We can help you recruit more students and cover their fees.
Because children who participate in early learning programs are much more ready for kindergarten than those who don’t, we help make preschool affordable for every family, regardless of where they live or their income level.
What is the School Readiness Program?
The School Readiness program provides curriculum-driven child care to working families, those who are attending career training or educational programs, and to families and/or children with specific needs. The Florida Department of Education, through the Division of Early Learning, oversees the program at the State level, while the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County (ELCHC) administers the program locally.
Legally operating child care programs (Private Child Care Providers, Public Schools, Family Child Care Homes, and Faith Based Providers) may enter into a contract with the Early Learning Coalition to offer the program if they meet the contractual requirements. This gives child care programs an opportunity to serve the community and also participate in a wide range of quality programs, grants and initiatives through the Early Learning Coalition. Families and child care programs benefit from the financial assistance provided by the School Readiness program to cover many of the costs of quality child care.
Not sure where to start?
Start here.
Interested in becoming a School Readiness Provider?
Are you a current School Readiness Provider?
Some benefits of being a School Readiness Provider include:
- Opportunities for teachers to participate in the T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship which offers a strategy for improving the education, compensation, and retention of the early childhood workforce through a partnership principle that involves the sharing of expenses by the early educator, receiving the scholarship, the sponsoring child care facility and T.E.A.C.H.
- Supporting School Readiness eligible families in covering the cost of care
- Technical support and coaching available for teachers through the ELCEC’s University of Florida Certified Coaches.
- Professional development and training opportunities available in topics aligned with best practice for Early Childhood Education
- Access to a developmental screening tool and inclusion support and technical assistance from ELCEC’s trained specialist
- Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) observations provided to measure quality child-teacher interactions that guide professional development strategies