Spotlight On: T.E.A.C.H.

Are you thinking about advancing your career but can't cover the expenses for college or know where to begin? You may need to look no further than the Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) Early Childhood^® Scholarship Program. Now in its 12th year of operation at the Children's Forum, T.E.A.C.H. is making a difference in the lives of child care practitioners. T.E.A.C.H provides scholarships for early childhood caregivers and center directors to work towards earning an AS degree in Early Childhood Education, a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, a Florida Staff Credential or a Director Credential. It links training, compensation and commitment to improve the quality of early childhood care for young children and their families. In doing so, child care programs experience reduced turnover and child care practitioners experience increased professional status and job satisfaction. Children are the main beneficiaries as they have consistent caregivers who are sensitive to their needs and who understand child development.

The T.E.A.C.H. program, the caregiver receiving the scholarship, and the sponsoring child care center are all involved in a partnership for the sharing of education expenses to ensure practitioner commitment to enhancing their professional development. T.E.A.C.H. provides the majority of tuition and book costs, a per-semester stipend for travel or for internet access, a bonus for caregivers and directors who complete their contract, counseling and administrative support, and reimbursement to early childhood programs or family child care homes for release time given to scholarship participants.

Funded by the Agency for Workforce Innovation-Office of Early Learning, T.E.A.C.H. works with 53 colleges, universities and vocational technical schools throughout the state as well as 14 community-based training institutions. Some colleges even provide online courses for students who prefer this method of instruction.

"I am a participant in the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship Program, and I have always had a love for education and helping out children, especially from infants to three years," said Deborah Johnson, a current T.E.A.C.H. participant and family child care home provider. "I have put four children through college as a single parent. Now I have the opportunity I wanted in order to help others. T.E.A.C.H. has allowed me to further my education in early childhood and improve the quality of the care I provide to the children while preparing them for school in their developmental stages of growth. It makes it possible for teachers to stay in this field that we love so much."

Child care center teachers, directors, owners, and family child care providers may be eligible for a scholarship if they are Florida residents, have a high school diploma or GED, work in a licensed or license-exempt early child care facility, work a minimum of 20 hours per week, work a minimum of 520 hours per year and have the sponsorship of the child care center or family child care home that employs them.

Since 1998, more than 27,000 scholarships have been awarded. The turnover rate for T.E.A.C.H. program participants is less than 8 percent; a testament to the success of this program as compared to an industry-wide turnover rate of 30-40 percent.

"The average rate of compensation for teachers in early care and education programs is around $9 per hour and more than 30 percent of individuals employed in a child care setting will leave within the first year of employment," said Lori Stegmeyer, Director of Early Childhood Workforce Initiatives at the Children's Forum. "Without T.E.A.C.H., many teachers would never be able to enhance their education, receive an increase in pay or remain employed which all reflect positive outcomes for young children."

T.E.A.C.H. scholarship applications are accepted year-round and there is still time to apply for the fall semester.

To learn more about the T.E.A.C.H. program or become a participant, please visit www.teach-fl.com or call 877-FL-TEACH (358-3224) or send an e-mail TeachQuestions@thechildrensforum.com. T.E.A.C.H. counselors are available Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. to answer your questions and concerns.

View T.E.A.C.H. Testimonials

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Spotlight On: T.E.A.C.H.