The Early Learning Coalition of Alachua County (ELCAC) is here to assist your Child Care Center or Family Child Care Home to reach the highest standard of early care and education. There are many benefits in partnering with the ELCAC to serve children.
For provider services:
Jump to: Child Care Program Development
Jump to: Training and Continuing Education
Jump to: VPK Standards I and II
Jump to: Tenure and Professional Development Incentive (TPDI)
Jump to:Inclusion | Special Needs | WarmLine
Providers: There are no charges/fees associated with a provider listing in the Child Care Resource & Referral Database or for referrals to your program. If you are asked to provide a payment for a refrral or listing in the Child Care Resource & Referral Database, please call the Agency for Workforce Innovation's Office of Early Learning at 1-800-357-3239. The information reported about a provider's program is objective program information that is based on standards that are attainable for providers based on their type of care.
Child Care Program Development
Mission Statement:
The mission of the Program Development Team is to develop partnerships with Child Care providers in order to promote quality child care experiences for all families. The Program team uses assessments and evaluations. This allows us to:
- Share with visioning and goal setting for high quality child care
- Help providers through a series of evaluations to prepare them for accreditation
- Support providers with technical assistance, resources, materials, trainings & professional development
- Help providers meet their contract requirements.
Potential Providers:
If you are a child care Provider that is interested in partnering with the Early Learning Coalition of Alachua County, please contact a member of the Program Development Team for more information. If you do not have a License from the Dept. of Children and Families, please go to DCF for more information.
DCF Website: Forms and Applications for Child Care Provider Registration and Licensing
DCF Phone:
(386) 758-1510 and Fax: (386) 758-1514
Our hours are: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
Rita Jones, Team Coordinator, ext. 125 or rjones@elcalachua.org
Sharon Archie, Program Development Specialist, ext. 121 or sarchie@elcalachua.org
Laura Thomas, Program Development Specialist, ext. 120 or lthomas@elcalachua.org
For School Readiness, contact Lakesha Bowie at 352-375-4110 ext. 101 or ltbowie@elcalachua.org,
or Wilma Diaz at 352-375-4110 ext. 104 or wdiaz@elcalachua.org
You may also go directly to the State of Florida School Readiness site for information and to register, go here.
Training and Continuing Education for more detail see: Teacher Resources
Jump to: Child Care Program |
Well trained and educated teachers prepare children for success in kindergarten and beyond. That is why the Early Learning Coalition provides high quality training opportunities throughout the year. Qualified trainers offer a variety of topics to meet the needs of early childhood educators.
Check the Calendar for upcoming trainings.
All trainings require pre-registration with Sherry Mullins
Program Administrative Assistant (352) 375-4110 ext 133.
Cancellations must be called in at least 24 hours prior to any training.
Training topics include:
- LAP 3 Assessment
- Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum/practices
- Services for children with special needs
Incorporating VPK Standards I and II
Child Development Associate Equivalency (CDAE) classes are offered in conjunction with Santa Fe Community College. State approved online CDAE programs are listed at www.myflorida.com/childcare
Professional Development services:
- Guidance, referrals and assistance for teachers and directors to increase educational level (ie. GED to C.D.A., A.A. to Bachelors, etc.)
- Scholarship opportunities
- Sponsorship for conferences and trainings
- Continuing Education Unit (CEU) opportunities
For Scholarship applications and Conference Participation Applications, visit Information & Resources.
Tenure and Professional Development Incentive (TPDI): This is an incentive program that encourages early childhood educators to stay on the job and pursue higher levels of education by offering a semi-annual stipend. The stipend amounts vary with levels of education and are only offered to teachers who remain at their programs for six months or longer.
TPDI Applications will be available March and September of every year.
Fall 2010 Documents:
TPDI Renewal and Verification Application
Contact Melissa Maroney at (352) 375-4110 ext 151 Mmaroney@elcalachua.org.
Jump to: Child Care Program |
Questions about:
- Registering for an ELC training, contact Sherry Mullins, Program Administrative Assistant at (352) 375-4110 ext. 133.
- Local trainings or Professional Development opportunities, contact Andi Lybrand, Training and Curriculum Coordinator, at (352) 375-4110 ext. 130
- State training requirements, CDAE renewal and online classes offered by DCF, contact the Child Care Training Information Center at 1-888-352-2848, or online at http://www.myflorida.com/childcare.
Child Development Program - Meeting the needs of the “whole child”
Basic needs must be met for children to learn and prepare for success in school. That is why ELCAC uses a comprehensive team approach to recognize, evaluate and effectively respond to the health and developmental concerns of children.
Services for Providers:
- Developmental, hearing and vision screenings for children in your center or home
- Technical assistance for inclusion of children with special needs
- Collaborating with children’s agencies in the community
For information and assistance with children at your center or home, please call our Child Development Team at (352) 375-4110.
Toby Hunter, Child Development Coordinator, ext. 114 or thunter@elcalachua.org
Hazel Vinzant, Screening and Assessment Specialist, ext. 135 or hlvinzant@elcalachua.org
Liz Roper, Screening and Assessment Specialist, ext. 132 or eroper@elcalachua.org
Jump to: Child Care Program |
Inclusion/Special Needs Program
Our Inclusion program provides information and assistance for child care providers and families regarding children with disabilities and special health care needs, in areas such as:
- Curriculum
- Services and resources
- Child development
- Child health
- Laws and regulations (The Americans with Disabilities Act).
For more information on Inclusion | WarmLine contact Toby Hunter via email at thunter@elcalachua.org or phone: 352-375-4087. Download the Warmline Information Sheet and Flier.
Early Learning Coalition of Alachua County
4424 NW 13th St. A5
Gainesville FL 32609
Ph: 352-375-4110
email: info@elcalachua.org
