings: encouragement! Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! This year marked the 10th Annual Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida: Find Yourself in a Book, featuring Big Al for preschoolers and Hooray for Fish for our Infant/Toddlers. As part of the celebration, we sent over 300 Big Al books to all of our contracted early education, and had over 50 schools host a reader; 125 if you include our Officer Friendly Schools! Our readers included Trevor Pettiford, anchor from Bay News 9, Mayor Kriseman of St. Petersburg, and other government officials including Council woman Bowman (St. Petersburg), Deputy Mayor Tomalin (St. Petersburg), Mayor Alahouzos (Tarpon Springs) and Mayor Brown (Largo); first responders from Sunstar read, and multiple representatives from partner organizations! In addition, over 20 members of our staff and board volunteered to read including Jack Geller, Elliott Stern, Ellen Lasher, Anne Ryan, Faith Bornoff and Commissioner Karel Seel. Personnel Updates As our agency is evolving, there are a few changes that I wanted to share with you. Matt Bonner has decided to leave our Coalition and move back home, closer to his family. I have restructured our team to position our agency for stability, growth and success. Carrie Culbertson has been appointed Chief Operating Officer, overseeing Quality Initiatives, Family Services, and Provider Contracts. LaTisha Jones has been appointed Family Services Manager and Angela Loring, Quality Initiatives Manager. Provider Reimbursement has moved to Finance with Merita. Argie Kontodiakos has also joined Merita’s team as the Information Systems Manager. Enhanced Fields System Modernization As previously reported, the Office of Early Learning has been deploying components of a new data system. Our Information Systems Manager, Argie Kontodiakos has been instrumental in the testing and design of the new system. Full migration is expected to be completed this summer.

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In the coming months, coalition staff will participate in user acceptance testing and begin training staff, providers and community partners. The new system will be a significant change for families as more functions move online. For example, eligibility redeterminations that are currently done via mail on hard copy will soon be completed online only. Families may even choose to complete their initial application online, never visiting one of our offices. Consequently, we are reevaluating our service delivery model and community outreach strategies. Legislative Update Several bills have been filed that impact early learning. There are a few that have momentum in both the House and Senate. SB1532/H1175 Early Learning Coalitions Authorizes ELCs to terminate or refuse School Readiness contract due to Class 1 licensing violations. We currently do not have the authority to deny a new provider contract based on past licensing history. No fiscal impact. SB1254/HB1091 Early Learning (Program Assessment) Requires program assessment (CLASS) & establishes minimum standard, appropriation $6 million; requires differential payments based on quality (subject to appropriation); allows coalition boards to adopt local eligibility priorities for School Readiness; expands definition of at risk to include victims of domestic violence, not just those residing at a shelter. HB1365/SB1822 Early Learning (Child Assessment) Requires the use of observation‐based assessments in determining the kindergarten readiness rate; requires the Office of Early Learning to adopt an observation‐based child assessment system, subject to appropriation; requires early learning coalitions to implement an observation‐based assessment for certain children; requires school readiness program providers to conduct an observation‐based child assessment (coalitions are currently prohibited from requiring the use of child assessment in School Readiness). This bill is the outcome of the Early Grade Success Taskforce established last session to explore the use of child assessment for children ages 0‐5. While it has not been heard at the committee level, elements could be amended into another bill.

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Proposed Budgets

House Chairman's

Proposed Budget Senate Chairman's Proposed Budget

School Readiness $618,031,644* $630,877,228

SR Pinellas $30,948,515 $30,489,393

CCEP $15,000,000 $15,000,000

VPK $398,444,762

$408,746,341 $63 increase to

BSA=$2500

Performance Funding Project $15,500,000 $15,500,000

TEACH $10,000,000 $10,000,000

HIPPY

Help Me Grow $1,808,957 $1,808,957

Riviera Beach Early Learning to Kindergarten Pilot $500,000

Fl. Institute of Education: Rural Early Learning Exchange $500,000

Preschool Emergency Alert Response Learning System (PEARLS) $800,000

Linking Educational Assets for Readiness Now (LEARN) $200,000

Hillsborough Mind in the Making Family Engagement & Training

$0 $103,000

Little Havana Activities & Nutrition Centers Child Care Program $100,000 $57,080

Books to Babies Pilot $150,000 $100,000

*Includes proviso language increasing the required match for economically disadvantaged from 6% to 8%. Estimated impact on Pinellas up to $243,772.

B. Legislative Update C. Communications

I. DISCUSSION

A. ELAC Coalition Scorecard B. PreK 5K Readiness Run – April 14, 2018

I. PRESENTATIONS

A. Cultural Competence Assessment – Erik Smith

I. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS A. Patel Foundation Donation

This is an excerpt from the letter sent to Drs. Kiran & Pallavi of the Patel Family Foundation by Lindsay Carson. “On behalf of the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas, I would like to extend our gratitude for your contribution of $5,000.00 towards our School Readiness Officer Friendly Book Club. Currently, the SR Scholarship Program has 5,792 children in care and a wait list which has quickly grown to over 1,327 children. Each day this number grows is another day a child is losing an opportunity to become school ready. Your gift to support our mission

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will help us ensure more children will receive quality early education and developmental services during their formative years.”

B. PACF Pinellas Advocates for Children and Families An excerpt from the letter sent to the Pinellas Advocates for Children and Families, Inc. from Lindsay Carson. “On behalf of the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County Board of Directors, we gratefully accept these funds and agree to use them toward ELC advocacy efforts as directed by our funding guidelines. In the midst of this change, we applaud PACF on its many years of non-wavering support and advocacy for excellence in quality care on behalf of all children and their families through education in Pinellas County. Again, we appreciate and accept your estimated offer of $6,000 offer and wish you and the PACF Board of Directors success in all your future personal endeavors.”

C. Public Meeting Notice

I. PUBLIC COMMENT

In accordance with the Florida Government in the Sunshine, all meetings of the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, Inc. and its committees are open to the public. Those in attendance who wish to address the Coalition must submit a public comment card to the recorder prior to addressing the Coalition. There was no public comment.

VII. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m.

Next Meeting: Thursday, March 22, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. Pinellas Technical College

______________________________________ ________ _________________________ Craig Phillips, Chair Date Jack Geller, Secretary Date

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65.1333 Board of Directors Meeting March 22, 2018 Monthly Board Financial Report ______________________________________________________________________________

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS February 28, 2018

Prepared by Merita Kafexhiu, CFO

______________________________________________________________________________ Enclosed you will find the February 2018 reports. Please note the following:

School Readiness Program:

1. It was expected at the end of the month of February 2018, the fiscal year budget for SR services would be 66.66% spent. The actual spending rate was 65.13%.

2. The School Readiness budget by category spending rates is in line with state and federal

requirements. Actual spending rates are as follows:

Spending by SR Budget Category

Budget ($)

Expenditures ($)

% of Spending by Category

Minimum/Maximum Requirements

Administration

$1,372,330

$879,420

4.29%

5% Maximum

Non Direct

$1,833,896

$1,145,908

5.59%

14% Maximum

Quality

$2,134,162

$1,225,378

5.98%

4% Minimum

Direct Services

$26,114,448

$17,236,638

84.13%

78% Minimum

Total:

$31,454,836

$20,487,343

100%

The Coalition’s current level of spending for Administration cost is 4.29%. Per our agreement with OEL, the maximum rate of expenditures for administrative costs for the fiscal year cannot exceed 5% at the end of June. The Direct Services expenditures are currently at 84.13%; Direct Services expenditures must meet at least 78% by the end of June.

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Also, the Administrative, Quality and Non-Direct Services expenditures cannot exceed 22%; our records indicate that our current expenditures are at 15.86%.

3. The School Readiness grant agreement with the Coalition requires a match of 6% from local sources for working poor eligible participants in the School Readiness Program child care slots unless granted a waiver. The Coalition’s YTD match expenditures are: $491,679. Match Funders for the BG8 category are: JWB, City of St. Pete, and Jabil Corporation.

4. The School Readiness grant agreement with the Coalition requires a match of 50% from local sources for the Child Care Executive Partnership program in the School Readiness Program. The Coalition’s YTD CCEP match expenditures are: $595,186. The CCEP match funder is: Pinellas Core Management Services.

5. The School Readiness Utilization Report ending February 2018 indicates the following:

As of February 28, 2018, the Coalition served 6,112 children with an average cost per child per month

of $319.01. To manage the SR program budget and ensure effective utilization, the wait list is currently open. Approximately 932 children of ages 0-5 who entered the SR waitlist prior to February 28, 2018 have been invited into care. We will continue to enroll in the School Readiness program as funding allows. We are currently projecting a balanced budget in the School Readiness program.

The mandatory priority eligibility groups 1(TANF recipient’s ages birth to 13 years) and 2(At-Risk children under the age of 9 years)) are not impacted by the wait list. However, we have noticed a decrease in these numbers for the past month.

During a fiscal year, fluctuations in the number of children enrolled in the School Readiness program may result in the amount of School Readiness funds needed to support the program to also fluctuate.

Following is a list of other common variables that may have impacted the cost of providing direct services for this past fiscal year.

i. Attendance of children is not mandatory; therefore, the number of days attended by each child varies. ii. Parents are required to recertify their child’s eligibility on an on-going basis. During the recertification process parents are assigned a parent fee. The changes in parent fees impact the average daily rate. iii. The Coalition pays different rates per child depending on the age of each child and the rates charged by each provider. The birthdays of each child during the fiscal year impacts the average daily rate. iv. School age children are generally authorized to attend full time care when the public school is closed for holidays, planned days off, or half days. As a result, the attendance of school age children on full time days impacts the average daily rate.

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v. The projections are based on the children reported for payment during the current month. If a provider failed to report an eligible child for payment they are authorized to do so in the following month. The failure to report a child for payment impacts the average daily rate. vi. The Coalition is required to serve certain populations of children, such as children under the State’s protection, upon receipt of a referral. The cost of services provided to these children impacts the average daily rate. vii. Parents terminate their child’s School Readiness services for a variety of reasons. The termination of a child’s services impacts the average daily rate.

Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program

It was expected at the end of the month of February 2018, the fiscal year budget for VPK services would be 66.66 % spent. The actual spending rate was 67.6 %. The allowable VPK administrative, enrollment, and monitoring expenses are limited to 4.00% of the total slot expenditures. The Coalition served 5,940 children with an average cost per child per month of $254.80.

Spending by VPK Budget Category

Budget ($)

Expenditures ($)

% of Spending by Category

Minimum/Maximum Requirements

Administration

$586,866

$287,815

2.87%

4% Maximum

Direct Services

$14,671,640

$10,024,389

97.13%

Total:

$15,719,611

$10,312,205

100%

The Coalition’s current level of spending related to the Grant Agreement Scope of Work, Section 7.3, and Voluntary Prekindergarten Program is as follows:

The ELC’s Administrative expenditure rate is currently 2.87%. Reminder: The Coalition may expend no more than 4 percent of the funds paid by the Coalition

to private prekindergarten providers and public schools for administrative costs by the end of by the end of the fiscal year (June 2017).

Interim Financial Statements – February 2018

Attached are preliminary financial statements for the period ending on February 2018. As indicated on the financial statements, the Coalition’s financial position is sound. The Coalition’s cash and grant receivable exceed its accounts payable due to providers and advances due back to grantors by $250,932.

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Category

FY 2017-18

Award Restrictions

Direct Services

Direct Service Costs (Slots) 26,114,448.00 17,236,638$ 84.13% Minimum 78%

Operating

Administrative 1,372,330.00 879,420$ 4.29% Maximum 5%

Program Support 1,803,896.00 1,145,908$ 5.59%

Quality Programs 2,164,162.00 1,225,378$ 5.98% Minimum 4%

Total Operating 5,340,388.00 3,250,706$ 15.87% Maximum 22%

Total Direct Services and

Operating 31,454,836.00 20,487,343$

Actual thru 02/28/2018

EARLY LEARNING COALITION OF PINELLAS

School Readiness Budget AnalysisAs of February 28, 2018

Preliminary Figures

$ $17,236,638

$ $879,420

$ $1,145,908

$ $1,225,378

School Readiness

Direct Service Costs (Slots) Administrative Program Support Quality Programs

September 28, 2017 Board Meeting 12

Category

FY 2017-18

Award Restrictions

Direct Services

Direct Service Costs (Slots) 14,671,640.00 10,042,572$ 97.21%

Operating

Administrative 220,780.00 120,961$ 1.17%

Enrollment 366,086.00 166,854$ 1.62%

Total Administrative & Enrollment 586,866.00 287,815$ 2.79% Maximum 4%

Enrollment

Outreach, Awareness & Monitoring (OAMI)

Outreach, Awareness 10,000.00

Monitoring 28,476.00 Minimum of $21,651

Total OAMI 38,476.00 on monitoring

Total VPK Expenditures 15,296,982.00 10,330,388$

EARLY LEARNING COALITION OF PINELLAS

VPK Budget AnalysisAs of February 28, 2018

Preliminary Figures

Actual thru 02/28/2018

$10,042,572

$120,961

$166,854

VPK

Direct Service Costs (Slots) Administrative Enrollment Monitoring

September 28, 2017 Board Meeting 13

PERFORMANCE REPORT February 2018

CHILDREN SERVED: 6,112

31 Children Served

2017-2018 PROGRAM

YEAR

WAITING LIST

Access + Quality = Readiness

Priority 3: 657 Economically disadvantaged birth to Kindergarten entry Priority 6: 369 Economically disadvantaged younger than 13 years old

TOTAL: 1,026

VPK PARTICIPATION

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FY 17/18

ELC BUDGET & EXPENDITURES YTD Comparison

28%

VPK children attend Gold Seal accredited care

SR children, 0-5, attend Gold Seal accredited care

FUNDING UTILIZATION

ELC AGENCY EXPENDITURES YTD

32%

PERFORMANCE FUNDING PROJECT

Tier 4 19

Tier 3 38 Tier 2

19 Tier 1 3

Selected child care providers earn additional compensation for demonstrated quality, professional development and child assessment practices that improve child outcomes

9 Centers & 10 Homes



2 Centers & 1 Home

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ANNUAL GIVING REPORT March 2018

Board Members have contributed donations

in the 17-18 Fiscal Year 37%

In the Fall of 2017, the Coalition launched our first ever Annual Giving Campaign to raise the awareness and

funds necessary to continue our mission advancement. In working with Pinellas families and childcare

providers, our goal is to prepare children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed. Below is a snapshot of the

impact we are making within the Pinellas community.

$15,500

6 GIVE A LITTLE. HELP A LOT.

Click above or v isi t www.elcpinel las .net /g iving & join our campaign for early learning!

$1,622

in scholarships (Matched 16X)

in unrestricted funds

CAUSE KID

4 SCHOOL

Come out and support ELC at our 3rd annual PreK 5K

& Storybook Village family event! We are still

accepting sponsorships, runners, & volunteers. With a

month left to go, we have raised close to $10,000, and

hope to get to $15,000 before the 14th. Visit our race

site at www.elcpinellas.net/readinessrun for more

details or reach out to Mary Burns at

[email protected] with questions!

SAVE DATE Another fundraising event Coming Soon!

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https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FCWMD62KMZZ5U

http://www.elcpinellas.net/giving

http://www.elcpinellas.net/readinessrun

mailto:[email protected]

18.03.01v


Subject: Family Services Policies & Procedures

BACKGROUND

Coalition Plan Amendment

Policy Revision

Replace Attachment V.B.a

10.1 Client-Recipient Grievance and Complaint Resolution

Updated with appropriate staff titles.

Replace Attachment II.B

60.1.8 – School Readiness Application and Waiting List

Update to align with state data system (family portal) and rule.

Repeal II.C.b Internal Waitlist Procedures Outdated & duplicative of ELC 60.1.8 II.C.b. Replaces II.D.b

60.1.4 – School Readiness Eligibility Determination

Simplify processes for clients as well as continued efforts in aligning with the rule. Includes eligibility redetermination procedures.

n/a Repeal 60.1.5 – Eligibility Redetermination

Merged with ELCPC-60.1.4

II.C.c Replaces II.D.b

60.1.6 – School Readiness Transfers

Condensed to effectively outline current procedures in alignment with rule.

Repeal Attachment II.D.b

Internal Procedures Outdated procedures; duplicative of Coalition policies and OEL Eligibility Review Guide.

Replace Attachment II.E.

60.1.9 – Parental Choice Removed outdated items

Replace Attachment II.F.

60.2.1- Parent Sliding Fee Scale and Copayments

Replaces outdated procedures; aligns with OEL Eligibility Review Guide.


To approve the Family Services Policies and amend the Coalition Plan as presented.

Supporting Documentation Attached: Amended Policies

Approval _________________________________________Chair Signature _______________________ Date

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Recommended by the Program Development Committee.

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T:\Board\Meetings\Program Development Committee\2017-2018 Program Development-RESTORED\PD February 2018\ELCPC-10.Client-Recipient Grievance and Complaint Resolution Policy_Revised_Feb 2018.docxT:\Policy_and_Procedures\Coalition Policy\ELCPC-10.1b Client-Recipient Grievance and Complaint Resolution Policy_Revised_February 2018April 2015.docx

Policy: ELCPC-10.1B

Title: Client/Recipient Grievance and Complaint Resolution Policy

Review Date: June 2017

Next Review Date: June 2018

References: Coalition School Readiness Plan Coalition Anti-Fraud Plan Coalition SR Provider Monitoring Plan

OEL SR and VPK Grant Agreements s. 1002.84(17), F.S. s. 1002.91, F.S. Purpose: To establish a procedure for clients/recipients to submit to the Coalition a

grievance or complaint against a provider’s or the coalition’s actions that may be contrary to state and federal policies, procedures, rules or regulations.

Background: The Coalition may impose corrective action, funding sanctions or

scholarship termination for fraudulent activities or noncompliance with program requirements. Providers contracted by the Coalition offer VPK and/or School Readiness programs.

Policy: I. Client/Recipient Complaint Against Provider

1. Clients/recipients may submit a complaint against a provider to the Coalition via phone, email, fax, mail, hand delivery, or the Coalition’s website.

2. All complaints are forwarded to the CCR&R Coordinator to be recorded on the CCR&R Complaint Report.

3. The CCR&R Coordinator forwards the CCR&R Complaint Report to the appropriate Coalition staff for review.

4. If the complaint is against an SR provider, Coalition staff will use the SR Provider Monitoring Tool to document the action taken and any corrective action to be completed by the SR provider.

5. The complaint will also be reported to the Pinellas County Licensing Board or the Florida Abuse Hotline as appropriate.

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6. Abuse/neglect complaints must be reported within the hour to the Florida Abuse Hotline and the licensing authority.

7. Once the issue is resolved, the appropriate Coalition staff member will submit the results to the CCR&R Coordinator to update the complaint record.

8. The Coalition records all parent complaints and retains them on file for a minimum of five (5) years.

9. The Coalition will make information regarding parental complaints available to the public in accordance to Coalition Policy ELCPC-10.2, Public Records Requests.

II. Client/Recipient Grievance or Complaint Against the Coalition Refer to Section III. for grievances regarding suspected fraud. If the client/recipient believes a Coalition decision or action was contrary to state and federal policies procedures rules or regulations, they may submit a Client Eligibility Appeal Form (G-10F-15) within ten (10) business days of determination. This form is available at www. elcpinellas.net/downloads-familieshttp://elcpinellas.net/sr-downloads/

1. or by request and may be submitted via certified mail, fax or hand delivery. 2. The Chief Operating OfficerDirector of Program Operations or designee will

respond to all requests for review within ten (10) business days. 3. If the client/recipient does not agree with the decision made by the Chief

Operating OfficerDirector of Program Operations or designee, the client/recipient must file a written request with the Chief Executive Officer of the Coalition for review within ten (10) business days upon receipt/notification of the decision.

4. If the client/recipient fails to request a review within ten (10) business days the Coalition decision will be final.

5. The Chief Executive Officer of the Coalition will provide written response to all requests for review within ten (10) business days.

6. The Chief Executive Officer of the Coalition will respond to all requests for review within ten (10) business days. The Chief Executive Officer’s decision is final.

III. Client/Recipient Grievance Regarding Suspected Fraud The following procedures must be followed when a client/recipient desires to appeal a decision made by the Coalition staff for suspected fraud:

1. Prior to any suspension or termination of services, the Coalition will provide written advance notice of the intended action to suspend or terminate benefits to the client/recipient to be affected and it must clearly advise of the allegations, the basis of the allegations, the intended action and the date the action is to be imposed. The Coalition will send the written advance notice at least fourteen (14) calendar days before the intended action. The written advance notice should be translated into the client/recipient’s native language if the Coalition’s other communications with the client/recipient have been translated. The written advance notice shall include following: a. The procedure for the client/recipient to follow to attempt to appeal the

decision. Clients/recipients must submit a Client Fraud Appeal Form (G-10F-

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16) within fourteen (14) calendar days of determination. This form is available at www.elcpinellas.net or by request.

b. A statement, in bold print, that the failure to file a timely appeal waives the right to an appeal.

c. Notice of the potential for repayment of improper benefits if the conclusion of fraud is upheld, including any benefits received after the receipt of the written advance notice.

d. The procedure for the client/client/recipient to obtain a copy of his or her file. e. The amount of overpayment to be recovered, if applicable. f. The length of time for which the client/recipient’s benefits are suspended or

the date of the termination of benefits, if applicable. This length of time shall be proportionate to the alleged offense committed, consistent with suspensions or terminations issued to other client/recipients who allegedly committed comparable offenses, and may also consider prior offenses, as appropriate.

2. A suspension or termination shall not be applied against client/recipients with a valid at-risk referral.

3. If the client/recipient believes that the conclusion was made in error, the client/recipient should first seek to resolve the matter by contacting the Coalition and providing the necessary documentation to resolve the issue. The CEO of the Coalition shall not be involved in the pre-appeal resolution of the issue.

4. If the client/recipient believes that the issue was not resolved by the Coalition, the client/recipient may file a formal written appeal for review by the CEO of the Coalition, using the following procedure: a. Submit a written appeal to the CEO or other executive staff person as

designated by the Coalition Board. The appeal must fully describe the nature of the error the client/recipient believes has been made and shall contain any documentation which supports the client/recipient’s claim.

b. The appeal shall be postmarked or emailed before the date of the intended action. The client/recipient who fails to file a timely appeal waives the right of appeal.

c. If the client/recipient files a timely appeal, he or she will not be suspended or terminated from the program until the written decision of the CEO or the original date of the intended action, whichever is later.

d. The CEO of the Coalition or other executive staff person designated by the Coalition Board must respond to the client/recipient, in writing, within thirty (30) days of receiving the appeal with a decision as to whether the suspension or termination will be upheld or modified.

e. The client/recipient who wishes to appeal the decision of the CEO of the Coalition or other executive staff person designated by the Coalition Board may request further review by an appeals committee. The request for further review by an appeals committee must be submitted to the Coalition in writing within ten (10) calendar days of the date of the CEO or other executive staff person designated by the coalition board’s written response to the client/recipient’s formal written appeal.

5. The client/recipient shall be given the opportunity to defend his or her position in an orderly proceeding of the appeals committee. When the meeting of the appeals committee is scheduled, the client/recipient shall be notified of the date

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of the appeals committee, informed that it is a public meeting, and informed that any information presented may be used by other state agencies.

6. The appeals committee shall be selected by the Chairman of the Board of the Coalition and a chair of the appeals committee shall be named.

7. The appeals committee shall be convened within forty-five (45) calendar days of receipt of the client/recipient’s request for an appeal.

8. The client/recipient shall be provided up to thirty (30) minutes to present their position and any information they wish the appeals committee to consider.

9. The Coalition staff, excluding the CEO or other executive staff person designated by the Coalition Board, shall be available to provide any information requested by the committee.

10. The appeals committee will consider all statements, review all documents and may request any additional evidence or information from the parties if an appeals committee member believes it is necessary and relevant to the decision making. The required final determination letter will be tolled for the length of time given to provide the additional information.

11. The appeals committee shall select or appoint a member of the Coalition, excluding the CEO of the Coalition or other executive staff person designated by the Coalition Board, to memorialize the events of the appeals committee proceeding and the final determination including the basis for the decision.

12. The appellant shall be notified in writing of the appeals committee’s determination within ten (10) days of the date of the meeting.

13. The determination of the appeals committee shall be final.

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Attachment II.B.

T:\Board\Meetings\Board Meetings\FY 17-18 Board Agendas & Minutes\BOD MAR 2018\ELCPC-60.1.8 SR Application and Waiting List DRAFT 2.21.18.docx

Policy: ELCPC-60.1.8

Title: School Readiness Application and Waiting List

Review: February 2018

Next Review Date: July 2018

References: 1002.84(2) & 1002.85(2)(c)2, F.S. and 6M-4.300, F.A.C. Purpose: To establish and maintain standardization of School Readiness application and waiting list procedures. Background: Section 1002.82, F.S., and Rule 6M-4.300, FAC, require the statewide data information program to include a single point of entry. “Single point of entry” also known as the Family Portal, means the process established under Section 1002.81(14), F.S., for a parent wanting to apply for the school readiness program (s. 1002.81(14), F.S.; Rule 6M-4.300, FAC). Policy: The ELC utilizes a wait list system for management of enrolling children into the School Readiness program. The ELC completes a prequalification screening of families with School Readiness children on the ELC’s wait. If the family appears to be potentially eligible, the ELC applies the methodology of prioritizing the wait list by placing children on the wait list according to their eligibility category and date that they applied. The ELC validates each name on the wait list every six months. If a family becomes ineligible or if the children have been enrolled, the ELC removes the child from the wait list. Families may not place an unborn child on the wait list. The ELC reviews new applications of families that have applied for School Readiness within 20 days of the submission date. At a minimum, the ELC reviews a family’s statement of income, work/educational activity or disability, family size, and type of service requested. The ELC notifies the family when it places a child on the wait list, when it rejects an application for ineligibility or missing information. If a family is eligible, the ELC places the family on the wait list by the child’s legal name, age, probable eligibility category and type of service requested. The order of priority is listed in section

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Attachment II.B.

T:\Board\Meetings\Board Meetings\FY 17-18 Board Agendas & Minutes\BOD MAR 2018\ELCPC-60.1.8 SR Application and Waiting List DRAFT 2.21.18.docx

1002.87, Florida Statutes. The ELC does not place ineligible families on the wait list. The ELC notifies all families of the availability of CCRR services through the Family Portal, regardless of whether the family’s application is approved or rejected. When the ELC has available funds, it contacts by letter, phone, or electronic means those families from the wait list in order of the parent’s eligibility category and wait list date and gives them a deadline by which to respond. The invitation indicates the required supporting documents families must bring to their eligibility appointment. If the family contacts the ELC by the deadline, then the ELC completes an eligibility determination and, if eligible, enrolls the children in the SR program. The ELC removes the children of those families who have been contacted from the wait list. When a child has been on the wait list for six months, the ELC utilizes OEL’s Family Portal to contact the family to validate its information. The system-generated email notification includes the specific timeframe the parent has to review and provide updated information via the Family Portal to remain on the wait list. The ELC and OEL’s Family Portal inactivate any application and removes children from the wait list in accordance with the reasons listed in law. When the ELC removes a family from the wait list, the family must reapply for SR services and the ELC must conduct a prequalification screening to place the family back onto the wait list. Similarly, when a family on the wait list moves out of the ELC’s seven-county area, that family must reapply for SR services through the ELC operating in the family’s new location. In these cases, the families will receive new wait list dates.

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T:\Board\Meetings\Board Meetings\FY 17-18 Board Agendas & Minutes\BOD MAR 2018\ELCPC-60.1.4 School Readiness Eligibility Determination DRAFT.docx

Policy: ELCPC 60.1.4

Title: School Readiness Eligibility Determination & Redetermination

Review Date: February 2018


References: 1002.87(6), F.S., 6M-4.200 & 6M-4.208, F.A.C. Purpose: To establish and maintain standardization of procedures for the child eligibility determination and placement process for the School Readiness program. Background: The child eligibility and placement process determines eligibility for childcare scholarships and enrollment of children into care. Placements may result from children being enrolled from the Waiting List or by a referral from a partnering agency. Policy: The ELC will determine and re-determine eligibility using the Chapter 1002, Part VI, F.S., and Chapter 6M-4, Florida Administrative Code. The ELC will annually redetermine each child’s eligibility. Upon redetermination, a child may not continue to receive SR program services if he or she is no longer eligible under the eligibility rules. ELC staff follows the procedures outlined in the above referenced rules to determine the families’ eligibility. ELC staff enrolls the eligible children, giving them a redetermination date of one year and provides the children’s enrollment certificates to the family and the providers. As families’ redetermination interview dates arrive, ELC staff follows the same procedure as above for redetermining the families’ eligibility. If a family is not eligible, ELC staff documents the reason in the statewide information system using the OEL standard codes. ELC staff contacts the families to let them know that they are no longer eligible for care.

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T:\Board\Meetings\Program Development Committee\2017-2018 Program Development-RESTORED\PD February 2018\ELCPC-60.1.6 School Readiness Transfer Policy_Revised_February 2018.docxT:\Policy_and_Procedures\Coalition Policy\ELCPC-60.1.6 School Readiness Transfer Policy_Revised_Feburary 2018June 2017.docx


Title: School Readiness Transfers



References: Chapter 1002.87, F.S. F.A.C. 6M 4.400 Purpose: To establish and maintain standardization of procedures for parent initiated transfers from one provider to another for School Readiness childcare scholarship. Background: Parents of childcare scholarship recipients must choose any ELC approved provider. The Transfer process exists to give parents/guardians the ability to change providers and support parent choice. The ELC contracts with over 400 providers including homes, centers, and Friends Family Neighbors (FFN). Policy: Parents/guardians must be in compliance with all eligibility requirements, have current/open eligibility, and have all of their applicable School Readiness parent copayments paid in order to be eligible for a transfer.

o If a parent feels their child is in danger, they should remove the child from care and contact the Coalition immediately.

o Parents are encouraged to utilize Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) if they need assistance choosing a new provider.

To request a transfer parents/guardians may:

o Complete a Transfer Request Form and submit to ELC, or o Call the ELC Family Services Department

Satisfactory fulfillment of the co-payment is defined as an immediate payment or

an agreed upon repayment plan with “old” provider.

Once eligibility and parent copayments are verified on the Child Transfer Request form by the previous the provider, the future provider signs off and indicates a start date. a new certificate voucher will be issued for the client to take to the new provider of their choice.

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o Parents should adhere to the agreed upon start date prior to moving their child. not move their child to a new provider without a new Certificate Voucher as payment will be withheld.

o Providers should not accept children into care without a current/valid Child Transfer Request form. Certificate Voucher as payment will be withheld.

o New Provider should visit Provider Portal within one week of child’s start date to verify that the transfer was processed.

o If a parent feels their child is in danger, they should remove the child from care and contact the Coalition immediately.

o Parents are encouraged to utilize Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) if they need assistance choosing a new provider.

Procedures: A. Parent/Guardian must complete and submit a transfer form at least 72 hours

prior to the request for transfer date.contact the Early Learning Coalition at least 72 hours before the transfer date and request a new Certificate Voucher be issued.

If a parent neglects to submit transfer form timely, or there are significant errors, the parent may be responsible for private pay days. If a parent contacts the ELC with less than 72 hours before the needed transfer they may incur private pay days if they begin attending their new provider without a transfer voucher being issued.

B. Parent/Guardian must submit current and verifiable receipts showing proof of payment for parent copayments or a Child Transfer Request form signed by the current provider to verify that parent copayments assessed are paid in full.

ELC staff will not hold clients responsible for additional charges incurred by the participant that are over and above their designated parent copayments.

Parents are encouraged to obtain receipts of parent copayments in the

event the provider cannot be contacted. If the provider has closed or stopped offering School Readiness services

the transfer will be processed without verification of parent copayments.

C. A Notice of Child Care Enrollment new Certificate Voucher will be issued for client to take to the new provider of their choice.

Provider may choose to receive the Notice of Child Care Enrollment via mail or Provider Portal. A Certificate Voucher will be issued.The client may then present it to the ELC approved provider of their choice to enroll the child(ren) into care. The Certificate Voucher must be signed by both the parent/guardian and the provider, and then submitted to the Coalition.

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Certificate Vouchers expire 15 calendar days from the date of issuance. If a participant has a scholarship end date of 30 days or less, a term notice

will be issued to client and attached to the Certificate Voucher for the new provider.

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T:\Board\Meetings\Program Development Committee\2017-2018 Program Development-RESTORED\PD February 2018\ELCPC-60.1.9 Parental Choice_Revised_February 2018.docxT:\Policy_and_Procedures\Coalition Policy\ \ELCPC-60.1.9 Parental Choice_Revised_February 2018 June 2017.docx


Title: Parental Choice



References: F.S. CCDF 98.1, CCDF 98.30, Ch. 1002, Part VI, F.S., and Child Care Resource and Referral Program Requirements. Purpose: Involving Parents as their child’s first teacher (Parental Choice). Background: The Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, Inc. (ELC) is the Community Child Care Coordinating Agency that provides Child Care Resource and Referral Services (CCR&R) to all families in Pinellas County. CCR&R receives approximately 300 requests each month and maintains a current listing of ALLall over 700 legal care and licensed providers from which a computer generated listed may be produced. Two levels of thoroughly trained staff (contracted CCR&R specialists and ELC Family Services staff) are available to parents and guardians to assist them with the choice process. Policy: It is the intent of the ELC It is the intent of the Coalition to reserve parental choice by permitting parents to choose from a variety of child care categories, including center-based care, faith-based care, family child care and informal child care to the extent authorized in the state’s Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Plan as the United States Department of Health and Human Services approved, based on 45 CFR s. 98.18. to offer all parents and guardians a maximum choice of settings and locations in licensed, religious-exempt, school based and/or legal informal programs. Parents and guardians will also be offered the opportunity to apply for a School Readiness childcare scholarship. All parents/guardians have unlimited access to his or her child during normal hours of the School Readiness program and whenever the child is in the provider’s care. Parents and guardians will be assured unlimited access to their child(ren) during the care period regardless of the type of care arrangement. Procedures:

1. Prior to and/or during the intake process, or upon request for placement and

eligibility determination, a Family Service Specialist will thoroughly explore with the parent or guardian all of the legal care options available in Pinellas County and educate the parent about how to determine the child care that best fits their family’s needs.

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T:\Board\Meetings\Program Development Committee\2017-2018 Program Development-RESTORED\PD February 2018\ELCPC-60.1.9 Parental Choice_Revised_February 2018.docxT:\Policy_and_Procedures\Coalition Policy\ \ELCPC-60.1.9 Parental Choice_Revised_February 2018 June 2017.docx

2. Staff will assist parents and guardians in completing the Family Needs Survey to address any other needs that the family may have at this time.

3.2. Prior At to the time of placement or transfer of caregiver, parents and

guardians are offered CCR&R services. A referralchild care listing list may be provided by phone, fax, e-mail or though the ELC website, based on the parent/guardian needs and preferences.

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Title: Sliding Fee and Parent Co-Payments for School Readiness

Review Date: February 2018

Next Review Date:

References: F.S. 1002.84, F.S. 1002.87, F.S. 1002.88 and Rule 6M-4.400 Florida Administrative Code Background: According to Section 1002.85(2)(c)5., F, S., the Coalition is required to adopt a sliding fee scale based on the federal poverty guidelines for serving children through the School Readiness program (SR). The Coalition’s sliding fee scale requires a parent copayment to participate in the school readiness program. The Coalition may, on a case-by-case basis, waive the copayment for an at-risk child or temporarily waive the copayment for a child whose family’s income is at or below the federal poverty level and experiences a natural disaster or an event that limits the parent’s ability to pay, such as incarceration, placement in residential treatment, or becoming homeless, or an emergency situation such as a household fire or burglary, or while the parent is participating in parenting classes. A parent may not transfer school readiness program services to another school readiness program provider until the parent has submitted documentation from the current school readiness program provider to the Coalition stating that the parent has satisfactorily fulfilled the copayment obligation. Providers are required to collect the parent’s copayment.

Policy: Sliding Fee Scale: The Coalition is responsible for establishing the sliding fee scale and a parent co-payment policy based on the federal poverty guidelines for serving children through the School Readiness program. Each year, the Coalition will revise the sliding fee scale to reflect the adoption of the most recent federal poverty guidelines.

1. The Coalition’s sliding fee scale will be set at a level that provides economically disadvantaged families equal access to the care available to families whose income is high enough not to qualify for school readiness services.

2. The Coalition will submit the proposed sliding fee scale approved by the Board to the

Office of Early Learning (OEL) annually for approval.

3. The Coalition’s revised sliding fee scale will be forwarded to the Family Services staff timely for implementation.

4. The effective date for the revised sliding fee scale will be July 1st of each fiscal year.

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Co-payment: The Coalition staff will be assessing a co-payment for each family that receives school readiness services payment based on the family size, the hours of care needed, and the family’s income as follows:

If a child is authorized for part time care, the parent shall be assessed a part time co-payment.

If a child is authorized for full time care, the parent shall be assessed a full time co-payment.

A parent with two or more children receiving school readiness services may receive a co-payment discount of 25% or less for the second and any subsequent child in the care based on the Coalition’s approved sliding fee scale. When the discount is applied, the youngest child must be assessed a full co-payment based on the approved sliding fee scale and the hours of care needed.

When a child’s normal schedule of care is based on the school year schedule and the child is authorized school readiness part time care during the school year and attends a full time day at the school readiness program on a school holiday or school closure, the parent shall pay the part time co-payment. During the summer break, if said child attends full time, the parent shall pay the full time co-payment.

Co-payments for at-risk families as defined in Section 1002.81(1), F.S., shall be assessed at the initial child care authorization.

A co-payment shall not be equal to or greater than the providers private pay rate. A family may submit documentation at any time during the eligibility authorization period

to decrease the co-payment. Graduated Phase-out: The Coalition shall re-evaluate the family’s eligibility at the end of the initial 12-month eligibility period as follows:

1. At redetermination, if a family’s income is above 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), but at or below 85 percent of the State Median Income (SMI), the family will enter the graduated phase-out. The parent shall be assessed a co-payment that is based on the approved sliding fee scale. As the family’s income increases the co-payment shall gradually increase based on the approved sliding fee scale.

2. During graduated phase-out, SR childcare funding will be authorized for 12 months from the redetermination date. At redetermination the Coalition staff shall provide written notice to the family and provider of the required co-payment for the 12-month period to be paid by the parent to the provider. The notice shall inform the parent that the co-payment shall increase as the family’s income increases.

3. During graduated phase-out, the family shall report any changes in the family size or income to the Coalition within ten (10) calendar days. The Coalition shall adjust the family’s co-payment based on the reported information and shall notify the family and provider of any changes within ten (10) calendar days. The parent co-payment shall be increased or decreased based on any reported changes, as required, that affect the parent co-payment.

4. During graduated phase out, if the family’s income exceeds 85% of the SMI, the family is no longer eligible for the program. The Coalition shall notify the family that the family is no longer eligible to receive SR services and the SR services will be discontinued two weeks (14 calendar days) from the date of the notice, as long as the two-week period does not extend beyond the family’s authorized eligibility period.

5. During the graduated phase out, if the family’s income falls below 150% of the FPL, the copayment shall be adjusted based on the approved Coalition’s sliding fee scale and the family will remain in the graduated phase out and continue to receive services for the remainder of the twelve-month phase-out period as follows:

At the end of the initial 12-month eligibility period at redetermination, if a family’s

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income remains at or below 150 percent of the FPL, the family will remain eligible pursuant to Rule 6M-4.200, F.A.C.

The family’s eligibility, co-payment, and reporting requirements are subject to the requirements of the initial eligibility period and will not be subject to the graduated phase-out criteria.

At the end of the initial 12-month eligibility period at redetermination, if a family’s income exceeds 85% of the SMI, or the family is otherwise no longer eligible, the Coalition shall notify the family that the family is no longer eligible to receive school readiness services and school readiness services will be discontinued.

The payment certificate issued by the Coalition includes the co-payment to be paid by the parent to the SR provider. The Coalition must notify the parent that additional fees which are charged by the provider may apply. If a child is enrolled with more than one provider, a co-payment must be assessed for each authorized provider. The co-payment amount for which the family is responsible shall be subtracted from the provider’s reimbursement, prior to payment to the provider by the Coalition. Provider Responsibility: In accordance with Section 1002.84(8), F.S., collection of the family’s required co-payment for school readiness services shall be the responsibility of the SR provider.

The provider shall provide written notice of the co-payment due date. The parent co-payment shall be collected within ten (10) calendar days of the provider’s

payment due date. The provider must give the parent a receipt for each co-payment made by the parent

and retain receipt records for all child care co-payments. The provider shall document outstanding parent co-payment balances. The provider

shall provide written notification to the parent of the current outstanding co-payment balance within fifteen (15) calendar days of the provider’s payment due date. This notification shall be provided at least on a monthly basis as long as there is a co-payment balance. Outstanding parent copayments will be subject to the provider’s payment policies as acknowledged and agreed upon by the parent.

The provider shall document the parent’s acknowledgement of receipt of payment policies related to the school readiness program prior to the parent enrolling his/her child in the provider’s school readiness program.

If the provider intends to take action, in accordance with its policy, against a school readiness parent for non-payment of the co-payment that includes disenrolling the child from the provider site, the provider shall notify the coalition at least five (5) calendar days prior to disenrollment.

Co-payment waivers: In accordance with Section 1002.84(8), F.S., the Coalition may waive the parent co-payment on a case-by-case basis. Requests for the co-payment waivers shall be documented in the case file during the initial authorization for care and at each redetermination.

At-risk co-payment waivers; the co-payment may be waived on a case-by-case basis for families participating in an at-risk program as defined in Section 1002.81(1), F.S.

Temporary co-payment waivers; the co-payment may be temporarily waived on a case-by-case basis for families with income at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level during an event that limits a parent’s ability to pay as defined by Section 1002.84(8), F.S.

Transfers; parent may not transfer his or her child to another school readiness program provider until the parent has submitted documentation from the current school readiness program provider to the Coalition stating that the parent has satisfactorily fulfilled the co-

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payment obligation related to school readiness program. Satisfactory fulfillment of the co-payment obligation is defined as immediate payment of the outstanding co-payment obligation or establishment of a repayment plan for the outstanding co-payment obligation. All transfers shall be approved by the Coalition.

If the referenced documentation is not available, the Coalition staff shall contact the provider to determine compliance and document compliance as reported by the provider. The Coalition staff shall complete the transfer once the copayment obligation has been satisfactorily fulfilled. If a parent of an at-risk child as defined in Section 1002.81(1), F.S., is unable to satisfactorily fulfill the co-payment obligation prior to transfer, the provider shall attempt to arrange a repayment plan with the at-risk child’s parent. If the provider is unable to arrange a payment plan with the at-risk child’s parent, the provider shall document the repayment attempt and submit documentation to the Coalition. Co-payment changes: the parent co-payment shall not be increased during the initial 12-month eligibility authorization period. The amount of co-payment assessed shall be in effect for the family’s authorized eligibility period, unless:

The parent or referring agency requests and the Coalition grants a waiver of the assessed co-payment

An incorrect co-payment was assessed by the Coalition staff as a result of an error of the eligibility determiner, program participant error, or program participant fraud, resulting in corrective action to reduce or increase the family’s co-payment

An employment status, income or family size results in a lower parent copayment, or The authorized hours of care changes Co-payments during graduated phase out may be increased or decreased based on the

family’s income and size Coalition co-payment errors: The Coalition shall not take action to recover an incorrect co-payment made due to an error of the staff. Once the error is discovered, the Coalition must correct the error and apply the corrected co-payment. The Coalition staff shall notify the parent within ten (10) calendar days of changes to the co-payment. This notification must be documented. Co-payment recovery: In cases when a reimbursement overpayment is caused by an incorrect co-payment assessment which resulted from parent error or parent fraud, the Coalition shall attempt to recover the overpayment and document attempts. If the coalition is unsuccessful in recovery of the overpayment, the Coalition shall notify the Office of Early Learning and submit documentation as necessary in accordance with the Coalition’s approved anti-fraud plan. Attachments:

Sliding Fee Schedule Co-Payment Waiver for At - Risk Clients Request Form Temporary Copayment Waiver Request Form

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18.03.02

Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, Inc.

March 22, 2018

Subject: Florida First Start

BACKGROUND

Early Learning Coalitions are required to allocate 1% of the school readiness budget toward quality activities for infant and toddler care. Pinellas allocates $380,408 to infant toddler quality.

Current activities include:

1. The Infant Toddler Program which operates within the Coalition’s Professional Development department focusing on training and technical assistance for providers and teachers working primarily with children aged 0-3. The Coalition supports the adoption and implementation of approved developmentally appropriate curriculum for infant and toddlers through a series of trainings in addition to the professional development sessions available in alignment with the Florida Birth to 4 Standards. Right From the Start provides scholarship assistance and coaching to infant and toddler instructors to improve the quality of the learning environment. There are (2) paths that a teacher may take in order to complete credentialing.

The coalition must submit a description of its quality activities for infant and toddler early learning with its SR Program plan. (s. 1002.85(2)(d)2., F.S.)

A SR Program plan a coalition submits must include a detailed description of the coalition’s quality activities and services for infant and toddler early learning. Coalitions must limit activities to (s. 1002.89(6)(b), F.S.)

Training and technical assistance for school readiness providers and staff on standards and teacher-child interactions specific to infant and toddler children birth to 36 months.

Coalition services provided through contracted agencies or as direct services to providers in their respective areas.

Training and other initiatives that focus on selecting age-appropriate materials, creating developmentally-appropriate environments and using an infant/toddler mental health consultant.

Other infant and toddler quality initiatives identified and approved in the early learning coalition’s school readiness program plan.

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2A. QUEST- prep course (85) hours of coursework in addition to

variations of 35 hours as progress towards NCDA through leveraging of TEACH dollars.

B. AS degree to begin with the Infant Toddler Certificate (12 credits) through SPC utilizing TEACH Annual cost: $141,408 Annual Impact: 26 infant and toddler teachers; Approximately 156 children

2. The Coalition has a contract with the Pinellas County School Board for the Florida First Start Program. Florida First Start program is a home visitation program designed to give young children school readiness skills and to give parents strategies to be their child’s first and lifelong teacher. A complete Program Summary is attached. Annual cost: $239,000 Annual Impact: 145 children between the ages of birth to five years from 93 families were served during the 2016-17 program year.

Inadequate access to quality infant and toddler care is frequently cited by parents, community partners and a Coalition staff. (Formal study is underway with the Office of Early Learning to explore access to quality).

RECOMMENDED COALITION ACTION

Discontinue the Florida First Start Program effective July 1, 2018 and redirect Infant Toddler Quality funds to support increased capacity and quality in formal early learning settings. Supporting Documents: Florida First Start Program Summary Florida First Start Annual Report

Approval _____________________________ Chair Signature ______________________________ Date

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Program Summary Florida First Start

Florida First Start is a home visitation program serving children exhibiting high risk factors for school failure. This program helps children develop cognitive, language, social/emotional, and motor skills to support future school success. Home visits and play groups provide developmentally appropriate activities and play interaction while promoting early literacy concepts and a deeper understanding of child development. The long-term goal of Florida First Start is to prepare children for kindergarten, but important intermediate goals include supporting parents in their role as their child's first and lifelong teacher, promoting positive home/school partnerships and helping families access community resources. The program is delivered by Pinellas County School District employees and works closely with community agencies such as United Methodist Cooperative Ministries, Healthy Families, and Early Steps to identify clients. The program serves approximately 110 children at any one time and maintains a constant wait list of 15-20. All clients reside within five small areas of the county; High Point, Sunset Point, Kings Highway, Skycrest and Ridgecrest. No clients reside south of Ulmerton Road and north county areas such as Tarpon Springs and Oldsmar are also outside of the service area. Many clients that would qualify for services reside in those areas, making expansion of the program a matter of financial and staff resources, not a question of demand. Florida First Start staff work with families to administer the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) developmental screener and conduct the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory (HOME). The HOME inventory is designed to measure the quality and quantity of stimulation and support available to a child in the home environment. The focus is on the child in the environment, child as a recipient of inputs from objects, events, and transactions occurring in connection with the family surroundings. Although neither evaluation is a formal kindergarten readiness assessment, they address the foundational skills and inputs critical to readiness. Every client is screened with the ASQ according to schedule and the HOME is administered every six months. The two evaluations offer a well-rounded view of both the benefits of the intervention and the child’s relationship to age-level expectations of healthy development. With significant risk factors present, these two measurements offer actionable data and a clear understanding of the client’s progress toward typical development and kindergarten readiness. Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program participation is strongly encouraged by staff, offering the opportunity for the child to be formally assessed through VPK program assessments. Delivery through the Pinellas County School Board places financial restrictions on the single-largest element of the program budget, staff salary. As a result of being tied to district-wide negotiations for staff qualifications and salary schedule, program leadership has very little leeway with its budget, leading to challenges in funding equipment,

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materials and other miscellaneous costs. The one-to-one nature of the home visits and very low ratios in playgroup combine with the lack of flexibility in staffing to create significant budgeting challenges and restrict program growth. The program design calls for significant staff resources, and the inability to control that cost is a major challenge. Florida First Start receives significant in-kind assistance from the Pinellas County School District in the form of a physical office location, Human Resources, other back office support, IT support and facility maintenance. There is significant financial value in these in-kind services. The intervention reaches a population that is unlikely to qualify for School Readiness child care scholarship funding, and yet is at significant risk to arrive at kindergarten unready. Program staff strongly encourage families to utilize VPK programming and assist with the application process when necessary. The methods of identifying clients are strong and the program is continually operating at full capacity. Additional resources, or more flexibility with current level of resource, would allow more children and families to benefit from the intervention. It is an excellent effort, both for infants and toddlers, and as a school readiness quality initiative.

$239,000 3.5 FTE

Attachments:

Logic Model Annual Report HOME Parents As Teachers

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Florida First Start Annual Report 2016-2017

We first met Lizzie when she rang the bell to Florida First Start. She is a teenage mom still working on her diploma. She was very much like a teenager with a doll. She often forgot home visits and did not make classes because she “had stuff to do.” Lizzie has learned how to speak to her daughter as a mother and make plans to get together with other moms so her daughter can have age appropriate fun. Lizzie attends school regularly and will graduate in December and is working part time. She got her driver’s permit. Instead of using excuses like “I don’t have a computer” to complete assignments, she now goes to the library. Lizzie’s little girl notices a difference, too. When reciting a nursery rhyme and asked where she learned it, she said, “My mother taught me.” She knows her mommy loves her and will keep her safe and is her first and most important teacher. Lizzie is just one of 93 families that Florida First Start made a difference in the lives of children.

Demographic Information The Florida First Start Program is a school readiness program funded by the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas, Inc., and staffed and housed by Pinellas County Schools. There are two offices with the primary office space at the Florida First Start Family Resource Center at 218 4th Place SW in Largo and additional office space at the Bernice Johnson Student Services Center, 2929 County Road 193, Clearwater. Playgroups were offered at six locations this year:

Bernice Johnson Student Services Center Florida First Start Family Resource Center High Point YMCA at 5345 Laurel Place, Clearwater Largo Central Park, 101 Central Park Drive, Largo Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Family Neighborhood Center, 900

North Dr. MLK, Jr., Avenue, Clearwater Southern Comfort Mobile Home Park, 24479 US Highway 19

North, Clearwater A total of 145 children between the ages of birth to five years were served during the 2016-17 program year. This represents 93 families, 11 early childcare centers, and 10 elementary schools.

Staff Qualifications The program supports 5 paid positions. All are current in CPR and First Aid. All home visitors have completed Partners for a Healthy Baby home visiting curriculum offered by Florida State. Coordinator (one): B.S. Elementary Education, Early Childhood Graduate Courses, Florida Teaching Certificate. Infant Toddler Specialist (one): B.S. with focus on Child Development and Psychology Graduation Certificate in Infant Toddler Development Specialist (ITDS). Paraprofessionals (three): Associate Degrees in the field of education. Two have additional degrees from other countries: Bachelors in

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Elementary Education and a three-year degree in Educational Psychology, Behavior Programs and Learning Disabilities. Project Enrollment 1,933 Home visits completed (July 2016-May 2017)

61 Parents/grandparents attended at least one playgroup 76 Children attended at least one playgroup 45 Playgroups and special events offered 85 Additional children in household impacted by program

239 Contacts with K children/families/school (August 2016-December 2016)

91 Families with library cards

Playgroups Location # of

Playgroups Children (c) Attending

Parents/Grands Attending

FFS 218 4th Place SW Largo

20 54

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High Point YMCA 2538 Laurel Place Clearwater

9 19

16

Southern Comfort Mobile Home Park 12935 US Hwy 19 North, Clearwater

6 19 17

MLK Jr. Family Neighborhood Center 900 N. Dr. MLK Jr. Avenue, Clearwater

7 24 20

Largo Central Park 101 Central Park Dr. Largo

1

13

10

Bernice Johnson Ctr. 2929 Cty. Road 193, Clearwater

1 5

7

Pinellas County Schools Admin. Bldg. 301 4th Street SW Largo

1 (Special Event)

18

16

TOTALS 45 152 128

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The first time we met Izzy she was suffering from post partum depression a year after childbirth. She had two little girls, ages 1 and 2, who did not speak at all. They hit each other, grabbed toys away, and pulled hair to communicate. Mom joined our FFS group. She became the “ideal” FFS parent. She got a library card, attended playgroups, started talking to her children, signed up for VROOM, and completed her home visits. Mom now takes the girls to the library weekly and reads daily to her children. The children qualified for Early Steps and both are in early childhood education centers. They are speaking words and some sentences. Mom and dad are very proud of the progress their girls are making. They are their children’s first and most important teachers and are seeing the success of their labors. These girls were 2 of our 18 Early Steps referrals. Developmental Issues Florida First Start staff completed Ages and Stages Questionnaires and Ages and Stages Social-Emotional Screeners according to the guidelines for all children in FFS. Language and communication is the major area of developmental concern. English is not the primary language in 78% of the homes but all are exposed to English. FFS emphasizes expressive and receptive language and social and emotional skills during home visits and playgroups. Based on the screeners, parent input, and observations, 18 children were referred for services through Early Steps and 5 to Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System (FDLRS) by FFS and 4 were referred by pediatricians. There were 18 children receiving or who received services this year; 5 children receiving Early Steps no longer qualify; 1 child in Pre-K ESE class will start kindergarten in general education. There are 4 families in the process for evaluations and 4 to follow through with evaluations. FFS works closely to develop gross motor skills through playgroups and home visits. Children, ages 3 and older, were referred for swimming lessons. All were encouraged to play at the rec center, a park, the beach, or a playground to develop gross motor skills. FFS helped families to apply for early childcare assistance or VPK vouchers through the Early Learning Coalition, Head Start, and Early Head Start. Families were referred to back-to-school events, Clothes To Kids, job fairs, English language learning classes, food pantries, credit recovery programs, CASA, Family Promise, Homeless Education Assistance Team, Habitat for Humanity, Kinship program, Operation PAR, Project Challenge, Rapid Recovery, Suncoast Center for Family Resources, recreation centers, the YMCA, FASFA, St. Petersburg College, Pinellas Technical College, the Hispanic Outreach Center, PSTA’s disadvantaged transportation program, library story hours and services, Healthy Start baby showers, community events, and community screenings.

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Kindergarten Readiness Fifteen children entered kindergarten this year at ten elementary schools. All staff visited kindergarten classrooms the first day of school to ease the transition into kindergarten and to observe kindergarten readiness skills. Six kindergarten children in Florida First Start have younger siblings who continue to receive services. FFS could not access Florida readiness scores this year. Based on communications with kindergarten teachers, 13 of 15 children demonstrated kindergarten readiness skills (87%).

Collaborations and Sponsors Florida First Start collaborated with many agencies and partners to support parents in their role as their children’s first teacher. School readiness skills and literacy skills were taught through home visits and playgroups using the Parents As Teachers curriculum and Partners for a Healthy Baby. Play group space and office space was provided as listed previously. Pinellas County Schools provided maintenance and security round the clock at both locations and a new roof and a defibrillator at the Largo office. They also provided administrative services and training opportunities in various areas including training by Dr. Pam Phelps. The Florida Healthy Start Coalition provided training by Dr. Arthur R. James on “Equity: A Dream Deferred.” The training addressed the infant mortality rate and the diversity in this rate. Habitat for Humanity spoke to program staff about qualifications to achieve housing. Two families are working with Habitat for Humanity. The United Methodist Cooperative Ministries (UMCM) Family Literacy program continues to give priority registration to FFS families for English language learning. The Hispanic Outreach Center in Clearwater also provided English language learning, resources, and support to Florida First Start families. Juvenile Welfare Board provided a training session for all staff on the Warning Signs Campaign to prevent needless deaths of infants. FFS is a collaborative member of many community groups including the Early Learning Coalition School Readiness Committee, Hispanic Leadership Council in Clearwater, Pre-K to Kindergarten Partnership Committee, the Pinellas County Home Visiting Collaborative, the LSF Head Start/Early Head Start School Readiness Committee and the Policy Council, the Pinellas Healthy Start Coalition, the Suncoast Chapter 176 for Council of

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Exceptional Children, and the Joint Child Care Advisory Committee. FFS staff also volunteered at Make a Difference Day and HUGS Day. The Young At Heart (YAH) organization purchased healthy snacks for all playgroups and special events this year. They purchased a picture dictionary and a school t-shirt for every child entering Kindergarten. YAH provided home visitors with gift cards to purchase items for home visiting literacy activities. YAH purchased $1,000 in books for literacy kits and for book fairs this year. Pinellas County Schools Homeless Education Assistance Team donated 89 backpacks with 5-7 books in each and provided services for a homeless family in FFS. CASA also provided services for this family. Teakwood Village Mobile Home Park, Young at Heart, Pinellas County Schools Administration Building employees, Bernice Johnson employees, and community members adopted 51 children to provide developmental toys, books, and grocery gift cards for the holidays. With the abundance of donations, every family received a bag of developmental toys, books, and practical items for the holidays.

Donations of clothing, baby clothes, swings, play pals, baby items, shoes, toys, books, games, and nonperishables were accepted from other FFS families, Young at Heart, Administrative Building employees, the Pre-K ESE program, FFS staff family members and neighbors, and Miss Lynne. These items were offered in a “free” rummage sale for families.

Other community partners included: Clothes To Kids – school uniforms or school clothes Early Learning Coalition – childcare vouchers Early Steps – assessments for birth to 3 FDLRS – assessments for children 3 to 5 Head Start – child care for children 3 to 5 and registration at playgroups Early Head Start – child care for ages 1-3 and registration at playgroups Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd – pumpkin patch field trip Pinellas County Schools Pre-K ESE Department – parent library resources St. Petersburg Community Church – Thanksgiving meals and school supplies

Lisa was having trouble managing her 18-month-old son. She met Renee and her 2-year-old son. Lisa saw that Renee was not struggling as she was. Renee told her she needed Florida First Start. At Renee’s next home visit, she called Lisa and handed the phone to her home visitor.

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Referral Sources Fourteen new families entered Florida First Start this year and 11 new babies were born to existing families. Referrals were from: existing families in the program (5), Early Steps (3), Kimberly Homes (3), Healthy Start (2), and from the Southern Comfort playgroup (1). Six families attended playgroups and are on the waitlist for home visits. HOME Scores The Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) school readiness home rating scale is completed when a family joins the program then again each subsequent August and February. There is a version for infant/toddlers for children ages birth until 3 and a version for preschoolers for children from ages 3 to 5. Comparison of HOME scores are only valid if a family is in the same residence for each scale administered. A comparison of the scores of program families who had the same version of the HOME completed in both August and February shows 49 out of 65 applicable families (75%) had improvement in their February scores and 59 out of 65 applicable families maintained the same score or showed gains for a total of 90%. Safety Checklist During the program year, every family enrolled in August and February completed a Safety Checklist with their FFS home visitor. This checklist covers the ten following areas: in the car, at play, traffic tips, personal safety, sun safety, burns, medicines and poisons, lead poisoning, pools and hot tubs, and guns. This is done conversationally during home visits. Family Well Being All home visits include a family well being and/or family literacy component. Monthly newsletters provide child development, health and safety, and parenting information in Spanish and English. Lisa was referred to Florida First Start a few years back. Her son did not know how to play. He would throw toys and hurt other children. He would hit and pull hair. Mom was embarrassed to take him out in public. We met Lisa at the library and helped her to get a library card, showed her how to pick out books, and let her child experience the excitement of the library. Lisa followed through with suggested activities. She started taking two busses to attend playgroups. Lisa had another child. She has found joy in showing us the things her children can do and takes pride in her role as her child’s first and most important teacher. She is actively involved in her children’s education so much so that her child’s VPK program asked for information about Florida First Start so they could refer others. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and families!

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LOGIC MODEL FOR FLORIDA FIRST START – a program designed to empower families to help their children be successful in school and to have a better life by teaching parents they are their child’s first and most important teacher.

PLANNED WORK INTENDED RESULTS

What are the resources To run your program?

What activities will be implemented, using the identified resources?

What artifacts or other documentation will be produced as evidence

that planned activities were implemented?

In what ways will the target populations benefit if planned activities are

implemented (short-term)?

What substantive needed changes or improvements will occur within the community if

the planned activities are implemented (long-term)?

ELC Funding $239,330 Salaries - home visits,

playgroups, training, early childhood education registration, referrals, program

documentation. Travel - home visits, training,

and meetings.

Supplies - playgroups, home visits, assessments, resources, and office.

Home visit HV records, playgroup sign-in sheets, copies of paychecks, invoices and monitoring documents, training certificates Travel reimbursement forms and copies of checks, HV records, training certificates, calendars Toys, HOME inventory (Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment), ASQ and ASQ:SE screeners, purchase orders, invoices, HV literacy kits and backpacks

The Infant-Toddler HOME

results indicate families enrolled in FFS made gains in Learning Materials (1.9%),

Involvement (1.09%), and Responsivity (1.5%). Overall

families made an average gain of 6.1% in all areas

which include Organization, Acceptance, and Variety.

Five children have been referred this year with

developmental concerns,

Parents will apply experiences

learned in the program improving the quality of parent-child interactions.

Children with more quality interactions with parents are

better prepared for school. Parents will set goals and

complete planned actions toward goals. Parents will be empowered to advocate for

their children, begin reaching out to other parents, and

assume leadership roles in the

Inputs/Resources Activities Outputs Outcomes Impact

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Copier rentals and copies

Cell phones

Invoices and purchase orders, newsletters, parent keys, parent handouts, Parents As Teachers curriculum, Safety assessments, orientation packet Invoices, Airwatch monitoring

one did not qualify.

Currently, 3 children receive services from Early Steps, 10 children are enrolled in Pre-

K ESE classrooms.

Staff help eligible families register for high quality early childhood education.

community. The readiness

rate for FFS children entering Kindergarten in 2017 was 91% according to teacher input.

Three children no longer

qualify for ESE services.

In 2017-18, 38% of eligible children are enrolled in Gold Seal centers.

Young at Heart $2,000 in books and gift cards

Snacks for playgroups Home visit enhancements to

teach skills (i.e., food for cooking, dirt and seeds for

gardening, shaving cream, etc.) Books for book fairs, backpacks, literacy kits, reading

log rewards

Receipts, sign-in sheets for playgroups and book fairs, backpack log, home visit records, reading logs

97% of FFS families have library cards.

41% of families eligible for

playgroup have attended at least 3 or more since September, 2017.

Parents participate in community events/activities

and seek out activities.

All families use the libraries occasionally, but 31% use the library on a monthly basis

including those without cards.

Pinellas County Schools Offices Administration Maintenance Security Computer Assistance Training $5,211.00

Office space for staff at two

locations, playgroup site, parent resource library,

training, mileage rate and travel differential, referendum salary

rate

Time sheets, calendars, police

logs, evaluations, work orders, playgroup sign-in sheets,

newsletter, home visit records, travel reimbursement

forms, copies of checks, training certificates

Home visitors use Parents

As Teachers literacy kits for home visits and share

resources with parents. Home visitors also use

Partners for a Healthy Baby curriculum and handouts.

As the parents use these resources, they will use more effective discipline techniques and will teach children routines for bedtime, meals, morning, etc. Routines are essential for the school day and reduce discipline problems.

Playgroup Sites Juvenile Welfare Board

Southern Comfort Mobile Home Park

YMCA

Clearwater Neighborhood

Family Center (NFC) High Point NFC

Southern Comfort Mobile Home Park Community Ctr.

High Point YMCA

Playgroup sign-in sheets, travel reimbursement forms, monthly newsletters

Parents interact with their

children through purposeful play. Parents establish or

strengthen a circle of support. Children learn

social skills from playing with others.

Children are socially and emotionally ready for

kindergarten. Families develop stronger community ties.

79 Families served in 2017-18 Project Year to Date (1/25/18) - Representing 123 Children

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18.03.03


Subject: Approval of Advisory Member

BACKGROUND The Coalition Bylaws state:

The Statutory Directors are those Directors specified in Chapter 1002.83 of the Florida Statutes. Private Sector Board Members including Governor Appointments shall be selected as required by law (Appointed Directors) and all other Directors shall be nominated by the Nominating Committee as provided by Section 7.2. Director voting shall be consistent with the statutory requirements.

Major David Dalton of the Clearwater Police Department has applied to serve on the Board of Directors. A member of law enforcement is not one of the Statutory Directors and does not meet the definition of private sector. However, this individual could serve on the board as a (nonvoting) Advisory Member.

Supporting Documentation Attached: Advisory Board Membership Application


To nominate David Dalton to serve as Advisory Member on the ELC Board.

Approval

Chair Signature

Date

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2536 Countryside Blvd., Suite 500 Clearwater, FL 33763 Phone: (727) 548-1439 Fax: (727) 548-1509

February 2, 2018 Nina Meyers Holy Family Early Childhood Center 200 78TH Ave NE St. Petersburg FL, 33702 Dear Nina: On behalf of the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, Inc. Board of Directors, we would like to congratulate you on reaching your goal of becoming Gold Seal Accredited on January 25, 2018. The Coalition is incredibly proud of your accomplishment and your motivation to provide a high quality early learning environment for our children. The research is clear that children will ultimately benefit from your efforts as they will be more prepared to enter into kindergarten. We could not do our job without providers like you. It is with great pleasure that we acknowledge your efforts and extend our sincere congratulations. We are incredibly proud of your accomplishment. Thank you for your commitment to quality child care. Sincerely, Lindsay Carson, MNM CEO Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, Inc.

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CEO Report Submitted by Lindsay Carson March 19, 2018

Enrollment and Utilization In February, we served 6,112 children in the School Readiness program. All children (ages 0-5) who entered they waitlist prior to March 7, 2018 have been invited into care. We are continuously enrolling as funding allows. We are on track to close the fiscal year with a balanced budget. The Prek All Day Program has launched and we currently have 31 children enrolled. This program has not utilized to the level we anticipated. The Juvenile Welfare Board has agreed to allow us to redirect some resources to support a Public Relations campaign with B2 Communications. We are also preparing to conduct focus groups with families of young children to learn more about the barriers to VPK; and how we can best support families in preparing their children for kindergarten. ELC Offices It is my understanding that the sale of Clearwater office fell through so we will not be moving at this time. Additionally, our staff located at Eckerd Community Alternatives will be moving into the Clearwater office on April 9th. This will allow us to better serve our clients with privacy and access to computer kiosks. We will be cross-training staff at our St. Petersburg office so these clients will soon have the option of going there, instead of driving to Largo. We will be working with Eckerd Community Alternatives, Directions for Living, PCSO and Lutheran Services on a transition plan to ensure we continue solid partnerships that support our clients. Thrive by Five Pinellas I am pleased to announce that we have hired a Director of Community Impact who will shepherd our collective impact initiative, Thrive by Five Pinellas. Caterina Runyon. For the past 20 yrs, Caterina has worked diligently to advocate for & build systems of care that serve children & families in need. She has worked within early childhood education and with children affected by various traumas to include the incarceration of a parent and addiction affected families. Caterina is originally from Santiago, Chile and is fluent in English & Spanish. She has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Southern California and a post graduate Non-Profit Executive Leadership Certificate from the University of Notre Dame. She has completed various courses at Antioch University & professional development through Harvard's Graduate School of Education.

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2018 Legislative Session Summary

CS/CS/HB1091 Early Learning This bill requires program assessment (CLASS) & establishes minimum standard for School Readiness providers, appropriation $6 million; requires differential payments based on quality (subject to appropriation); allows coalition boards to adopt local eligibility priorities for School Readiness; expands definition of at risk to include victims of domestic violence, not just those residing at a shelter. CS/HB 7055 Education Among many other things, this bill allows early learning coalitions to refuse to contract with a School Readiness or VPK provider who has been cited for a Class I violation. Coalitions may consider a providers licensing history before entering into a contract with a provider. CS/CS/HB1435 Child Welfare – Rilya Wilson Act This bill requires children removed from the home due to projection to be enrolled in childcare. These children are already served through our School Readiness program. The child must allowed to remain in the child care or early education setting that he or she attended before entry into out-of-home care unless the program is not in the best interest of the child. If it is not in the best interest of the child to remain in their current setting, the caregiver must work with the case manager, guardian ad litem, child care and education staff to determine the best setting for the child. Such setting may be a provider that receives Gold Seal, participates in a quality rating system, etc… While Coalitions have the ability to waive the “parent copay”, many high quality providers charge the differential between the School Readiness reimbursement rate and the providers private pay rates. There is concern that this places and additional burden on Foster General Appropriations Act Below are additional items of interest from the 2019 Early Learning Budget: School Readiness $618,034,644; local match requirement remains at 6%.

Pinellas allocation $ 30,840,464; $351,071 increase VPK $398,444,762 (no increase to BSA; school year BSA $2,437; summer BSA $2,080)

Pinellas allocation $15,507,937; Performance Based Incentives (PFP)- $15,500,000 TEACH -$10,000,000 Help Me Grow - $1,808,957 HIPPY - $ 3,900,000 Professional Development System - $3,000,000 CCEP - $15,000,000 Fraud Restitution Payment Allocations - $950,000

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Other Projects: Books to Babies Seminole County Pilot Project -$150,000 (Seminole) Little Havana Activities and Nutrition Center - $100,000 (Miami-Dade) Preschool Emergency Alert Response Learning System (PEARLS)- $800,000 (Manatee) Riviera Beach Early Learning to Kindergarten Pilot - $150,000 (Palm Beach) VPK Pre and post-assessment; Progress Monitoring Assessment developed by the Department of Education in collaboration with the Florida Center for Reading Research and for professional development opportunities and online training for Voluntary Prekindergarten providers with a focus on emergent literacy and mathematical thinking - $1,629,791 Several bills have been filed that impact early learning. There are a few that have momentum in both the House and Senate. SB1532/H1175 Early Learning Coalitions Authorizes ELCs to terminate or refuse School Readiness contract due to Class 1 licensing violations. We currently do not have the authority to deny a new provider contract based on past licensing history. No fiscal impact. SB1254/HB1091 Early Learning (Program Assessment) Requires program assessment (CLASS) & establishes minimum standard, appropriation $6 million; requires differential payments based on quality (subject to appropriation); allows coalition boards to adopt local eligibility priorities for School Readiness; expands definition of at risk to include victims of domestic violence, not just those residing at a shelter. HB1365/SB1822 Early Learning (Child Assessment) Requires the use of observation-based assessments in determining the kindergarten readiness rate; requires the Office of Early Learning to adopt an observation-based child assessment system, subject to appropriation; requires early learning coalitions to implement an observation-based assessment for certain children; requires school readiness program providers to conduct an observation-based child assessment (coalitions are currently prohibited from requiring the use of child assessment in School Readiness). This bill is the outcome of the Early Grade Success Taskforce established last session to explore the use of child assessment for children ages 0-5. While it has not been heard at the committee level, elements could be amended into another bill.

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Public Notice

April 2018 – June 2018

The Early Learning Coalition announces the following public meetings at which all interested parties are invited to attend.

Advancement Committee (normally scheduled to occur the second Wednesday of every month) Location: Early Learning Coalition, 2536 Countryside Blvd., Suite 500, Clearwater FL 33763

Next Scheduled Meetings: Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 13, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. Program Development Committee (normally scheduled to occur the third Monday of every other month) Location: Early Learning Coalition, 2536 Countryside Blvd., Suite 500, Clearwater FL 33763

Next Scheduled Meetings: Monday, April 23, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. Monday, June 25, 2018 at 1:00 p.m.

Finance Committee (normally scheduled to occur the third Thursday of every other month) Location: Early Learning Coalition, 2536 Countryside Blvd., Suite 500, Clearwater FL 33763

Next Scheduled Meeting: Thursday, May 17, 2018 at 4:00 p.m.

Executive Committee (normally scheduled to occur the third Thursday of every other month) Location: Early Learning Coalition, 2536 Countryside Blvd., Suite 500, Clearwater FL 33763


Board of Directors (normally scheduled to occur the fourth Thursday of every other month) Location: Early Learning Coalition, 2536 Countryside Blvd., Suite 500, Clearwater FL 33763


All Early Learning Coalition Board and Committee Meetings are publically noticed and the public has the right to comment. Those wishing to comment must fill out a Public Comment Card

and provide it to the recorder prior to the agenda item segment of the meeting.

For specific questions or requests for ADA accommodations, please contact Eva Stoddard 727-400-4446 at least 10 business days prior to the meeting date.

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