Recent News / Blog

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Childcare is really expensive, and it is getting more expensive every year, and finding enough money in your pocketbook for childcare can be challenging. Some parents are choosing to leave work and stay home.

“From a business standpoint, it’s expensive to run a childcare center just like any other business,” said Tami Valdez, Community development and special programs director at Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida. “You’ve got rising minimum wages, you’ve got increasing insurance fees. So it’s just it’s inflation is hitting all businesses right now.”

However, there is a school readiness program that uses state and federal money.

“This funding provides childcare for families who qualify,” said Valdez.

School readiness funding allows families access to affordable childcare, easing financial burdens and making high-quality learning programs accessible.

“There is a need, and I think now the support families need it even more because living is very expensive right now,” said Valdez. “I feel like a lot of families are in the position where do I pay for childcare? Or do I work? So apply for our school readiness program and let us see if we can get you qualified and then we can help you pay for childcare.”

The Early Learning Coalition has seen more people using the funding.

“90% of a child’s brain is developed before they hit kindergarten. Giving the children an early learning opportunity is very important so that they’re when they when they are ready to enter formal schools, they’re ready to learn,” said Valdez. “Everything the cognitive, the social skills, everything that they will get within a childcare center is very important to get them going on that learning path.”

Helping families make the decision to work easier.

“They’re able to pay rent, pay mortgage, put food on the table,” said Valdez. “It’s just giving them some financial support on the children’s side. “We’re giving them a formal early education. so that’s very important.

The readiness learning program serves seven counties, Bay, Washington, Holmes, Jackson, Calhoun Gulf, and Franklin.

To apply and see if you are eligible for this funding, you can head here.

ArtKidDoo came back to Shivers Park in Chipley this past Saturday giving the youth of our community an opportunity to express themselves in a child-friendly environment.

This free, community-wide festival featured a range of hands-on arts and crafts activities, games, and entertainment by local artists. It was an opportunity for children of all ages to engage in creative activities while parents explored resources offered by community partners. More than 25 local non-profit agencies, civic groups, and businesses have volunteered to host booths and help provide an enriching experience for everyone.

Children attending ArtKidDoo had the chance to express their creativity in a variety of ways, including painting a police car, coloring, and meeting animals at the petting zoo. Activities such as inflatable axe throwing, games, and a photo booth also added to the fun, along with various arts and crafts stations where children created “make and take” crafts.

According to the Early Learning Coalition art is not just fun—it is essential to child development. Research shows that art activities support early brain development, helping children build cognitive, social-emotional, and multisensory skills. Engaging in art fosters creativity, boosts self-esteem, and aids in mastery of skills that are important for lifelong learning and success.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – In an effort to assess the current childcare needs in our community, The Bay County Chamber of Commerce launched a new Childcare Task Force Business Survey.

Open now till July 15, the survey questions will address the concerns of both employees struggling with childcare options and local businesses finding absenteeism issues and low productivity levels.

In coordination with the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, Chamber Officials said the data from the survey will lead to identifying potential solutions and strategies to improve access to affordable, high-quality childcare for working families.

Chamber President and CEO, Patrick Chapin, said, “We’ve heard stories after stories after stories about single parents not being able to find quality care which is limiting their work viability. The Florida Chamber actually did a survey and its 5.4 billion dollars of lost economic impact to the state of Florida. So, we really want to drill down to Bay County and find out what is happening here specifically and then start working on solutions.”

The Early Learning Coalition also encourages anyone that is interested in getting assistance in childcare or developmental screenings to go to Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida.

Tami Valdez, Early Learning Coalition Community Development and Special Projects Director, said, “Ninety percent of the brain is development between birth to five, so our future is our children right now. If they are not getting a strong early learning foundation, they are not going to be the best employees once they get there. Our workforce in the future is our children today.”

The online survey link can be found here or on the Bay County Chamber’s Facebook page.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Friday morning Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida held a Books, Balls & Blocks event at The Drip Coffee Co in Panama City.

This comes as the nonprofit continues its mission to set children and families up for success through learning.

Books, Balls, & Blocks was for children two months to eight years old and offered parents the opportunity to get free developmental and behavioral screenings for their children.

Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida Special Projects Manager Alyssa Gray said assessing needs and improving development as early as possible is very important.

“90 percent of your brain is actually developed by age five,” Gray said. “So those early interventions to make sure you have the foundation for learning later in life directly correlate with the outcomes later in life as an adult.”

The screening assessed five different areas of development including communication, problem-solving, fine motor, gross motor and personal social.

Questions asked include whether a young child can sit up on their own or whether toddlers can use a pair of scissors.

Results were provided to parents during the event as well as resources.

Children also got to indulge in several play stations aimed at improving development.

Megan Sweeten brought her four children to the event and said she has been to plenty Early Learning Coalition of NWFL events and finds them to be useful.

“You learn their [children’s] strengths and their weaknesses and where you can help them out,” Sweeten said. “Even help educate your friends and other people around you.

The Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida team said their goal is not to diagnose a child but to help support development.

The next Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida event is set to take place on July 13 at Goshen Evangelist Ministries located at 2904 E Highway 98, Panama City, FL 32401.

For the latest information on the nonprofit’s events or resources visit their website.

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Reading is important and is often associated with being taught at school.

However, educators with the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida said reading success starts at home.

This comes after reports from Florida Gap Map posted by the Chamber Florida of Commerce showed that about 47 percent of Bay County third graders were reading below grade level last year.

Early Learning Coalition Northwest Florida Service Specialist Jahn Jones Education said that if children have a good reading learning foundation by kindergarten, they are more likely to have an increased literacy rate and do well by the time they have to take 3rd-grade reading exams.

“Establish routines so that way the child has a schedule every day,” Jones said. “You could do baking activities so that they’re learning their math and literacy in fun ways, teach them self-sufficiency so they know how to carry their backpacks. get themselves dressed, put their shoes on, and read. Reading is very important.”

The Early Learning Coalition will offer at least two summer events to allow families to learn about a child’s development and build relationships.

Kaleidoscope Play and Learn will take place at the following locations weekly:

Every Tuesday at the Glenwood Community Center from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Every Thursday at the Oakland Terrace Club House from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Every Monday at the Washington County Library from 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Kaleidoscope Play and Learn is open to children 0-5 years.

Books, Ball, & Blocks:

June 21 at the Drip Coffee Co. from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Free screenings will be available for children two months to 8 years of age.

Areas screened include communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and behavior.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Chase Christianson, the CEO of HCA Gulf Coast Hospital, has been appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida.

This organization focuses on educating children before kindergarten and providing parents with the resources needed to support their children’s early education.

Christianson, who previously served as the chief executive officer of Parham Doctors’ Hospital, brings valuable experience to his new role. He emphasized the importance of education in building future generations.

“If you want to think about building the next generation and impacting our community on generations on end, it really starts with education,” Christianson said. “Any social perspective of life, if you have a strong foundation in education, you’ve got an opportunity to be successful going forward and having a positive impact on your future families, on the communities around you and the neighbors you live, work, and play by.”

Christianson will serve as the chair of the Early Learning Coalition, leveraging his leadership and expertise to advance early childhood education initiatives in the region.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – As many parents know, raising children is a lot of work, and sometimes people struggle. The Early Learning Collation of Northwest Florida joined up with Goshen Ministries to offer parents an opportunity to find support.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, parents gathered at the Goshen Evangelic Ministries center in Panama City for the event.

There was a designated kids’ room for the children to eat and do activities while the parents gathered in a separate room. The parents sat in groups together and were given prompted questions to discuss, such as who they are as a person and about their families. The discussion then focused on the challenges that each individual faces in day-to-day life.

Event organizers said having a safe space for parents to talk about their struggles is important.

”There was a need for this across the country and we’re part of Help Me Grow National, we have Help Me Grow Northwest Florida here and the parent cafes are part of that program. The goal of all that is to give parents a space to learn from each other, talk to each other,” Brooke Powell, a communications specialist with the Early Learning Collation of Northwest Florida. “Everything that they say in that room is confidential and it’s a judgment-free zone and just to be able to share the struggles that they face that are the same struggles that we all face as parents.”

Powell said they want to give parents more opportunities to have these safe spaces, so they will be holding more Parent Cafes.

The Washington County School District held a We Are Community family fun event on May 4 from 10 a.m. -noon at Vernon High School.

The event was held to help strengthen communication and engagement between parents and teachers so students can benefit.  

Melissa Brock’s music students from Vernon Elementary School were the featured entertainment and showcased their talent by utilizing new instruments purchased from the Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Grant Program.

Vendors were there to inform the community of the services they offer. Participating this year were The Red Cross, Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, Legal Services of NW Florida, Life Management Center’s Mobile Response Team (MRT), Vernon Public Library, Take Stock in Children, Art of Manhood Mentorship Organization, the mental health team of the Washington County School District, and Shepherd’s Gate Church.

Speaker Dr. Donna Austin addressed the parents and provided training packets to educate them on ways to help educate their children with everyday activities and how to effectively communicate with teachers and administrators.  

Several families won door prizes donated by the Washington County School District.