A Year in Review
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| Phyllis Kalifeh |
Dear Members Partners and Friends,
What a year it's been for new opportunities and experiences! We began by celebrating 20 years of service to early care and education and school-age professionals who strive for excellence to ensure the best possible learning outcomes for children and their families. I enjoyed seeing many of you at our receptions in Tampa, Tallahassee and Miami and am humbled by how many of you played an important role in our history and contributed towards the achievement of our goals.
In addition to celebrating our 20th Anniversary, the Forum went global when our School-Age Services program director contracted with the United States Air Force to conduct a series of presentations for school-age providers who serve children on military bases around the country and worldwide. The presentations, that focused on teaching strategies and activities that are developmentally appropriate and suitable for small groups of multi-aged children, were held at 25 Air Force Bases stateside plus three overseas, including Okinawa and Tokyo, Japan, as well as Frankfurt, Germany. In addition, two proposals written by Forum staff members were accepted regarding quality enhancement services and quality assurance services issued respectively by the Early Learning Coalition of Brevard County and the combined Early Learning Coalitions of Florida's Heartland, Sarasota, and Southwest Florida. Services for the proposals are based on the administration of the Environment Rating Scales (ERS) in child care programs in 10 Florida counties with a goal of increasing the environmental quality of programs for young children and ensuring that appropriate services are available to promote their optimal development and prepare them for school success. Finally, the Forum launched a Professional Development Systems program that is available to Early Learning Coalitions and other organizations that promote excellence within the early childhood and school-age fields. The Professional Development Systems include a Professional Development Registry, a Training Calendar, an Online Event System and Continuing Education Units. View our Professional Development Systems webinar to learn more.
On behalf of our board of directors and staff, thank you for believing in us and defending our mission to help ensure that children grow and thrive. Our success and accomplishments would not have been possible without your support. Thank you for partnering to ensure a better future for Florida's children.
Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a Bright New Year!
- Phyllis Kalifeh, President and CEO
