In this Issue
- Spotlight On: CCTAPES
- Forum Corner
- Welcome New Forum Members
- Children's Movement of Florida Update
- Early Learning Coalition Briefs
- 17th Annual Children's Week
- T.E.A.C.H. Updates
- Afterschool Initiatives
- In the News
- Calendar of Events
Message From the President
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I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season filled with family, happiness and joy. We all begin the New Year with a fresh start and new beginnings, including our elected officials, who will start their first day of the 2012 Legislative Session on January 10. We hope that our legislators' New Year's resolutions will focus on our vision; a future where all children succeed.
At the helm of the Florida Office of Early Learning (OEL) is Dr. Dr. Jurado, the new director who joined the team in the fall of 2011. We are excited about her visionary leadership and look forward to working with her and the OEL team to realize our common goals. She brings a fresh perspective from the business community as well as years of leadership on the local Early Learning Coalition board as the chair from Hillsborough County. Welcome Dr. Jurado!
The Forum supports Governor Scott's budget recommendation to increase education funding by $1 billion. If the Legislature approves this recommendation, it is a step in the right direction for our children and their future. We also encourage legislators to support the following initiatives:
- Professional development opportunities for child care and afterschool practitioners
Expanding the knowledge and skills of our early care and education and afterschool workforce is critical and ensures that young children will be ready to succeed in school and in life. Continued funding of $3M annually for the Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) Early Childhood® Scholarship Program is central in achieving this goal. - School readiness funding for working families
Parents must work to stabilize Florida's economy. However, many families are unable to afford the cost of child care and therefore remain unemployed. Assistance in paying for quality child care helps Florida families work but thousands more remain on a waiting list. - Enhancing the quality of prekindergarten programs
Research shows that children who attend quality prekindergarten programs are more likely to graduate high school, attend college and be contributing members of society. Every dollar spent on prekindergarten programs today yields a return on investment of $7 in the long run. The Forum also supports the Children's Movement of Florida's legislative agenda that requires evidence-based curriculum, as well as pre and post-assessments in every prekindergarten classroom
We are so grateful for our members, board of directors, partners and staff who work tirelessly to collectively weave the threads of supports more tightly for the benefit of our children. Let's all work together and let our elected officials know that investments in these programs are producing the outcomes that will make a difference for Florida's future.
Best,
Phyllis Kalifeh
